Student conduct situation

[William00001]

Hello,

I really need some help about my situation. I received a notification about student conduct complaint. It is about a course that I took in fall 2017. The professor found my lab assignment I submitted was similar to some of them formal student. So he reported me to student judicial affairs and I think I am going to receive an F in this course.

So my question is what should I do at this time? This is my first pre-med class I took, and I am getting an F. Kind of discouraging and worried that the med school will not accept me. Anyone has the same experience? And the F will show on the transcript but the reason why I was getting an F will not show. So should I explain the F in my application?

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[SpoiledMilk]

TBH.

Sounds like you will be receiving an institutional action, thus you will need to report on the AMCAS primary application and explain the cheating. Therefore, the hard truth is that your current chance to get accepted is close to zero.

You will need several years of rehabilitation, perhaps doing Peace Corp (as an example) and retaking the course.

There are consequences in life, learn and grow from this.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

We don't have to go as overboard as @DV-T quite yet...
Did you do it? Because if you didn't you have to go tooth and nail to prove it-old versions of the report you saved on your computer along the way, friends you worked on it with, etc.
If you did do it, you have to show you've learned/grown from it-I wouldn't start with as extreme as above, but joining the student conduct council and working with others would be a good start.

 

[bananafish94]

So he reported me to student judicial affairs and I think I am going to receive an F in this course.

I would say that your first course of action is to try and strike some kind of arrangement where you don't have to report this on your medical school applications. Offer to take an F, write an essay explaining why what you did was wrong, really anything that doesn't involve the university actually marking this on your transcript. A single F in the grand scheme of things is not a huge deal, but academic dishonesty is a much bigger deal.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Did you do it?

I may be wrong, but if the OP didn't do it, he/she would have posted a defense in his/her original posting. The fact that OP did not post a defense leads me to read between the lines and that he/she is guilty of cheating.

And my view is based on advice from similar threads regarding similar subject matter.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I may be wrong, but if the OP didn't do it, he/she would have posted a defense in his/her original posting. The fact that OP did not post a defense leads me to read between the lines and that he/she is guilty of cheating.

And my view is based on advice from similar threads regarding similar subject matter.

IMO if OP is a first-semester freshman they have a lot of time to make up for this early mistake. It is true that each evaluator will have their own criteria for what constitutes "restitution" from such an IA, but for me (having reviewed applications and conducted interviews) 2-3 years of good behavior is typically enough (assuming they've demonstrated growth).

 

[deleted480308]

Did you use old notes from a former student?

 

[William00001]

Did you use old notes from a former student?

Yes...

 

[William00001]

Yes

 

[Toutie]

Yes

It all depends on if they are going to put an Institutional Action on your record...if so, you are in very deep trouble as far as med school goes. You should start looking at other career options now.

If you are only going to receive an F and no Institutional Action, then you can recover.

Find out exactly what they are giving you...and pray very hard that it won't be an IA

 

[William00001]

It all depends on if they are going to put an Institutional Action on your record...if so, you are in very deep trouble as far as med school goes. You should start looking at other career options now.

If you are only going to receive an F and no Institutional Action, then you can recover.

Find out exactly what they are giving you...and pray very hard that it won't be an IA

They said they only give me an F in the transcript. The IA won’t show up in the transcript.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

It all depends on if they are going to put an Institutional Action on your record...if so, you are in very deep trouble as far as med school goes. You should start looking at other career options now.

If you are only going to receive an F and no Institutional Action, then you can recover.

Find out exactly what they are giving you...and pray very hard that it won't be an IA

Some adcoms are very conservative with regards to what constitutes an institutional action. If a professor gives an F due to cheating, some might consider than an institutional action because they consider the professor being a part of the university.

 

[LizzyM]

There are specific instructions on the AMCAS application abouat making an inquiry to a university official who can tell you if you have had an institutional action (IA). A thing can be an "IA"even if it does not appear on the transcript or if the record is destroyed after a certain period of time or after you graduate, etc. If the institution took an action to punish you, (even making you write an essay can be a punishment), then you must report that you were the receipient of an IA.
You don't want an IA. An F isn't good but an IA is forever.

 

[HomeSkool]

The IA won’t show up in the transcript.

It doesn't matter, you still have to report the IA in AMCAS when you apply to medical school. From the AAMC's guide (found at Sections 1-3 of the AMCAS® application: Your Background Information):

Institutional Action: Medical schools need to know if you were ever the recipient of any institutional action resulting from unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment, require you to withdraw, or does not appear on your official transcripts due to institutional policy or personal petition.

Your path to medical school just became much, much harder. With thousands of top candidates who didn't cheat, schools aren't keen on taking those who did. You're going to have to be a model citizen from this point forward without even a hint of academic dishonesty. Additionally, you'll need to engage in activities that show you've thought about your mistake and learned from it. Involvement in the Student Conduct Council as suggested by @OneTwoThreeFour is a great idea, as is @DV-T's suggestion of joining the Peace Corps. As @Goro says, you also need a solid Plan B.

 

[Goro]

Some adcoms are very conservative with regards to what constitutes an institutional action. If a professor gives an F due to cheating, some might consider than an institutional action because they consider the professor being a part of the university.

An F standing alone in a sea of good grades does get attention.

There's cheating, and then there's CHEATING. If the OP leads an exemplary life from now on, and owes their transgression, there are Adcom members who believe in redemption.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Id just cut your losses unless you are incredibly passionate about medicine. There are absolutely no guarantees in a situation like this and you will need to have excellent achievement to surpass this.

 

[Spectar]

An F standing alone in a sea of good grades does get attention.

There's cheating, and then there's CHEATING. If the OP leads an exemplary life from now on, and owes their transgression, there are Adcom members who believe in redemption.

Is OP DOA at your school?

 

[Goro]

Is OP DOA at your school?

I'd like to see the rest of OP's academic record, how s/he explains the IA on paper, and in person. If OP is 18, I'd cut far more slack than for someone who is 20-21.

 

[holdthemayo]

OP: this is bad, but I don't think it is the end of the road. It sounds like you might be a freshman, so time is on your side. You need time to convince someone that you have matured. You also need to be damn near perfect from here on. No cut corners. No stupid choices.

Whatever happens, learn from this. You are now on the hard side of learning how integrity takes a lifetime to maintain, and literally one stupid choice to lose. You have four years to start rebuilding yours.

I'll also throw in my vote for the Peace Corps or something like it, but focus on doing the next few years right first.

 

[Robin-jay]

Tough situation, but with enough time and achievements, hopefully you will be redeemed at some point. It's more of an uphill battle, but all is not lost. Redemption is a thing.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

If you were to take an F in the class and avoid an IA how would you explain in an interview why you got an F when all your other grades are solid