I screwed up. Really stressed out. Does it even matter?

[throwaway333]

So I'm a second year student at an osteopathic school. We have these easy little assignments due every few weeks. About a week ago, my school changed the syllabus so that a late assignment = fail the course because they got sick of people turning in their assignments late.

Well...the lucky genius in me decided to completely forget about the assignment over the weekend. It was due today at 10 am. At 11:30 am, I suddenly remembered and freaked out. I immediately emailed the course coordinator, but all he sent back to me was a strict email that said, "We told you about these changes over a week ago. The penalty is quite harsh. You had plenty of time to send your assignment. Please tell me why you did not submit your assignment on time."

I emailed back with a polite message that said, "I know that there is no excuse. It simply slipped my mind. This is the first time that I have forgotten to submit the assignment, and I usually consider myself quite a responsible person. Unfortunately, I am only human and I made a mistake. As soon as I realized my mistake (around 11:30a), I immediately emailed you and owned up to my error. I agree that the penalty is quite harsh, but I also understand the necessity of it. However, I want to navigate this unfortunate situation the best I can. What should be my next steps?"

There has been no reply so far. I am a nervous wreck.

I'm doing quite mediocre in school. Not top 20%, but definitely nowhere near the bottom either. I'm freaking out about potentially failed course. The F would appear on my transcript and I dread having to remediate. I want to do something mildly competitive like obstetrics or emergency med...and I'm afraid that they'll toss my application once they see that I failed a class.

Advice? Comfort? I just need someone to tell me that I'm going to be okay 🙁

Edit: wrong forum. I'm so stressed that I'm screwing everything up lol. Can someone please move to this to the osteopathic student forum? Thanks...

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[SOOyC52H1Sof]

So I'm a second year student at an osteopathic school. We have these easy little assignments due every few weeks. About a week ago, my school changed the syllabus so that a late assignment = fail the course because they got sick of people turning in their assignments late.

Well...the lucky genius in me decided to completely forget about the assignment over the weekend. It was due today at 10 am. At 11:30 am, I suddenly remembered and freaked out. I immediately emailed the course coordinator, but all he sent back to me was a strict email that said, "We told you about these changes over a week ago. The penalty is quite harsh. You had plenty of time to send your assignment. Please tell me why you did not submit your assignment on time."

I emailed back with a polite message that said, "I know that there is no excuse. It simply slipped my mind. This is the first time that I have forgotten to submit the assignment, and I usually consider myself quite a responsible person. Unfortunately, I am only human and I made a mistake. As soon as I realized my mistake (around 11:30a), I immediately emailed you and owned up to my error. I agree that the penalty is quite harsh, but I also understand the necessity of it. However, I want to navigate this unfortunate situation the best I can. What should be my next steps?"

There has been no reply so far. I am a nervous wreck.

I'm doing quite mediocre in school. Not top 20%, but definitely nowhere near the bottom either. I'm freaking out about potentially failed course. The F would appear on my transcript and I dread having to remediate. I want to do something mildly competitive like obstetrics or emergency med...and I'm afraid that they'll toss my application once they see that I failed a class.

Advice? Comfort? I just need someone to tell me that I'm going to be okay 🙁

Edit: wrong forum. I'm so stressed that I'm screwing everything up lol. Can someone please move to this to the osteopathic student forum? Thanks...

You were honest and owned up to your mistake, and it speaks a lot about your integrity and character. I'm gonna bet that the professor will let it pass this one time.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to Osteo

 

[throwaway333]

You were honest and owned up to your mistake, and it speaks a lot about your integrity and character. I'm gonna bet that the professor will let it pass this one time.

Thank you so much for the reassurance. I definitely hope so. That would be the ideal outcome. I'm just extra worried because the administrators seemed especially sick of late assignments...and here I come stumbling in like a fool.

It's especially embarrassing because a couple of friends and I have this system where we remind each other of assignments and stuff. And they both reminded me and I still forgot. I'm way too embarrassed to tell them about this, which is why I posted here. There's nothing to do but wait, anyhow...

 

[235009]

wow, your school sucks. that's an unacceptably harsh punishment.

 

[throwaway333]

wow, your school sucks. that's an unacceptably harsh punishment.

Haha I agree. But students kept turning the assignments in late. They slowly escalated the punishment over a few months. I understand their reasoning even if I don't agree. After all, it is the sort of thing that is easily forgettable, and with over a hundred students, someone is bound to forget every single time. If only they lead us with a carrot instead of beating us with a stick. You know how much med students love bonus points. 😉

 

[Jinxapotato]

OP if that makes you feel better, I missed 1 workshop in my class (penalty is -4pts off your grade, not as harsh as yours, but it does knock u off a letter grade) because my power went out during the night and my alarm clock decides to reset. So, I woke up, E-mail the professor, said I am willing to accept the consequence, but I want to apologize for the unprofessional behavior as it is not how I usually behave. Guess what, the prof decided to let it pass and give me the pts. Most prof understand how many things we have on our plate and usually try to be lenient for occasional mistakes..As long as you behave maturely (which I think you did). Fingers crossed for this to happen to you too!

 

[TheaterOfTheme]

Haha I agree. But students kept turning the assignments in late. They slowly escalated the punishment over a few months. I understand their reasoning even if I don't agree. After all, it is the sort of thing that is easily forgettable, and with over a hundred students, someone is bound to forget every single time. If only they lead us with a carrot instead of beating us with a stick. You know how much med students love bonus points. 😉

Can you give us hints as to which school this is? Wow, Im so sorry for this stress...

 

[costales]

If you have to remediate, you're not going to have a great Christmas vacation and your transcript will likely show a repeat notation. It's not a big deal. Learn from it. Patients have died because somebody forgot to do their job.

 

[throwaway333]

If you have to remediate, you're not going to have a great Christmas vacation and your transcript will likely show a repeat notation. It's not a big deal. Learn from it. Patients have died because somebody forgot to do their job.

This is exactly what I'm worried about. I suppose it doesn't seem like a big deal from an objective point of view, but I dread having to explain the repeat during an interview. At best, I look slightly irresponsible. At worse, the explanation sounds lame and they might think I'm covering something bigger up. At least that's what I would think if I were interviewing a student.

Thanks for your input. I'll do my best to learn from it.

 

[throwaway333]

Can you give us hints as to which school this is? Wow, Im so sorry for this stress...

I'd rather not because I like my school. And besides, I don't want online detectives to be able to hunt me down... 😉

 

[Goro]

The answer is very simple.

1) You fail and remediate successfully. End of story.
2) Pay attention to your future responsibilities.
3) This will not kill your chances for a competitive residency. A poor COMLEX showing is far more likely.
4) If enough people fail the course (as in a display of civil disobedience), the policy will change. The policy is rather draconian.

So I'm a second year student at an osteopathic school. We have these easy little assignments due every few weeks. About a week ago, my school changed the syllabus so that a late assignment = fail the course because they got sick of people turning in their assignments late.

Well...the lucky genius in me decided to completely forget about the assignment over the weekend. It was due today at 10 am. At 11:30 am, I suddenly remembered and freaked out. I immediately emailed the course coordinator, but all he sent back to me was a strict email that said, "We told you about these changes over a week ago. The penalty is quite harsh. You had plenty of time to send your assignment. Please tell me why you did not submit your assignment on time."

I emailed back with a polite message that said, "I know that there is no excuse. It simply slipped my mind. This is the first time that I have forgotten to submit the assignment, and I usually consider myself quite a responsible person. Unfortunately, I am only human and I made a mistake. As soon as I realized my mistake (around 11:30a), I immediately emailed you and owned up to my error. I agree that the penalty is quite harsh, but I also understand the necessity of it. However, I want to navigate this unfortunate situation the best I can. What should be my next steps?"

There has been no reply so far. I am a nervous wreck.

I'm doing quite mediocre in school. Not top 20%, but definitely nowhere near the bottom either. I'm freaking out about potentially failed course. The F would appear on my transcript and I dread having to remediate. I want to do something mildly competitive like obstetrics or emergency med...and I'm afraid that they'll toss my application once they see that I failed a class.

Advice? Comfort? I just need someone to tell me that I'm going to be okay 🙁

Edit: wrong forum. I'm so stressed that I'm screwing everything up lol. Can someone please move to this to the osteopathic student forum? Thanks...

 

[22031 Alum]

I'd rather not because I like my school. And besides, I don't want online detectives to be able to hunt me down... 😉

Honestly, if I were interviewing you and found out you failed a course because of a single late assignment, it'd make me think less of your school- not you.

 

[ortnakas]

I'd rather not because I like my school. And besides, I don't want online detectives to be able to hunt me down... 😉

I'm glad you're not sharing your school name because I wouldn't want you to jeopardize your privacy, but could you give a vague idea of what kind of class it is? Like clinical/OPP/H&P, sciences, something random like healthcare management, etc.

I'm also glad Goro could confirm this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, because that would really suck.

Also, pro-tip: iPhone alerts for the win. 🙂

 

[throwaway333]

I'm glad you're not sharing your school name because I wouldn't want you to jeopardize your privacy, but could you give a vague idea of what kind of class it is? Like clinical/OPP/H&P, sciences, something random like healthcare management, etc.

I'm also glad Goro could confirm this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, because that would really suck.

Also, pro-tip: iPhone alerts for the win. 🙂

It is an OSCE class. After each practice session, you have to turn in a self-assessment. It's super quick and easy - a few button clicks, a few written comments, and you're done. Anyone who goes to my school will recognize this for sure lol.

 

[throwaway333]

The answer is very simple.

1) You fail and remediate successfully. End of story.
2) Pay attention to your future responsibilities.
3) This will not kill your chances for a competitive residency. A poor COMLEX showing is far more likely.
4) If enough people fail the course (as in a display of civil disobedience), the policy will change. The policy is rather draconian.

Thanks for the reassurance. It is a great relief to hear that it will not kill chances for a mildly competitive residency.

 

[asdf123g]

delete

 

[jl lin]

It is an OSCE class. After each practice session, you have to turn in a self-assessment. It's super quick and easy - a few button clicks, a few written comments, and you're done. Anyone who goes to my school will recognize this for sure lol.

Oh wow. That really sucks. I hope it somehow works out for you.

 

[jl lin]

OP, lol, just say that it rhymes with Smarvard. LOL Obviously not.😉

 

[22031 Alum]

OP, lol, just say that it rhymes with Smarvard. LOL Obviously not.😉

I was going to tell OP that if it rhymes with Smanderbilt I'd call and let them know what I thought of that policy. Then I realized this isn't even the right forum. 🙁

 

[dozitgetchahi]

This is crazy.

That said, in the long run in medicine details DO matter - so watch your responsibilities closely.

I can think of several situations in college and medical school that were like this - something was assigned way too much value to be reasonable and dropping something minor would result in failure of a test/lab/course, whatever.

I had a biology lab in college where being 15 minutes late would result in autofailing the course (the doors of the building would automatically lock at that time...apparently for security etc). I treated that lab like a nuclear warhead that would go off on my life plans if mistreated and made double damn sure I was there on time.

When you're told things count for this much, you handle those things with kid gloves and make sure they don't end up ruining your future. And it doesn't matter how draconian or stupid the things seem...it's yet another hoop along the doctor trail, except set up higher and designed as a booby trap if you don't hit it right. So just jump through it.

 

[throwaway333]

This is crazy.

That said, in the long run in medicine details DO matter - so watch your responsibilities closely.

I can think of several situations in college and medical school that were like this - something was assigned way too much value to be reasonable and dropping something minor would result in failure of a test/lab/course, whatever.

I had a biology lab in college where being 15 minutes late would result in autofailing the course (the doors of the building would automatically lock at that time...apparently for security etc). I treated that lab like a nuclear warhead that would go off on my life plans if mistreated and made double damn sure I was there on time.

When you're told things count for this much, you handle those things with kid gloves and make sure they don't end up ruining your future. And it doesn't matter how draconian or stupid the things seem...it's yet another hoop along the doctor trail, except set up higher and designed as a booby trap if you don't hit it right. So just jump through it.

Yes, I completely agree. I've had classes like this before in undergrad as well. I understand the need for deadlines and firm boundaries. It's also not fair to the students who did turn the assignment in on time. That's partially why I feel so stupid.

This thread has made me feel a lot better. I've definitely gained some perspective on the situation. Many thanks to everyone who has responded so far.

 

[throwaway333]

OP, lol, just say that it rhymes with Smarvard. LOL Obviously not.😉

I wish. 🙄

 

[Mehd School]

Once things cool off, please let us know what school you attend so people can avoid it like the plague.

That policy is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. An institution that utilizes heavily flawed judgement of that magnitude seems dangerous to me.

 

[hallowmann]

Once things cool off, please let us know what school you attend so people can avoid it like the plague.

That policy is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. An institution that utilizes heavily flawed judgement of that magnitude seems dangerous to me.

I can't imagine that policy will persist. Its unreasonable, and any school can't be failing people left and right because of one simple assignment being late.

OP, worst case scenario if you end up failing and have to remediate, its fine. No one is going to care, and I doubt anyone would really notice, especially in OB or EM. There are much greater metrics than a single OSCE course (which I assume is a relatively minor portion of your overall curriculum).

My guess is that you won't fail, and the professor will let you off with a stern warning that if it were to happen again, you will fail regardless of the reason. He's even asking you to give him a reason of why you he should not fail you in that email, so obviously its a possibility.

 

[throwaway333]

I can't imagine that policy will persist. Its unreasonable, and any school can't be failing people left and right because of one simple assignment being late.

OP, worst case scenario if you end up failing and have to remediate, its fine. No one is going to care, and I doubt anyone would really notice, especially in OB or EM. There are much greater metrics than a single OSCE course (which I assume is a relatively minor portion of your overall curriculum).

My guess is that you won't fail, and the professor will let you off with a stern warning that if it were to happen again, you will fail regardless of the reason. He's even asking you to give him a reason of why you he should not fail you in that email, so obviously its a possibility.

Update. I think that you're right. I asked one of my class officers to anonymously talk to the professor and it seems like she already sent out emails to the people who didn't turn in the assignment. I didn't get an email, so it's all good. *relaxes*

Thanks everyone. 🙂