Interview ques. about cheating..

[orange_ivy]

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When asked in an interview about cheating what do y'all think is a good answer? For example, if you knew someone was cheating what would you do?
Should you always say turn them into the teacher or is there a better way of solving the problem? Should there be a different answer depending on if you encounter cheating in undergrad or grad school? Thanks!!

 

[twester]

I'd stand up and scream, "Stop looking at my paper!"

 

[ndearwater]

I would say that I would report them. It seems like a "tattle-tell" answer but it's really the only appropriate one.
How can you justify any other answer? In real life, it would certainly be more complicated than that but the answer is clear.
If you simply SUSPECT them of cheating, I would confront them rather than report them. Give people the benefit of the doubt but don't be naive or turn a blind eye to blatant dishonesty.
Too many people work hard to get into and graduate from pharmacy school to allow cheaters to slide by. My opinion. 🙂

 

[imperial frog]

Any school you attend probably has an established honor policy which you must agree to, and one of the principles will be that you must report incidences of cheating no matter what the circumstance.

 

[tigerth00]

Any school you attend probably has an established honor policy which you must agree to, and one of the principles will be that you must report incidences of cheating no matter what the circumstance.

What if the cheater is your only best friend? and if you report the incidence, he/she will be kick out of the school for good.

 

[imperial frog]

What if the cheater is your only best friend? and if you report the incidence, he/she will be kick out of the school for good.

That pretty much falls in the "no matter what the circumstances" part.

 

[n0estoy]

i thought i botched this answer when i got it during the UNC interview, because i definitely didnt take the hardline approach to it...but my acceptance letter says otherwise.

 

[imperial frog]

You probably still did botch it up but it's obviously not a deal breaker in and of itself so it didn't mean an automatic denial. Bottom line though is that schools are more in favor of academic honesty than sticking up for a friend who is cheating.

 

[insipid1979]

You probably still did botch it up but it's obviously not a deal breaker in and of itself so it didn't mean an automatic denial. Bottom line though is that schools are more in favor of academic honesty than sticking up for a friend who is cheating.

Schools are more in favor to see that you are an honest person during the interview. Noone is going to turn their best friend in that cheated. If you say you would they will know you are lying.

 

[KUMoose]

Schools are more in favor to see that you are an honest person during the interview. Noone is going to turn their best friend in that cheated. If you say you would they will know you are lying.

I would disagree, I know many staunch absolutists. However being an absolutist indicates you lack the compassion needed to be a good pharmacist.

 

[imperial frog]

Schools are more in favor to see that you are an honest person during the interview. Noone is going to turn their best friend in that cheated. If you say you would they will know you are lying.

If so they would be making assumptions based on something pretty much unprovable and favoring the side that they spend hours drilling into us as unacceptable. In the 8 colleges I've attended, every one of them has had policies that treated the cheater and the non-cheater who knew it was going on as equally culpable. Kinda hard for them to take the position that nobody actually believes a word of it...including the school itself.

 

[imperial frog]

I would disagree, I know many staunch absolutists. However being an absolutist indicates you lack the compassion needed to be a good pharmacist.

Not true entirely. Cheating is an area where there is absolutely no acceptable justification for it in any circumstance. At least none that I've ever come across. You can feel compassion for a person's situation (they are doing bad in a class) but that doesn't mean you have to condone or let their actions slide.

 

[insipid1979]

Not true entirely. Cheating is an area where there is absolutely no acceptable justification for it in any circumstance. At least none that I've ever come across. You can feel compassion for a person's situation (they are doing bad in a class) but that doesn't mean you have to condone or let their actions slide.

You don't let their actions slide. You tell the interviewer that you would offer to form a study group with them or tell them they should get a tutor or something and not let them cheat on the next exam. How many people do you actually know that would turn their best friend in for cheating? The interviewer isn't stupid.

If you say you will turn them in then I see that as kind of like answering the "list 3 weaknesses" they ask you and you just list strengths...like I AM SUCH A HARD WORKER...SOMETIMES TOO HARD!!!!
Everybody sees right through those answers...the same way they would see right through you claiming you would turn your best friend in for cheating. I think they want to see that you are honest and not a drone. Show some initiative by offering to help the friend that was cheating...think outside the box. Don't say that you will turn them in because they won't believe that.

 

[Mongoos150]

I agree.

 

[imperial frog]

Maybe I'm looking at it as a previous business owner...someone interviewing for a job giving me that kind of answer when asked what they would do if they saw a coworker taking money/supples would not be hired. I don't care how much outside the box thinking they were doing, I didn't want someone telling me they wouldn't report them. Honest or not, at least I knew the person who wouldn't report theft would definetely cost me money in that situation.

In the same light, I don't think it's a good idea to tell the school that you definetely will partake in academic dishonesty when given the chance. Let them guess as to whether you will or not, but being honest about your dishonesty strikes me as not the way to go.

 

[insipid1979]

Maybe I'm looking at it as a previous business owner...someone interviewing for a job giving me that kind of answer when asked what they would do if they saw a coworker taking money/supples would not be hired. I don't care how much outside the box thinking they were doing, I didn't want someone telling me they wouldn't report them. Honest or not, at least I knew the person who wouldn't report theft would definetely cost me money in that situation.

In the same light, I don't think it's a good idea to tell the school that you definetely will partake in academic dishonesty when given the chance. Let them guess as to whether you will or not, but being honest about your dishonesty strikes me as not the way to go.

First of all best friend does not equal some random coworker....which is a key detail in that question.

I also said that you would do something to correct the situation not let them continue doing it. So you aren't partaking in academic dishonesty...you are correcting it in a way that shows initiative. You also aren't being honest about your dishonesty since you aren't being dishonest to begin with. You are taking the initiative to help your friend do better in the class in an honest and ethical way.

Do you just like to argue or can you really not accept the fact that some people think that adcoms don't want to listen to a robot?

I have a question for you. Lets say that you has a pretty good idea that someone was buying syringes to use illegal drugs. You had two options...sell them the syringes or not sell them. Which would you do and why?

 

[imperial frog]

First of all best friend does not equal some random coworker....which is a key detail in that question.

I also said that you would do something to correct the situation not let them continue doing it. So you aren't partaking in academic dishonesty...you are correcting it in a way that shows initiative. You also aren't being honest about your dishonesty since you aren't being dishonest to begin with. You are taking the initiative to help your friend do better in the class in an honest and ethical way.

Do you just like to argue or can you really not accept the fact that some people think that adcoms don't want to listen to a robot?

Random coworker...friend...wouldn't make a difference. Hell, one of my workers telling me that they wouldn't turn in their best friend would be even worse because now I got to think of collusion going on between them and I definitely don't want that. That person isn't going to be hired by me.

Not turning in someone (anyone...best friend or that one kid that no one talks to) for cheating is considered academic dishonesty in every college I've attended. At UF we have to sign a statement on our tests saying that we agree to the academic honesty policy. On the rare chance that they could prove that I knew someone cheated and didn't do anything about it I could face the same penalty as the cheater.

And yeah, I like to argue, but then again it's not like you're accepting the fact that some people think the adcoms don't want to hear someone admit that they would violate their policy (unless they don't have a policy or the policy included not turning in cheaters that is...at which point the whole argument is moot) if presented the opportunity.

 

[insipid1979]

Random coworker...friend...wouldn't make a difference. Hell, one of my workers telling me that they wouldn't turn in their best friend would be even worse because now I got to think of collusion going on between them and I definitely don't want that. That person isn't going to be hired by me.

Not turning in someone (anyone...best friend or that one kid that no one talks to) for cheating is considered academic dishonesty in every college I've attended. At UF we have to sign a statement on our tests saying that we agree to the academic honesty policy. On the rare chance that they could prove that I knew someone cheated and didn't do anything about it I could face the same penalty as the cheater.

And yeah, I like to argue, but then again it's not like you're accepting the fact that some people think the adcoms don't want to hear someone admit that they would violate their policy (unless they don't have a policy or the policy included not turning in cheaters that is...at which point the whole argument is moot) if presented the opportunity.

I edited in a question on the last part of my previous post. Can you answer it please?

 

[imperial frog]

I have a question for you. Lets say that you has a pretty good idea that someone was buying syringes to use illegal drugs. You had two options...sell them the syringes or not sell them. Which would you do and why?

Sell them anyways for two reasons.

1. There is the chance that I was wrong and they did need them for their diabetes.

2. If they are a junkie they are going to get needles one way or the other and at least I'm providing them with one less route of disease transmission.

Now...if they I ask them what they are using them for and they tell me they like to ride the pony I'm going to refuse them unless the state allows me to sell them knowing this...I'm actually not sure what Florida allows once you know they are using them for illegal purposes.

 

[insipid1979]

Sell them anyways for two reasons.

1. There is the chance that I was wrong and they did need them for their diabetes.

2. If they are a junkie they are going to get needles one way or the other and at least I'm providing them with one less route of disease transmission.

Now...if they I ask them what they are using them for and they tell me they like to ride the pony I'm going to refuse them unless the state allows me to sell them knowing this...I'm actually not sure what Florida allows once you know they are using them for illegal purposes.

So I guess it is ok for your morals to intefere with some rules and not for others...

I think that if your friend is a cheater you should offer some help. At least by offering help you could help him in the class in an honest and ethical way.

 

[imperial frog]

So I guess it is ok for your morals to intefere with some rules and not for others...

I think that if your friend is a cheater you should offer some help. At least by offering help you could help him in the class in an honest and ethical way.

Hell yeah my morals allow me to do that because not all rules are equal.

But...what rules was I interfering with in the needles question?

 

[insipid1979]

Hell yeah my morals allow me to do that because not all rules are equal.

But...what rules was I interfering with in the needles question?

Geeze I don't know. You tell me

2. If they are a junkie they are going to get needles one way or the other and at least I'm providing them with one less route of disease transmission.

Using that as a reason to justify aiding a drug addict.

I agree with you about the needles...and clearly you can see my point between answering that question like that and answering the best friend cheating one. (thinking for yourself and making your own judgements while trying to correct the situation in the best way possible and not just going through the motions).

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I also think that adcoms would frown upon someone covering for a cheater, even if it was their best friend.

What if you and your "best friend" are both pharmacists, and you know that your "best friend" forged a C2 script for themselves. Do you "let it slide just this once" so you can get your friend some help, even though by doing so you become complicit in the crime, risking your license and employment?

 

[imperial frog]

Geeze I don't know. You tell me



Using that as a reason to justify aiding a drug addict.

I agree with you about the needles...and clearly you can see my point between answering that question like that and answering the best friend cheating one. (thinking for yourself and making your own judgements while trying to correct the situation in the best way possible and not just going through the motions).

But these are not the same. In Florida I'm allowed to sell needles without a prescription at my own discretion. No rules broken here. Again, I don't know what the law is once I have proof that they are going to use them for smack so I'll cross that bridge when I find out. Until then, however, I'm only speculating that they may be using them for illegal drugs, but there is the chance that they do need them for insulin and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because of the life-threatening consequences.

However, in the cheating example, you know your friend is cheating...no doubt there. Academic policies (as far as I know) do not give you discretion over who to report or how you are to handle the situation. All the ones I've seen give you one option...and one option only...to report the cheater. Never have I seen one that gives you an out by offering to tutor them or study with them. There is no thinking outside the box option that you can attempt. Again, there may be a policy that's different out there, but the ones I've had experience with don't give you any option.

 

[imperial frog]

I also think that adcoms would frown upon someone covering for a cheater, even if it was their best friend.

What if you and your "best friend" are both pharmacists, and you know that your "best friend" forged a C2 script for themselves. Do you "let it slide just this once" so you can get your friend some help, even though by doing so you become complicit in the crime, risking your license and employment?

That's the spiel that they always give us. That and "does the pharmacist that cheated his/her way through school deserve to be a pharmacist?" Do you want to to get your medical advice from the person who had to cheat to get by or the person who actually worked for the knowledge?

 

[All4MyDaughter]

That's the spiel that they always give us. That and "does the pharmacist that cheated his/her way through school deserve to be a pharmacist?" Do you want to to get your medical advice from the person who had to cheat to get by or the person who actually worked for the knowledge?

Yup, I think the key thing adcoms are looking for is that applicants understand that there is no gray area on certain ethical issues: cheating, stealing, self-medicating, and script forgery are some off the top of my head.

 

[insipid1979]

But these are not the same. In Florida I'm allowed to sell needles without a prescription at my own discretion. No rules broken here. Again, I don't know what the law is once I have proof that they are going to use them for smack so I'll cross that bridge when I find out. Until then, however, I'm only speculating that they may be using them for illegal drugs, but there is the chance that they do need them for insulin and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because of the life-threatening consequences.

However, in the cheating example, you know your friend is cheating...no doubt there. Academic policies (as far as I know) do not give you discretion over who to report or how you are to handle the situation. All the ones I've seen give you one option...and one option only...to report the cheater. Never have I seen one that gives you an out by offering to tutor them or study with them. There is no thinking outside the box option that you can attempt. Again, there may be a policy that's different out there, but the ones I've had experience with don't give you any option.

Actually just forget it. You know the reason why I was asking the question and you are just nitpicking now. I'm not going to make 30 points to get you to admit that in some cases your morals and better judgement would intefere with rules.

I also think that adcoms would frown upon someone covering for a cheater, even if it was their best friend.

What if you and your "best friend" are both pharmacists, and you know that your "best friend" forged a C2 script for themselves. Do you "let it slide just this once" so you can get your friend some help, even though by doing so you become complicit in the crime, risking your license and employment?

In one case your friend is putting your job and career and their health at risk. In the other case they aren't.

That is like comparing my answer to the cheating question and trying to put it in the same category as saying you would personally inject a heroin abuser with heroin with needles at your pharmacy so there is less of a chance of spread of disease, infection, etc. You know they are not the same thing. The reason I asked the syringe question to imperial frog is because in certain cases you have to use better judgement to handle a situation, and you can't just be a robot.

I think that is what the adcom committees are looking for. Are you going to be a mindless drone or are you willing to take problems into your own hands and help correct them. Besides like I said the first time around. They know that 99% of people are not going to turn in their best friend for cheating (which is why they use 'best friend' in the first place)...so if you answer saying you would...then expect them to look at you as a liar who is just spouting off untruthful answers that you think they want to hear.

I said everything I have to say about the reasonings why I would answer the way I would...and going back and forth saying "but it is their policy" is getting kind of old. I think we both made our points and aren't adding anything new to the discussion anymore.

 

[imperial frog]

Actually just forget it. You know the reason why I was asking the question and you are just nitpicking now. I'm not going to make 30 points to get you to admit that in some cases your morals and better judgement would intefere with rules.

Except the example you picked really wasn't a good analogy since there are no repercussions or interfering with rules with dispensing syringes.

In any case, I don't think you are going to get too many people saying that in some cases morals and better judgement don't alter how you approach rules. That we do agree on. Just not on how people justify it on the subject of cheating.

 

[insipid1979]

Except the example you picked really wasn't a good analogy since there are no repercussions or interfering with rules with dispensing syringes.

Like I already said...you are just nitpicking now. If the only reason you would turn in your friend for cheating is because you are afraid of repercussions happening to you...then you should tell the adcom that and see how they react. I am sure that is exactly the answer they are looking for...

 

[kkelloww]

I would sing like a canary!

 

[eeyore spice]

I'd tell them my true story of when I was in gen chem--I first tried to dissuade the girl from cheating off me--and they're more likely to listen to "dude, the instructor knows you're cheating, he's just waiting for an opportunity to bust you" than "omg, cheating is SO wrong!!" and then, when she wouldn't stop trying even though I kept refusing to help her, went to the instructor. I actually figured he DID know she was trying to cheat and it would look bad if I didn't speak up. But he didn't. I don't know if she ever got disciplined, but she probably flunked out anyways.

 

[comet81]

When asked in an interview about cheating what do y'all think is a good answer? For example, if you knew someone was cheating what would you do?
Should you always say turn them into the teacher or is there a better way of solving the problem? Should there be a different answer depending on if you encounter cheating in undergrad or grad school? Thanks!!

This was the REAL question in my interview with Hampton University school of pharmacy.
I said that I would not report such incident at first time and will tell the person about my opinion about the behavior. However, If I witnessed it once again even though I give him/her advice, then I will report about the suspicious behavior of the person. Since cheating is habitual type of behavior (because you can obtain more than the amount og effort you put on studying), the person will likelu to try it another time if it was succeed once.
I hope this answers your question

 

[n0estoy]

I dont believe for one minute that anybody with a soul would claim: "there are no gray areas" when a good friend is involved. And as it has already been mentioned, we are not drones nor should we try to be, and sacrificing our souls to the adcoms will not get us into pharmacy school. When I said I did not take a hardline approach, I meant I admitted that I would not go straight to the authorities unless there was no other recourse. That is not to be mistaken w/ "letting it slide."

 

[RyanMaverick]

If my best friend was cheating off of me then they really aren't my best friend. Why would they jepordize my future because they opted not to study? I frown upon cheating and feel that someone doing something academically dishonest should not be allowed to coast through Pharmacy school. So infact somebody cheating off of me is not my best friend at all and I would definately turn them in.

 

[RNtoPharmD]

This was the REAL question in my interview with Hampton University school of pharmacy.
I said that I would not report such incident at first time and will tell the person about my opinion about the behavior. However, If I witnessed it once again even though I give him/her advice, then I will report about the suspicious behavior of the person. Since cheating is habitual type of behavior (because you can obtain more than the amount og effort you put on studying), the person will likelu to try it another time if it was succeed once.
I hope this answers your question

This is the way I thought about handling this question... Would you mind telling me if you got accepted to this school?

I kind of answered this way and I did not get any response from them after the interview.. I am afraid of answering this way again..

 

[AnonFaculty]

I would answer a question about cheating this way:

"If the person cheats on exam, who is to say that person won't cover up a medication error when they are licensed. If I discovered dishonesty, I would report it, albeit anonymously to the appropriate authority."

I actually encountered this in moonlighting practice. A technician, who was not registered with the state as per regulation, made a serious error giving an 80-year-old woman a four fold over dose of Zocor. A month later after I caught a mistake, she said to me "its not my license if someone gets hurt." A month after that, I found that an internal medicine physician was prescribing all kinds of sedative hypnotics for intractable insomnia. The doctor had called in the prescription to me and I did a routine DUR check when I discovered she was on these meds at the time th error occurred and asked that it be investigated. The chain supervisor laughed at me. I reported them to the Board and quit right away. Yes, I lose money, but I didn't lose my license.

 

[jspwinter]

If my best friend was cheating off of me then they really aren't my best friend. Why would they jepordize my future because they opted not to study? I frown upon cheating and feel that someone doing something academically dishonest should not be allowed to coast through Pharmacy school. So infact somebody cheating off of me is not my best friend at all and I would definately turn them in.

Let's say you and your best friend got into the same school and finals are coming up. For unknown reasons he's borderline in 1 class and he's asking you to help him out. You offer to help but he's still struggling. During finals, you notice him quickly glancing over at your paper and scribble some stuff down. What do you do now? Would you turn your best friend over for cheating? Note that if you turn him in, he'll get kicked out of pharmacy school permanently and you'll ruin his chances forever.

 

[AnonFaculty]

Let's say you and your best friend got into the same school and finals are coming up. For unknown reasons he's borderline in 1 class and he's asking you to help him out. You offer to help but he's still struggling. During finals, you notice him quickly glancing over at your paper and scribble some stuff down. What do you do now? Would you turn your best friend over for cheating? Note that if you turn him in, he'll get kicked out of pharmacy school permanently and you'll ruin his chances forever.

Most people I know would not want to be associated with someone who cheats. If the friend does not turn him in, he'd get caught later anyway. To be a real friend, there should bean open and honest discussion with the person perhaps involving an advisor to help the person remediate. Maybe there is a learning disability. The bottom line is that when someone turns to cheating in a profession where we take care of someone's life, integrity is the upmost value.

 

[binghamkid]

When asked in an interview about cheating what do y'all think is a good answer? For example, if you knew someone was cheating what would you do?
Should you always say turn them into the teacher or is there a better way of solving the problem? Should there be a different answer depending on if you encounter cheating in undergrad or grad school? Thanks!!

What's important isn't the fact that they were cheating or whether you should report them. Obviously, you should report them. The question is, why are you reporting them? The schools want to know you can explicate the reasons (moral, ethical, professional) behind your course of action. Are you saying so because everyone says it's the right thing to do? Or are you saying so because you have a personal belief that it truly is the right thing to do.

You have to make that distinction clear and in a confident manner. If you are unsure, people can tell.