Hello everyone, I hope you can all help me today. Ill try to keep my story as short as possible, so if you can please read the whole story, I'd appreciate it and if you have any questions, just ask them below or PM me.
I was recently found guilty (by preponderance) of cheating on a midterm for a class I took in November (my 2nd year at uni). Essentially, exam was from 12:30 - 1:45. They say (prof + 2 TAs) I went to restroom at 1:35 (one of the TAs said she didn't know when I went to restroom), returned at 1:40 and finished my test up and the prof had saw on his computer that I logged into course website for 2 minutes between those 5 minutes and viewed course content.
My story (what happened) was I went to the restroom at 1:30, came back at 1:33 and looked over my test for a couple of minutes and turned my exam in at 1:35 (if this sounds weird, to sum up I have a health issue that isn't good for my body to wait to use restroom, sorry for the tmi) and then viewed course content on my phone after the exam as shown in the logs (the app was running in the background once I opened up my phone).
There's multiple things to note here. They acknowledge that there were no bathroom logs, no identity check when my exam was turned in, and nothing written on my exam to indicate what time I turned it in. They mention that their reports of their times are "estimates." They never saw me leave to the bathroom with my phone (it was in my backpack), and the TA I asked literally said it was her mistake and a fault that she didn't ask where it was when I asked her to use the restroom. Additionally, each one of them (prof, 2 TAs), have a different time stamp for when the prof checked the logs and then subsequently they discussed the matter. One TA said 5 minutes after the exam, the other said while I was in the restroom, and the prof said after I came back from the restroom but before my test was turned in. Another thing, in terms of the situational part of this: I understand the concern and validity if this had happened in the beginning or middle period of an exam, but they're claiming I logged in for two minutes and I came back and did whatever I did on my exam for the last 5 minutes? Literally doesn't even make sense. It doesn't even make sense considering I did really poor on the exam (59% to be exact) and I had then emailed the professor a week later on how to improve my grade in the course and put in many hours going to his TAs office hours, even reviewing this exam with them to learn the material better. I know those last two parts are indirectly involved with the situation, but I thought it was nice context to note.
I fought all these points with my uni, went to a hearing, and wrote a letter to the vice chancellor of student affairs. At the end of it, it was simply a they say/I say situation and I was suspended for this summer term for the alleged offense. It will be on my disciplinary record for 5 years. Funny enough, my prof for the class didn't even punish my grade at all, which actually makes me laugh when I think about it.
Fortunately, I wasn't planning on taking classes this term anyways. I'm currently planning on taking the MCAT in January and have basically made it imperative to get a 515+. Also, more in terms of numbers, I'm graduating in 3 years from my undergrad (t20) since I was dual-enrolled in my CC during HS. My cGPA (basically all science classes since my non-science GPA was completed in CC) is an upward trend of a 3.5, which I should get to a 3.6 by time of application. The past two terms (quarters) I was dealing with this issue, I somehow got my best grades.
How should I address this when the application opens up next year in May? I've read stuff where it's best course of interest to completely own up and say what you learned, but I'm really not sure what to do cause I genuinely didn't do it, and the punishment and motive for the offense are so serious I feel like it there would be 0 hope of getting into med school. Additionally, I understand adcoms view of "if you got caught, how can we trust that the rest of your grades are honest?" but something like what I "did" would be reported 10/10 (log into the course system, can't escape that). Personally, I want to explain what I wrote above, but I also want to apply in the best way possible. I'm already looking at applying really broadly. I appreciate all the help you guys can give me. Thank you.
tldr: I've received an IA of a suspension for this summer term for something I genuinely did not do. I fought it with everything I had and went through the every single process for 6 months, and it basically was like I was talking to a wall the whole time. How should I apply with this?
