Long story...short question

[mtritt2]

Here it is folks. During my last semester I took Philosophy 101 as a class that was supposed to be obviously easy. We had two paper assignments due during the year and on the second one, out of about 7 pages I included a small 3 line passage from a webpage I found. I personally believed that I had put this in my paper in a way that it in no way looked like I was trying to pass it off as my own material (You can probably see where this is going). Anyway I received my paper with no grade, only a note telling me to go see the professor. I went thinking nothing bad, maybe that I just had just forgotten to cite something I could show him where I got it and no big deal, Phil 101 who cares right? I get to his office only to find out that about 20 people in the class had gone to the same website at me and basically copied the whole thing and turned it in. After arguing with my profesor for about an hour he said he believed that I honestly made an innocent mistake. Unfortunately, he believed he wasn't in a position to say that I was ok but everyone else wasn't. So basically I got a zero on the paper and it went on my record but that's private. I was going to fight it but from my understanding, it would never see the light of day. No problem, no worries about getting into medical school, still got a B, problem solved, right?
So then I mosey over to the AMCAS worksheet today and notice a peculiar question about if any action has been taken against me for academic misconduct whether or not it affected my enrollment or even if it's not on my record...... I'm pissed. What the hell should I do? From the sound of the question it says Med schools understand you can learn from your mistakes.. yada yada. But in the explanation it sounds as if you're supposed to be all remorseful and tell what you learned. I'm not remorseful. I thought it was crap, I didn't attempt to plagarize. It was Phil 101 I assumed a works cited page was unnessary. So am I screwed? I feel I should probably answer this question honestly. Shouldn't I? But at the same time I'm pissed at the people in Judicial affairs who told me nothing would come of it. Sorry for the novel but I just about wet myself when I read that question. I need advice, bad.

Thanks a bunch,

M-Dogg

P.S. I didn't proofread this so sorry for any mistakes. (Smith 1987 38:3-12)

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[HumbleServant]

I don't understand: You received a "B" on your transcript for Phil 101 -- which in itself is no big deal for med schools to see. The question you're worried about on the AMCAS worksheet -- answer "no." Unless there will be some indication on your college transcript referring to action against you based on academic dishonesty, then I would just considered this matter -- non-existent.

However, if it DOES appear on your transcript (which I don't see why it would considering you received a "B" and not an "F"...) then I wouldn't know what to tell ya. I'd probably say "no" on AMCAS and take my chances that way.

 

[Schoolboy]

I would tell you to not include it. If in the unlikely case that it does come up, you can explain pretty easily why you didn't include it (e.g. false allegation, problem solved, etc).

I don't know what to tell ya if they ask why you only got a B in intro Phil though

edit: I just saw that you got a zero on that paper but still ended up with a B, nice job! Man overlooking something like that... I bet my verbal score is going to suck.

[This message has been edited by Schoolboy (edited April 23, 2001).]

 

[Djanaba]

I believe the AMCAS question is there to identify things such as unexplained time off (i.e., academic suspension), notes on the transcript that indicate a failing grade due to academic misconduct or violation of an honor code, or similar. Your case doesn't apply -- you and your professor decided on what to do, and it didn't involve a greater institutional policy or discipline. I don't think you should at all feel obliged to report this sort of incident to AMCAS. They're looking for the blatant plagerizers and crib noters who got caught.

 

[star23]

You are in the clear. Your circumstance is NOT what they have in mind when they ask that question. Answer no and get on to the rest of the AMCAS.