Quoted:Worst mistake of my life (honor code violation)

[Doodledog]

I am a sophomore who has just completed his fall semester at ........ University. For my third exam in Introductory Biology, I had initially earned a grade of a 94. However, I made the mistake of adding 5 words to the end of the paragraph of one of the answers and submitting the test for a re-grade. I was caught in violation of the honor code. I had originally received 2 of the 4 possible points for the question, and the re-grade in which I tried to gain the rest of the 2 points ended up costing me the exam. As a result, I received no credit for the test and a C+ for my grade in the course, which would have otherwise been an A given my other test scores in the course if it were not for this incident. The pressures of trying to impress the medical school admissions board and the feeling that I had to get all A's in the pre-med courses drove me to do something that was completely illogical. In hopes of trying to bring myself closer to gaining admission into medical school, I actually deprived myself of such an opportunity. I know this incident will be of great detriment in securing my future in medicine. I feel terrible about what I did, and it is something I truly regret. I was completely engulfed by my grades and lost sight of my other values. However, despite the damage that this event may have on my path to medical school, I truly hope to continue this endeavor. Originally, I thought my dreams of going to medical school would be over and my future appeared like a blur. Nevertheless, through some self-reflection, I realized that I can not give up, and that I must pick myself up and continue to strive for what I hope to accomplish. My overall GPA for the first year was a 4.0 but after this semester it will likely drop to about a 3.90. I made a terrible mistake, and I hope that someone can provide me with some helpful advice. Any suggestions about how I could recover from this and improve my chances of admission would be greatly appreciated.

First of all, you can be assured that there are plenty of folks in medical school who got a C+ in a premed class. The bigger concern is the honor code violation on your record. This too can be overcome, but you'll need to demonstrate over the next several years your increasing maturity and that you feel as remorseful then as you do now. In other words, if it sounds like your greatest remorse is that you got caught, this won't be as impressive as if you have learned that a 94 (or even lower...) would have been a good score and that even premeds don't get 100 on everything. A clear understanding of the ethical implications of your actions is important too. Never attempt to blame the school or someone else for what was clearly your responsibility.

The path into medicine and through a medical education and training program is a long one. Although there is no reason you can't overcome this in time to apply and be successful in a traditional mode, consider whether taking things a bit more slowly and giving yourself time to mature might not be a good idea.

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[QofQuimica]

Tildy gave good advice. I have one other suggestion that you might consider as a way that you could help turn a bad life lesson into something positive: give talks to younger students about your experience and what you've learned from it. I'm not saying that you should publically humiliate yourself, but maybe by telling your story to other college underclassmen, you could save someone else from making the same mistake you made. It's also a way for you to publically take responsibility for your own actions. Best of to you. 🙂

 

[Doodledog]

From the OP:

Thanks for those suggestions, I really appreciate your help. As for the advice from QofQuimica, I actually did come upon a friend of mine, who just started her first semester as a freshman, at the gym and I told her the whole story of what happened to me after she spoke to me about how she wasn't too impressed by the grades she was getting in her courses. I think that did help me evaluate my own behavior better in retrospect. I understand that I have to make some changes in my perspective of what it takes to get into medical school and perhaps anywhere for that matter. However, what are some steps that I can take to demonstrate that I have learned from this incident and matured? What can I do to make up for what I have done? I read somewhere that I should try to get a recommendation from the original professor who found me in violation. However, the professor needs to know I have changed before writing me a recommendation. How can he possibly know that I have grown and matured from this experience?

 

[MSmentor020]

i believe tildy nailed this right on. The issue is not that your GPA will drop to a 3.90 nor is it the fact that you got a C+. Both of which, in the long run, is not too big of an issue. The big issue here is the Honor Code Violation.

It's encouraging to see that you took the first few steps by yourself in admitting to yourself and realizing the error you made. I think that shows alot of maturity in of itself.

The recommendation by the professor sounds like an excellent idea. And you pose a very good question. I have not been in your situation before and I'm not going to pretend as if I was. However, I will tell you one thing. Most professors that I've come to know, are pretty understanding and are there to help you succeed not only in the classroom but in life in general. My advice to you would be to go talk to the professor and be honest. And from there, see what you can do together.

I hope that helps.

 

[NickMB]

The pressure on med school students can be overwhelming for some, and a lot of students forget that grades aren't all that med schools look at. Clinical and extracurricular activities are just as, if not more important. Not to mention the MCAT score.

As percentage points don't show up on the transcript, there is no point in stressing the extra few percentages as long as you remain within the grade range of where you wish to be. An A's an A's an A, whether it's a 99% or a curved 85%. Keep this in mind and you'll save lots of money on blood pressure medications 😀

 

[Doodledog]

In terms of getting a rec from the original professor, you can certainly meet with them and see if they are open to develop a relationship with you by which you demonstrate your maturity. That could be by working in their lab if they have one, helping them with preparing class material or just career discussions.

If this doesn't work out, remember that your application will have faculty letters from other faculty you've gotten to know while in college. Make sure that you have at least one faculty member over the next year or two that gets to know you as a person well enough to comment that they have seen you mature and learn from this incident. Do not try to bury this with faculty you talk to in the future. Make sure they are aware of what happened and how you have worked to overcome it and to mature.

 

[Doodledog]

OP asks:

I truly appreciate all of the advice. I will certainly make an effort to build a close relationship with at least one faculty member. However, in the case that I do not get into medical school the first time around, assuming that it's due to the honor code violation and I do have the GPA and MCAT qualifications, what do you propose I do after graduation? I have given the Special Master's Programs some thought, or perhaps spending a year doing research at a lab or doing medical-associated volunteer work. What do you think is the best initiative, if it happens that I do manage to have good GPA and MCAT scores but it's the honor code violation that puts me behind?


I think you should worry about this after you apply which appears to be in the future. Without having an application in hand, no one can answer this. Focus on doing your best in college now and having a strong application.

 

[Strength&Speed]

Maybe im missing something. But why does he have to address this when applying to medical school? Will they know about it? Perhaps his pre-med committee will. But if they wont then i say just get your normal recommendation, chalk it up to a lesson learned, and move on. and obviously dont cheat again. this shouldnt prevent you from getting into medical school. you learned from it, thats good.

 

[nu2004]

Maybe im missing something. But why does he have to address this when applying to medical school? Will they know about it?

yes. AMCAS asks if there has ever been any "institutional action" taken against you, the applicant. an honor code violation such as this would qualify, and the applicant would be required to include it in their primary application.

as most others have mentioned, Tildy's response was pretty spot on (not bad for a dog). i would add emphasis to the part about "taking time off to mature." taking 2 years off before starting my pre-med coursework (4 years total, i'll start this year) was the best life decision i've made yet.

the most important aspect of this situation is not "whether or not you'll get into medical school." i think you probably will. the big question is - was this ethical violation the just one in a long line of little "fudges" here and there? are you prone to taking shortcuts or trying to gain unfair advantage? if so, do you think that getting caught this one time is going to be a big enough impetus to change? if it's not part of a larger problem, can you identify WHAT it is that led you to cheat? remember, the pressure to succeed doesn't end once you get in to medical school... or put on that white coat... or get that top residency... or fellowship, etc. it will always be there, and you can't afford to cave to it.

i would argue (and i really can't see a reasonable dissent) that medicine is the field that gives its professionals the most access to the private facets of their clients' (patients') lives. as such, it is a field that is extremely concerned with ethics and ethical violations. if i were an admissions committee member, i would be tempted to throw your application in the garbage bin. my (hypothetical) school gets thousands of applicants, why should i reward one who could be a pathological cheater?

on the other hand, a really well-written essay (and possibly the evidence of maturity after some time off post-college) could convince me otherwise, i.e. in fact, this is a person who is extremely dedicated to success and hard work, and who slipped up - once - and really learned a valuable lesson.

this is one case where i wouldn't advise you to "spin" the situation to your advantage. do some soul-searching to address the root cause. once you've done that, i think you'll be well prepared for medical school.

 

[Museless]

I, too, agree with Tildy's advice, and only want to add one word of caution to the thread. There's been a lot of talk about taking time off "to mature".

I've been through two application cycles on my alma mater's admissions committee, and two application cycles as a resident. Time off can help, hurt, or be neutral.

If you take time off to do something of demonstrable value for a specific purpose - research, volunteering - time off can help you.

If you take time off for personal reasons - illness, parenting - and can show those issues won't affect your future work, time off is neutral.

If you take time off for vague reasons (like "maturing") and can't show specifically what you accomplished and why time off furthered your life or career in some way, you risk looking directionless and flaky.

 

[Doodledog]

If you take time off to do something of demonstrable value for a specific purpose - research, volunteering - time off can help you.

If you take time off for personal reasons - illness, parenting - and can show those issues won't affect your future work, time off is neutral.

If you take time off for vague reasons (like "maturing") and can't show specifically what you accomplished and why time off furthered your life or career in some way, you risk looking directionless and flaky.

Whereas I generally agree with this, in my experience the last one isn't that common. Every once in a while it'll be clear that someone took more than 1 year off to do nothing but play video games (not that there's anything wrong with video games of course...). But most of the things we see, whether it's a Teach for America type of experience or even just working as a lab tech for a while, can be seen by adcoms as not unreasonable ways to spend time. The time in the workforce (a key idea...be in the workforce!) is almost always a maturing and beneficial way to spend a few years.

 

[ULTRON]

Just attend a Caribbean medical school. I, too, made a ton of mistakes - in fact, my whole undergrad career was a mistake. Nevertheless, the world hasn't ended; I joined a medical school in the West Indies and here I am, preparing for the Step 1. Most of me senior friends from the same school matched to their #1 choice of residencies.

ULTRON

First of all, you can be assured that there are plenty of folks in medical school who got a C+ in a premed class. The bigger concern is the honor code violation on your record. This too can be overcome, but you'll need to demonstrate over the next several years your increasing maturity and that you feel as remorseful then as you do now. In other words, if it sounds like your greatest remorse is that you got caught, this won't be as impressive as if you have learned that a 94 (or even lower...) would have been a good score and that even premeds don't get 100 on everything. A clear understanding of the ethical implications of your actions is important too. Never attempt to blame the school or someone else for what was clearly your responsibility.

The path into medicine and through a medical education and training program is a long one. Although there is no reason you can't overcome this in time to apply and be successful in a traditional mode, consider whether taking things a bit more slowly and giving yourself time to mature might not be a good idea.