Medical Institutional action and coming up with Plan B

[GoSpursGo]

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Hi,

I am currently in my 4th semester in undergrad (I am classified as a junior) and I have been charged with cheating on my Organic Chemistry exam. Embarrassingly and regretfully, I have decided to cheat due to poorly preparing for the exam and feeling unconfident in the content I retained. I am deeply ashamed of myself and regret that I resorted to this. I was caught when I submitted screenshots of my exam answers to the questions in the online exam (her exams are formatted where we upload the screenshots of our answers) which had also shown a printed sheet of my professor's extra credit assignment. As a result, my professor sent me an official email deeming academic misconduct, and asking when I can visit her during office hours. I apologized in the email and visited her office hours once the week started and she went over what would happen as a result of this. I immediately confessed and apologized repeatedly and she said that I will receive a grade penalty of a 0 on the exam and as a first offense I would also receive a letter of warning from the University. I would not be suspended or expelled and this communication only happened between the professor and me so unless I wanted to appeal (which I won't because no) then I would be going up to the department chair and the dean. My professor also said I am not allowed to withdraw or drop the course and aside from the 0, she will continue grading my work as normal. Moreover, this report (the letter is the first report) would be expunged upon graduation, and I graduate early in December 2022.

I have to do some soul searching and really evaluate myself as a person because I am ashamed and deeply embarrassed by this and by my thinking process to resort to such wrongdoing. Aside from this, I am still interested in applying to medical school (shockingly) and I wanted to know how can I move forward in terms of redeeming myself. I also was thinking of taking a gap year or applying for a master's program. I am aware it will take years before I even think of applying to medical school. I was thinking about a master's because I wanted to study more and pursue public health, but I am not sure if either of these are possible to apply for.

Obviously the most important thing is that you need to learn from this and not repeat your mistake. You're saying all of the right things, but actions speak louder than words. A single mistake can be forgiven if the rest of your application and speaks to you being a model citizen, but if this happens a second time then it's a pattern and you're done.

You really need to find out if this appears anywhere on your transcript or in communication that will come from your school. I can't tell you the number of times someone has told us that "this was only between me and the professor," "it was expunged upon graduation," etc, and once they started digging around it turns out the IA was in fact on their transcript. If it is a true IA, then the only remedy is putting more time between the IA and your application and being a model citizen.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thank you so much. I read the student handbook for more information but I will be looking more into the situation and see whether it will appear or not. I think it is an IA because my professor submitted a report and let her superiors know what happened, also since I will be receiving a letter from the University to notify me of the misconduct. Again, thank you for the suggestion.

It sounds like it's an IA. Just need some time between this and your application then.

 

[Goro]

You need to put as much time between this incident and your eventual app.

Try to engage in positions of responsibility.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Likely an IA which likely needs time to heal. Volunteering in your community, not screwing up again, solid scores, and you taking total ownership of your fault (which it sounds like you have done) are the only ways to remedy this situation. If you do not apply to medical school, your chances are zero. If you apply with an IA, you still have a shot.