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If a medical school administration or dean decides that a student should be dismissed/expelled/mandatory leave/etc, is there an absolute/universal requirement that the school present proof/evidence for whatever policies the student is understood to be in violation of? (the policies regarding discipline at our school are vaguely outlined in our rulebook, and there's a lot of "we reserve the right" peppered into the protocols for discipline and investigations, which seems more subjective than objective.
Here's my situation: Our school has an anonymous reporting channel that students/faculty may report someone for things like academic dishonest, violation of policy, reporting an incident (harassment, intoxication in class/clinic, general professionalism issues, etc.) There is a universal ID/password that everyone may use, and the person writing the report is not required to provide their name - complete anonymity to the deans and to the person they are reporting. Okay, so moving on from here...
A classmate has been sending in these reports about me, on two separate occasions now, lying to the administration about my behavior in school. They have been sending these reports anonymously, so they cannot be followed up with by the administration. I have been accused of: Harassment (false), Bigotry/Racism (false) towards other students, creating a hostile work environment (false), loud and disruptive before/during exams (false), not allowing others to participate in small group sessions (I'm pretty quiet), openly badmouthing professors and classmates (I might complain about a crappy lecture from time to time, but nothing more than any other average med student), threatening/victimizing classmates (false), being unreceptive to feedback (false, I actually welcome it and make sure the person feels heard), substance use issues (had too much to drink at a party after a final and some people had to step in and make sure I wasn't going to die or anything, and that I got drunk at a happy hour informally organized by a large group of our class) inappropriate use of Facebook (I have a rare disease and I use social media to promote awareness/educate.)
So, our medical school administration really likes this system, and they place a lot of emphasis on it being a tool for feedback and improving ones self professionally. Sure, I get that, but much of this is all documented in black and white, so if I'm accused of something I did not do or do not agree with, I'm going to make sure the record shows that I did not admit to being guilty of something I did not do - and obviously, some of the things this person has accused me of would be grounds for dismissal if not true.
Anyway, the first report came and went and I explained things away and I made sure the deans knew I was not some alcoholic bigoted misogynist who can't handle feedback or responds to it with violence. The report stays in some data-base and doesn't go on the permanent record, fine, who cares. If you get enough of these reports sent in against you though, they make note of it in your MSPE and it does go on your permanent record and does need to be reported to liscencing agencies - and every student is acutely aware of that little detail.
So, a few months ago, a second report came in, and I was called in to meet with a dean and to submit a written response to the report; and again, I vehemently denied everything that was not true, this time offering up irrefutable lines of evidence to support points of innocence to what this person was saying about me - loud and disruptive, threatens people, victimizes people, loud/disruptive during exams, hostile work environment in small group sessions, etc. Now a big thing that has been emphasized by our deans is that "Perceptions vary" - and I get that if you have a different sense of humor or what is an appropriate thing to talk about with your classmates in small group or before a test, then some people might not get along, and thats not great I guess but the fact of the matter here is that nothing that this person has described of my behavior at school even remotely reflects the truth, and if it is really a matter of perception there is nothing that I have done that even mildly aligns with what this person has said about me that a reasonable person of objective mind would say "wow, thats a pretty hostile guy" or "he really talks a lot of trash".
Anyway, this person has sent in these reports, the language is vague, needlessly harsh, and where the comments aren't vague, they are just making up things to make me look bad and maybe get me in trouble? They even went so far as to write something to the effect of "this student can defend the things they do on an individual basis, but if you look at the bigger picture he is overall a malicious and unprofessional person" - so when I defend my position that I have not violated the policies that this person implies I have violated, or crossed the ethical lines that they suggest I have crossed - my being defensive just plays right into their report. Indeed, a conundrum.
Anyway, faculty and deans met to review this report and my written reply to the report, and the have handed down a recommendation that I attend counseling/therapy (with a 3rd party service the school pays for), and based on what other students who also had to enroll in this counseling program, it's pretty much until you graduate.
Step I is on the horizon. I shouldn't have to sacrifice my time because another classmate lied to the deans about my behavior, and did so anonymously so they couldn't be held accountable.
So, I'm appealing the recommendation to a a promotions committee. They may uphold, reverse, modify, or completely change the recommendation - including probation, dismissal, expulsion, mandatory leave, etc.
No proof has been given to support the policies that this person has alleged me to be in violation of, but there are also "grey areas" regarding professionalism, which, while there is no evidence for that either, it is a matter of hearsay and even if my side of the story is not lent credence, since it is a "grey" area, it seems that this appeal committee could be like "well we think you're full of it, we buy this persons story, you're massively unprofessional, and instead of upholding the recommendation that you enroll in therapy, we're opting to dismiss you/some other adverse sanction"
So, can a medical school really take adverse action, when there is no proof of anything? Can I really be forced to attend "therapy" when I'm not responsible for the things that have been alleged of me, with no evidence to support those allegations whatsoever?
Someone please chime in here. I know its my only/first post on SDN, but I'm really worried about this. Please no trolling.
Here's my situation: Our school has an anonymous reporting channel that students/faculty may report someone for things like academic dishonest, violation of policy, reporting an incident (harassment, intoxication in class/clinic, general professionalism issues, etc.) There is a universal ID/password that everyone may use, and the person writing the report is not required to provide their name - complete anonymity to the deans and to the person they are reporting. Okay, so moving on from here...
A classmate has been sending in these reports about me, on two separate occasions now, lying to the administration about my behavior in school. They have been sending these reports anonymously, so they cannot be followed up with by the administration. I have been accused of: Harassment (false), Bigotry/Racism (false) towards other students, creating a hostile work environment (false), loud and disruptive before/during exams (false), not allowing others to participate in small group sessions (I'm pretty quiet), openly badmouthing professors and classmates (I might complain about a crappy lecture from time to time, but nothing more than any other average med student), threatening/victimizing classmates (false), being unreceptive to feedback (false, I actually welcome it and make sure the person feels heard), substance use issues (had too much to drink at a party after a final and some people had to step in and make sure I wasn't going to die or anything, and that I got drunk at a happy hour informally organized by a large group of our class) inappropriate use of Facebook (I have a rare disease and I use social media to promote awareness/educate.)
So, our medical school administration really likes this system, and they place a lot of emphasis on it being a tool for feedback and improving ones self professionally. Sure, I get that, but much of this is all documented in black and white, so if I'm accused of something I did not do or do not agree with, I'm going to make sure the record shows that I did not admit to being guilty of something I did not do - and obviously, some of the things this person has accused me of would be grounds for dismissal if not true.
Anyway, the first report came and went and I explained things away and I made sure the deans knew I was not some alcoholic bigoted misogynist who can't handle feedback or responds to it with violence. The report stays in some data-base and doesn't go on the permanent record, fine, who cares. If you get enough of these reports sent in against you though, they make note of it in your MSPE and it does go on your permanent record and does need to be reported to liscencing agencies - and every student is acutely aware of that little detail.
So, a few months ago, a second report came in, and I was called in to meet with a dean and to submit a written response to the report; and again, I vehemently denied everything that was not true, this time offering up irrefutable lines of evidence to support points of innocence to what this person was saying about me - loud and disruptive, threatens people, victimizes people, loud/disruptive during exams, hostile work environment in small group sessions, etc. Now a big thing that has been emphasized by our deans is that "Perceptions vary" - and I get that if you have a different sense of humor or what is an appropriate thing to talk about with your classmates in small group or before a test, then some people might not get along, and thats not great I guess but the fact of the matter here is that nothing that this person has described of my behavior at school even remotely reflects the truth, and if it is really a matter of perception there is nothing that I have done that even mildly aligns with what this person has said about me that a reasonable person of objective mind would say "wow, thats a pretty hostile guy" or "he really talks a lot of trash".
Anyway, this person has sent in these reports, the language is vague, needlessly harsh, and where the comments aren't vague, they are just making up things to make me look bad and maybe get me in trouble? They even went so far as to write something to the effect of "this student can defend the things they do on an individual basis, but if you look at the bigger picture he is overall a malicious and unprofessional person" - so when I defend my position that I have not violated the policies that this person implies I have violated, or crossed the ethical lines that they suggest I have crossed - my being defensive just plays right into their report. Indeed, a conundrum.
Anyway, faculty and deans met to review this report and my written reply to the report, and the have handed down a recommendation that I attend counseling/therapy (with a 3rd party service the school pays for), and based on what other students who also had to enroll in this counseling program, it's pretty much until you graduate.
Step I is on the horizon. I shouldn't have to sacrifice my time because another classmate lied to the deans about my behavior, and did so anonymously so they couldn't be held accountable.
So, I'm appealing the recommendation to a a promotions committee. They may uphold, reverse, modify, or completely change the recommendation - including probation, dismissal, expulsion, mandatory leave, etc.
No proof has been given to support the policies that this person has alleged me to be in violation of, but there are also "grey areas" regarding professionalism, which, while there is no evidence for that either, it is a matter of hearsay and even if my side of the story is not lent credence, since it is a "grey" area, it seems that this appeal committee could be like "well we think you're full of it, we buy this persons story, you're massively unprofessional, and instead of upholding the recommendation that you enroll in therapy, we're opting to dismiss you/some other adverse sanction"
So, can a medical school really take adverse action, when there is no proof of anything? Can I really be forced to attend "therapy" when I'm not responsible for the things that have been alleged of me, with no evidence to support those allegations whatsoever?
Someone please chime in here. I know its my only/first post on SDN, but I'm really worried about this. Please no trolling.
