Yup... Messed up Big Time. Academic Dishonesty

[WatDoYouMean]

Hi all,
I recently graduated, and my last course(undergrad) I will ever take, ended up biting me in the rear. I submitted a lab report, and turnitin.com found an entire sentence word for word from my friend's (prior student) which I used as a guideline for writing mine. The only reason why I used their old lab report was to condense my materials and methods portion to an appropriate page amount, from 6 to 3 pages (requirement for the lab report), so basically I needed to see how in depth to write. In doing so, I accidently picked up a sentence from their report and somehow put it in my own lab report. Now, the total lab report being over 18 pages, this one sentence is getting me booked for a plagarism case.

I've talked this over with the professor, she does not find it acceptable that I allowed someone else's work to be in my lab report. I agree, this was beyond a blunder on my part. She is not going to give me a zero on the lab report, yet only that portion, thankfully. I'm not as worried about the grade as the academic integrity issue.

I have a meeting with my dean on friday to talk about this situation. Both the Dean and professor are not taking this situation lightly. Any ideas how I can redeem myself from a simple and honest mistake. One sentence out of the 19 page report is similar, and they do have electronic proof of that.

Again this is my last course, and I'm applying this cycle, which puts me in another bubble. I'm fairly sure this will go on my transcript and as much as I try to argue it, I feel like they have enough proof against me. Any advice on how to approach my application on this issue??

I've seen from previous threads/posts that it is best to show maturity from this incident, yet I don't see how I can do that, without any more classes/extra-curriculars. I'm ready as ready as can be to turn in my primary app, I'm just waiting on this Grade/situation to be resolved.

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[Frazier]

Hi all,
I recently graduated, and my last course(undergrad) I will ever take, ended up biting me in the rear. I submitted a lab report, and turnitin.com found an entire sentence word for word from my friend's (prior student) which I used as a guideline for writing mine. The only reason why I used their old lab report was to condense my materials and methods portion to an appropriate page amount, from 6 to 3 pages (requirement for the lab report), so basically I needed to see how in depth to write. In doing so, I accidently picked up a sentence from their report and somehow put it in my own lab report. Now, the total lab report being over 18 pages, this one sentence is getting me booked for a plagarism case.

I've talked this over with the professor, she does not find it acceptable that I allowed someone else's work to be in my lab report. I agree, this was beyond a blunder on my part. She is not going to give me a zero on the lab report, yet only that portion, thankfully. I'm not as worried about the grade as the academic integrity issue.

I have a meeting with my dean on friday to talk about this situation. Both the Dean and professor are not taking this situation lightly. Any ideas how I can redeem myself from a simple and honest mistake. One sentence out of the 19 page report is similar, and they do have electronic proof of that.

Again this is my last course, and I'm applying this cycle, which puts me in another bubble. I'm fairly sure this will go on my transcript and as much as I try to argue it, I feel like they have enough proof against me. Any advice on how to approach my application on this issue??

I've seen from previous threads/posts that it is best to show maturity from this incident, yet I don't see how I can do that, without any more classes/extra-curriculars. As I'm ready to turn in my primary app, I'm just waiting on this Grade/situation to be resolved.

What do you mean?

 

[Frazier]

The "I somehow managed to accidentally copy a sentence into my report" is bogus -- or at least that is what any normal person would think.

Just stay mature about it (note: careful not to appear cocky/condescending) and explain that you previewed your friends report. While writing your 19 page report you were trying to think of a good transition sentence but couldnt think of one at 3am. Thus, at 3am the night before your report was due - you broke your moral code [for once] and copied your friend's transition.

Sucks. May bite you in the ass... But such is life. 🙁

 

[WatDoYouMean]

What would be my best approach for answering the question about academic dishonesty on the primary, and with my dean (on friday)

Thanks for answering- Fraizer

 

[Pisiform]

No big deal bro!!!

I have been in the same boat. I copied a little bit of the stuff from a website in African American Literature class (because that class blows and I was least interested in it). Anyway, I was caught. I apologized and admitted that I did it and told them I am really sorry and was somehow compelled by satanic/dishonest ideas in my mind . I also told them if they want me to give another topic to write on (but they disagreed). However, they accepted my apology and told me to do the same essay all over again.

And I ended up with an A+ 👍

And when you meet up with the Dean, tell him you are very sorry and explain to him that you did really well on other classes and now you are applying to med schools. Request him that your foolish aka childish mistake should be ignored and don't affect recommendation and overall appearance as a potential pre-medical applicant.

 

[pennstate4life]

If this goes on your transcript, then to be honest you are screwed. It really depends on your stats and ECs. The question you should ask is why should they interview you when there are thousands of equally qualified applicants without a single reported blemish. Do you have a 40 MCAT? Do you have publications that were hopefully cited properly? Did you make the game winning jumper that took your team to the NBA finals?

 

[searun]

Personally, I would wait 4 years, do your penance, and then apply in 2015 cycle, give yourself about 4 or 5 years to try to rehabilitate your application.

 

[searun]

No big deal bro!!!

I have been in the same boat. I copied a little bit of the stuff from a website in African American Literature class (because that class blows and I was least interested in it). Anyway, I was caught. I apologized and admitted that I did it and told them I am really sorry and was somehow compelled by satanic/dishonest ideas in my mind . I also told them if they want me to give another topic to write on (but they disagreed). However, they accepted my apology and told me to do the same essay all over again.

And I ended up with an A+ 👍

And when you meet up with the Dean, tell him you are very sorry and explain to him that you did really well on other classes and now you are applying to med schools. Request him that your foolish aka childish mistake should be ignored and don't affect recommendation and overall appearance as a potential pre-medical applicant.

Sweet, but you are getting a little ahead of yourself, since you have not been admitted to any medical school in the United States.

 

[Mbeas]

A physician on an adcom at a US allopathic med school told me that you can't make up for "academic dishonesty", or cheating for that matter. He was really serious about it and said that it was an automatic rejection (for his school anyways). He said that everyone has slip ups (like getting caught for underage drinking) that can be resolved/or ignored, but cheating was a huge violation.

But, I guess there are always exceptions. Try to keep your head up, despite my negative news.

 

[ClarKent]

If this goes on your transcript, then to be honest you are screwed. It really depends on your stats and ECs. The question you should ask is why should they interview you when there are thousands of equally qualified applicants without a single reported blemish. Do you have a 40 MCAT? Do you have publications that were hopefully cited properly? Did you make the game winning jumper that took your team to the NBA finals?

Whoa, whoa. I doubt this blemish, if properly explained, will hurt you to such a drastic extant as stated by the above poster. I think this may make you lose one or two interviews at most. From what I understand, many kids with larger blemishes (such as being convicted of possession of marijuana) have been accepted to medical schools.

Anyways, I would be honest about the mistake you've made (since its obvious), and I would apologize. Also, make it a point to let the dean/professor know how negatively a plagiarism charge would effect your application and your mental health during what is arguably the most competitive graduate school admissions process.

 

[Pisiform]

Sweet, but you are getting a little ahead of yourself, since you have not been admitted to any medical school in the United States.

Hey you, You have just committed a sin by hurting the so called Ego of a happy premed Come on man/woman, it is the only night I was happy and you pushed into the depression ditch. 😱

 

[catalase]

1) Apologize sincerely and repeatedly

2) Explain the circumstances surrounding the situation, but DO NOT let it come off as an excuse or justification.

3) Apologize again, sincerely and repeatedly

4) Explain to the prof/dean the potential consequences of an Academic Dishonesty Entry on your record, as it relates to your potential to become a physician. Convince them that this was an isolated incident, one from which you learned a great deal. Ask them if there is anything that can be done to remedy the situation outside of institutional action.

5) See numbers 1 and 3

If you can do all of this while maintaining eye contact and control of your emotions, you MAY have a chance to correct this for your application cycle. Personally, assuming you are telling the story accurately, I feel that your mistake doesn't warrant a punishment that is potentially devastating to your future in medical school. But it's your mistake, and it is what it is. You can't change it, but you can deal with it as well as you can and learn from the entire process.

 

[girlofgrace7]

The "I somehow managed to accidentally copy a sentence into my report" is bogus -- or at least that is what any normal person would think.

I don't think it sounds bogus at all. When you're writing a long report and read something, sometimes you remember a sentence and, when you try to write something similar later, the sentence will pop into your head and you'll think it's your own, especially if it's a simple sentence.

I've sat in on a few dishonesty hearings at my university and have graded many papers where students cheated, and one sentence out of a 19-page report seems a bit insane to claim academic dishonesty in my mind (especially if this is your first offense in your four years of college). Be completely honest about what happened (writing your own report and then looking at your friend's to get an idea of how to condense it), and apologize sincerely for the sentence. Be as sincere, honest, and repentant as you can. Tell them your situation, but be ready to accept consequences if necessary (though attempt to work out an offer that does not get it marked on your record). A zero on the section or assignment seems like fair enough punishment if they truly feel it's serious.

 

[TFS]

.

 

[pennstate4life]

Whoa, whoa. I doubt this blemish, if properly explained, will hurt you to such a drastic extant as stated by the above poster. I think this may make you lose one or two interviews at most. From what I understand, many kids with larger blemishes (such as being convicted of possession of marijuana) have been accepted to medical schools.

Anyways, I would be honest about the mistake you've made (since its obvious), and I would apologize. Also, make it a point to let the dean/professor know how negatively a plagiarism charge would effect your application and your mental health during what is arguably the most competitive graduate school admissions process.

It really depends on who OP is competing with this application cycle. To win an interview spot, you just have to be better than whomever you are being compared with. If for some reason more applicants this year have cheating on their record, then OP might have a shot.

 

[klm84]

Just from my opinion, the whole "I must have accidentaly copied the sentence...." thing sounds completely fake. I would say that in writing the lab report, I copied and pasted friend's paragraph into my paper (to keep from switching windows back and forth), then deleted her paragraph, sentence by sentence when I hit similar main points. This sentence didn't get deleted. I dunno, that sounds more believable to me since that's something I've actually done.

But maybe you don't want to bring it up at all. If you just admit it was a mistake they might not ask for the details of how the mistake happened, keeping you from digging yourself in a hole

 

[Cramster]

I don't think it sounds bogus at all. When you're writing a long report and read something, sometimes you remember a sentence and, when you try to write something similar later, the sentence will pop into your head and you'll think it's your own, especially if it's a simple sentence.

I've sat in on a few dishonesty hearings at my university and have graded many papers where students cheated, and one sentence out of a 19-page report seems a bit insane to claim academic dishonesty in my mind (especially if this is your first offense in your four years of college). Be completely honest about what happened (writing your own report and then looking at your friend's to get an idea of how to condense it), and apologize sincerely for the sentence. Be as sincere, honest, and repentant as you can. Tell them your situation, but be ready to accept consequences if necessary (though attempt to work out an offer that does not get it marked on your record). A zero on the section or assignment seems like fair enough punishment if they truly feel it's serious.

Although this is true Turnitin.com references papers against students all over the nation. If you have one or two sentences that are the same or nearly the same but the students are from different universities most instructors would probably assume you didn't copy anything. This is particularly true if the "form" of the rest of the paper is different. Yet you copied from someone from a previous class. Perhaps you are known to "hang-out" with this person who shared his/her paper with you. Worse is if you copied the person's form [that is the flow of ideas presented] changing only the verbiage. I would suggest that you truly think about the position you are in. Does it look like you copied just one sentence.

OR

Would it appear to your instructor that you took a friends paper changed the verbiage and missed one sentence. Do you argue the same points in the same order or present the same conclusions in the same order? If it would appear to your instructors that you were likely being dishonest I would simply come clean.

Either way let us know what happens. Good luck

 

[Cramster]

Whoa, whoa. I doubt this blemish, if properly explained, will hurt you to such a drastic extant as stated by the above poster. I think this may make you lose one or two interviews at most. From what I understand, many kids with larger blemishes (such as being convicted of possession of marijuana) have been accepted to medical schools.

I don't know which I would consider a larger blemish. Marijuana or cheating.

To me:

Having marijuana might suggest: Period of exploration/childish stupidity that one outgrows

Cheating suggests: Inherent dishonesty/lack of ethics

Not sure why, but I would think it would be easier to explain alcohol/marijuana.

 

[BBender716]

I don't know which I would consider a larger blemish. Marijuana or cheating.

To me:

Having marijuana might suggest: Period of exploration/childish stupidity that one outgrows

Cheating suggests: Inherent dishonesty/lack of ethics

Not sure why, but I would think it would be easier to explain alcohol/marijuana.

From what I've heard from adcoms and around SDN, the two kisses of death are academic dishonesty (cheating/plagiarism) and abuse of prescription drugs. Both for somewhat obvious reasons.

 

[MeRLin443]

Don't leave the room w/ a mark of academic dishonesty on your transcript. Be frank, and tell them that you will do anything- fail the lab, fail all the labs in the course, retake the course entirely- to make sure that this won't haunt you for the rest of your days. Be clear that you understand what you did was wrong, that you will never do it again, and that you deserve to be punished, but that the punishment shouldn't crush your goals.

 

[girlofgrace7]

Although this is true Turnitin.com references papers against students all over the nation. If you have one or two sentences that are the same or nearly the same but the students are from different universities most instructors would probably assume you didn't copy anything. This is particularly true if the "form" of the rest of the paper is different. Yet you copied from someone from a previous class. Perhaps you are known to "hang-out" with this person who shared his/her paper with you. Worse is if you copied the person's form [that is the flow of ideas presented] changing only the verbiage. I would suggest that you truly think about the position you are in. Does it look like you copied just one sentence.

OR

Would it appear to your instructor that you took a friends paper changed the verbiage and missed one sentence. Do you argue the same points in the same order or present the same conclusions in the same order? If it would appear to your instructors that you were likely being dishonest I would simply come clean.

Either way let us know what happens. Good luck

This is a great point that I actually meant to make earlier but accidentally left out. One sentence isn't IN ITSELF all that worrying (especially if it's something that can't be said many other ways), but it will make the professors look much more closely at the rest of the paper.

Also, in response to the marijuana comment, while they're both big deals, I'd be more concerned about cheating. Marijuana can be a one-time slip-up, but cheating tends to speak more of values and morality.

 

[cfx]

Just from my opinion, the whole "I must have accidentaly copied the sentence...." thing sounds completely fake. I would say that in writing the lab report, I copied and pasted friend's paragraph into my paper (to keep from switching windows back and forth), then deleted her paragraph, sentence by sentence when I hit similar main points. This sentence didn't get deleted. I dunno, that sounds more believable to me since that's something I've actually done.

But maybe you don't want to bring it up at all. If you just admit it was a mistake they might not ask for the details of how the mistake happened, keeping you from digging yourself in a hole

If you ask me, this sounds less realistic than the "real" reason. OP, I wouldn't lie to try to skew the story because it sounds more innocuous. There's a good chance you will just come across as a liar (which you would be), and if that's picked up by the dean (good chance it would be), say bye bye any sympathy you hoped to garner. As others have said, just be truthful and genuine. Beyond that, it's out of your hands.

BTW, are you sure it was only 1 sentence? Turnitin.com has some sort of threshold, and I thought it was more substantial than this. Otherwise, the thing would light up for virtually every sentence written in every paper. Was this some sort of massive beast of a sentence?

 

[Hejman]

To be honest, it doesnt matter whether it is one sentence or half a sentence. I think what matters here is integrity, and more importantly, character. We do not want Physicians who display negatives in these areas. Especially not a big negative like cheating. Who knows how that will translate in the clinical environment? Falsifying results to get more money?

OP, I think you are in serious deep mud here. You really need to get a letter of rec evaluating your character from someone who knows you well, who isn't a relative. Otherwise, your chances are slim.

 

[WatDoYouMean]

Hejman-
I had high similarity with alot of other students from the class, since it was a lab report, which had the same procedure and overall results for the whole class. The professor was more worried about a previous student's name coming up. The sentence was about 1/5 of a paragraph, yet alot of was word for word, even punctuation, unfortunately. So with the old student's name coming up, the professor wasn't too happy.

 

[WatDoYouMean]

Although this is true Turnitin.com references papers against students all over the nation. If you have one or two sentences that are the same or nearly the same but the students are from different universities most instructors would probably assume you didn't copy anything. This is particularly true if the "form" of the rest of the paper is different. Yet you copied from someone from a previous class. Perhaps you are known to "hang-out" with this person who shared his/her paper with you. Worse is if you copied the person's form [that is the flow of ideas presented] changing only the verbiage. I would suggest that you truly think about the position you are in. Does it look like you copied just one sentence.

OR

Would it appear to your instructor that you took a friends paper changed the verbiage and missed one sentence. Do you argue the same points in the same order or present the same conclusions in the same order? If it would appear to your instructors that you were likely being dishonest I would simply come clean.

Either way let us know what happens. Good luck

I simply read the sentence, it was the exact paragraph I was trying to condense. (they wrote the same amount of detail I wrote, in 1 paragraph, while I had 3 paragraphs) As I was cutting out my paragraph and others, that sentence was stuck in my head, and once I ex-ed (no longer open on my laptop) out their lab report and started to work on mine. It unfortunately appeared in mine, even though I worked on other paragraphs before returning to the original paragraph.

Sorry if that sounded complicated...

 

[Hejman]

Hejman-
I had high similarity with alot of other students from the class, since it was a lab report, which had the same procedure and overall results for the whole class. The professor was more worried about a previous student's name coming up. The sentence was about 1/5 of a paragraph, yet alot of was word for word, even punctuation, unfortunately. So with the old student's name coming up, the professor wasn't too happy.

I understand what you are trying to say. But consider this: how do the adcoms know that you didn't cheat in your other classes? That you didn't bend the rules to get the grades that you did in your other classes? I am not pointing any fingers or slinging mud here, just pointing out a line of thought that I think, will definitely cripple your application.

 

[WatDoYouMean]

Although this is true Turnitin.com references papers against students all over the nation. If you have one or two sentences that are the same or nearly the same but the students are from different universities most instructors would probably assume you didn't copy anything. This is particularly true if the "form" of the rest of the paper is different. Yet you copied from someone from a previous class. Perhaps you are known to "hang-out" with this person who shared his/her paper with you. Worse is if you copied the person's form [that is the flow of ideas presented] changing only the verbiage. I would suggest that you truly think about the position you are in. Does it look like you copied just one sentence.

OR

Would it appear to your instructor that you took a friends paper changed the verbiage and missed one sentence. Do you argue the same points in the same order or present the same conclusions in the same order? If it would appear to your instructors that you were likely being dishonest I would simply come clean.

Either way let us know what happens. Good luck

I simply read the sentence, it was the exact paragraph I was trying to condense. (they wrote the same amount of detail I wrote, in 1 paragraph, while I had 3 paragraphs) As I was cutting out my paragraph and others, that sentence was stuck in my head, and once I ex-ed (no longer open on my laptop) out their lab report and started to work on mine. It unfortunately reproduced in my paragraph, even though I worked on other paragraphs before returning to the original paragraph.

Sorry if that sounded complicated...

 

[hopki099]

Did you have other lab reports in the class? If those are completely unique from the rest of your class and your friend's old reports, then you should encourage them to look at your other work. Hopefully, this will help dismiss the notion that you've been cheating all through college and they finally caught you in the nick of time.

 

[phoenixsuns]

You should also look up the general school policy for academic dishonest. Some schools will put a first minor offense as "in-school only" meaning that it's on your personal record, to really punish you if it happens again, but won't be reported outside.

 

[flip26]

OP says he recently graduated, and this was his last course.

OP, if the above is true, you have no way to rehab your situation - if the school takes the harshest disciplinary action against you, you are really screwed.

My suggestion: hire a lawyer, and take him to any meetings you have with a dean or disciplinary hearing. You need an advocate to plead your case, to negotiate a deal. Your explanation of what happened will only piss off the admin...

PS if I didn't know better, I would say this post is trollish...

 

[Grobe57214]

I think that there is a real problem in the system when qualified applicants get automatically disqualified because they aren't perfect and made some stupid mistakes in their past. I have a clean record and I got in but to think that if someone gets caught with a certain amount of weed and all of a sudden, they can't pursue their dreams, well that's garbage. Would you guys accept a kid who copied 1 line in his life over another kid who was involved in a robbery and got the crime expunged? Of course, I don't know if our OP is exaggerating or not, but it's just an example. If this kid can't go to medical school because of one sentence in a 19 page paper, we should all be ashamed of ourselves!

Hmph.

 

[flip26]

I think that there is a real problem in the system when qualified applicants get automatically disqualified because they aren't perfect and made some stupid mistakes in their past. I have a clean record and I got in but to think that if someone gets caught with a certain amount of weed and all of a sudden, they can't pursue their dreams, well that's garbage. Would you guys except a kid who copied 1 line in his life over another kid who was involved in a robbery and got the crime expunged? Of course, I don't know if our OP is exaggerating or not, but it's just an example. If this kid can't go to medical school because of one sentence in a 19 page paper, we should all be ashamed of ourselves!

Hmph.

Nobody is "automatically disqualified." Each med school adcom will make its own decision regarding the OP and applicants like him.

Is the following point lost on you? Med schools are swamped with apps and don't need to take anyone who has been involved in academic dishonesty, or illegal drug use, or has an arrest and conviction record...there are way too many strong applicants with pristine personal records from which to choose.

The only person in this little drama who should be ashamed is the OP.

 

[echolalia16]

I think that there is a real problem in the system when qualified applicants get automatically disqualified because they aren't perfect and made some stupid mistakes in their past. I have a clean record and I got in but to think that if someone gets caught with a certain amount of weed and all of a sudden, they can't pursue their dreams, well that's garbage. Would you guys accept a kid who copied 1 line in his life over another kid who was involved in a robbery and got the crime expunged? Of course, I don't know if our OP is exaggerating or not, but it's just an example. If this kid can't go to medical school because of one sentence in a 19 page paper, we should all be ashamed of ourselves!

Hmph.

The issue is that the OP was caught using someone else's work, which can easily suggest to med schools that he has done it before. Is that impressive GPA really his doing, or is it the result of years of copying other people's work? This concern doesn't stay within the realm of GPA either. Medical schools are now validated in thinking that he could have achieved any of his resume boosters/stats/what-have-you through dishonest means. It makes the OP's task of standing out from the average applicant, or even the average joe off the streets rather difficult, when everything that he claims is going to be looked at as a potential lie.

 

[GoSpursGo]

The issue is that the OP was caught using someone else's work, which can easily suggest to med schools that he has done it before. Is that impressive GPA really his doing, or is it the result of years of copying other people's work? This concern doesn't stay within the realm of GPA either. Medical schools are now validated in thinking that he could have achieved any of his resume boosters/stats/what-have-you through dishonest means. It makes the OP's task of standing out from the average applicant, or even the average joe off the streets rather difficult, when everything that he claims is going to be looked at as a potential lie.

At the same time, med schools aren't stupid enough to think that everyone that has a clean record is a saint either; the only difference between some of the people who get in and the OP is that the OP got caught.

This is an issue I go back and forth on; while I think there is some credibility to the "why would a med school take you when there are lots of other applicants with a clean record" argument, I think it's something that is looked at very differently from school to school. The only way to really know how a school that you're looking at applying to will review this is by calling them up and asking, or applying and seeing what happens. At this point, it really doesn't matter; what's done is done, you might as well see how far you can go with what you've got.

 

[AlexB]

Hi all,
I recently graduated, and my last course(undergrad) I will ever take, ended up biting me in the rear. I submitted a lab report, and turnitin.com found an entire sentence word for word from my friend's (prior student) which I used as a guideline for writing mine. The only reason why I used their old lab report was to condense my materials and methods portion to an appropriate page amount, from 6 to 3 pages (requirement for the lab report), so basically I needed to see how in depth to write. In doing so, I accidently picked up a sentence from their report and somehow put it in my own lab report. Now, the total lab report being over 18 pages, this one sentence is getting me booked for a plagarism case.

I've talked this over with the professor, she does not find it acceptable that I allowed someone else's work to be in my lab report. I agree, this was beyond a blunder on my part. She is not going to give me a zero on the lab report, yet only that portion, thankfully. I'm not as worried about the grade as the academic integrity issue.

I have a meeting with my dean on friday to talk about this situation. Both the Dean and professor are not taking this situation lightly. Any ideas how I can redeem myself from a simple and honest mistake. One sentence out of the 19 page report is similar, and they do have electronic proof of that.

Again this is my last course, and I'm applying this cycle, which puts me in another bubble. I'm fairly sure this will go on my transcript and as much as I try to argue it, I feel like they have enough proof against me. Any advice on how to approach my application on this issue??

I've seen from previous threads/posts that it is best to show maturity from this incident, yet I don't see how I can do that, without any more classes/extra-curriculars. I'm ready as ready as can be to turn in my primary app, I'm just waiting on this Grade/situation to be resolved.

OP: How did Turnitin.com have access to previous student's reports? Did you hand them in electronically or on paper format, and did they just happen to type up the paper format ones?

That is quite unfortunate, but going into this, you must realize that cheating is a capital offense. IE don't do it. That said, (and I hope you will), pray that you'll get a chance to redeem yourself.

 

[AlexB]

PS: Also, it may be time to start looking at international medical schools. I don't know how the admissions process works with them, but there's well known med schools in Australia, Israel, and Mexico (Universidad de Guadelajara) that come to mind.

 

[common man]

based on what you've described, you deserve nothing more than a light slap on the wrist. normally i err on the side of the teachers to make sure students don't take advantage and also to strengthen the students.

 

[MCsoundt]

OP, I think you'll end up being OK... and I think a lot of people on this thread are going too hard on you. It really comes down to a few issues:

Do you have a history of being a strong student, have a clean record thus far, and was this an honest mistake?

Here's the thing: your Dean/prof/school can play hardball with you and can technically take this to the harshest level. But frankly, why would they? One sentence in an 18-page lab report is nothing; and considering that this happened in the METHODS section, the section in which most students' content is EXACTLY the same, it could be pure coincidence that you ended up with a same sounding sentence. I'm actually surprised more students weren't flagged for this.

It seems like you didn't do this purposely. And luckily for you, academic dishonesty paperwork, hearings, etc. is not only time consuming, but also a hassle at the end of the year (when student advocates and judicial board are probably not around). If you have a history of being a stellar student and it is perfectly believable that this was a coincidental screw-up, you'll probably get a slap on the wrist and sent home.

Another thing- if you're that good of a student, why would a university screw over their students who are going to go on and do good things in their alma mater's name? Even if the Dean/prof think you're guilty, unless they have incontrovertible proof, they might just have pity and avoid screwing up your life... ADMINISTRATORS AND ACADEMICS ARE NOT EVIL PEOPLE, SO EVERYONE ON THIS THREAD NEEDS TO STOP THEIR PESSIMISM.

Anyway, if you don't have a history of good academics and a clean record, then all of the above is inapplicable and you're probably screwed already. good luck!

 

[willen101383]

based on what you've described, you deserve nothing more than a light slap on the wrist. normally i err on the side of the teachers to make sure students don't take advantage and also to strengthen the students...but here they are just taking a petty issue and making a big formal deal to show significance to their jobs. they're being a bunch of tight asses. it's unfortunate that you have to be at their mercy...if we *could be* fair about all this...you shouldn't have to apologize profusely...just an apology and a serious pledge that it won't happen again. now had you done this before, i would have a different tune. when you apologize profusely (which i *guess* you have to as a way to pacify them but i am not sure) then you admit "profuse" guilt.

i am sorry that you are in this unfair situation. believe that it is unjust to have a mark on your transcript for a tiny slip and be motivated in doing whatever you can to not let it be on your transcript. believing in your cause is the first step and you should. these deans need to understand the mistake vs. the repercussion. everything that i have said is contingent that this is your first offense and you don't have a history to suggest that this wasn't a tiny slip.

good luck.

Agreed. As an undergrad I turned in a cell bio paper with a picture of a cell imbedded somewhere in the paper just for looks. I never thought to cite the picture. The Professor (who I will admit hated me, and I hated) brought me up on academic dishonesty charges. I was actually a student justice for our office of judicial affairs so it was pretty embarrassing...but needless to say the academic hearing board dropped the charges. Some professors are asshats its ridiculous.

 

[flip26]

The issue is that the OP was caught using someone else's work, which can easily suggest to med schools that he has done it before. Is that impressive GPA really his doing, or is it the result of years of copying other people's work? This concern doesn't stay within the realm of GPA either. Medical schools are now validated in thinking that he could have achieved any of his resume boosters/stats/what-have-you through dishonest means. It makes the OP's task of standing out from the average applicant, or even the average joe off the streets rather difficult, when everything that he claims is going to be looked at as a potential lie.

OP was not clear, but the possibility also exists that merely being in possession of another student's lab report may constitute a de facto violation of the academic honor policy at his college.

 

[flip26]

OP, I think you'll end up being OK... and I think a lot of people on this thread are going too hard on you. It really comes down to a few issues:

Do you have a history of being a strong student, have a clean record thus far, and was this an honest mistake?

Here's the thing: your Dean/prof/school can play hardball with you and can technically take this to the harshest level. But frankly, why would they? One sentence in an 18-page lab report is nothing; and considering that this happened in the METHODS section, the section in which most students' content is EXACTLY the same, it could be pure coincidence that you ended up with a same sounding sentence. I'm actually surprised more students weren't flagged for this.

It seems like you didn't do this purposely. And luckily for you, academic dishonesty paperwork, hearings, etc. is not only time consuming, but also a hassle at the end of the year (when student advocates and judicial board are probably not around). If you have a history of being a stellar student and it is perfectly believable that this was a coincidental screw-up, you'll probably get a slap on the wrist and sent home.

Another thing- if you're that good of a student, why would a university screw over their students who are going to go on and do good things in their alma mater's name? Even if the Dean/prof think you're guilty, unless they have incontrovertible proof, they might just have pity and avoid screwing up your life... ADMINISTRATORS AND ACADEMICS ARE NOT EVIL PEOPLE, SO EVERYONE ON THIS THREAD NEEDS TO STOP THEIR PESSIMISM.

Anyway, if you don't have a history of good academics and a clean record, then all of the above is inapplicable and you're probably screwed already. good luck!

What is "honest" about his mistake? It was a stupid act of plagiarism. Nothing "honest" at all about using another student's lab report to write your own, and pretty damn stupid to copy any part of it word for word.

 

[softmed]

If it was the methods section, as others have said, you may be okay. I'm writing up my own methods section for my thesis and I looked at the last person to write a thesis from the lab and it's almost word for word (despite never having seen his thesis ahead of time). I even told my adviser this and she said it's okay, that since our projects were really similar our methods will be really similar.

Go on pub med and find a paper, then copy a random sentence from the methods. Google it, and I can almost guarantee you'll find other papers with the same or similar sentences.

The problem is, if you've already admitted to using this person's report to write your own, they may find other similarities that could constitute academic dishonesty. The other problem is that the sentence you copied could have been very original.

 

[hopki099]

OP says he recently graduated, and this was his last course.

OP, if the above is true, you have no way to rehab your situation - if the school takes the harshest disciplinary action against you, you are really screwed.

My suggestion: hire a lawyer, and take him to any meetings you have with a dean or disciplinary hearing. You need an advocate to plead your case, to negotiate a deal. Your explanation of what happened will only piss off the admin...

PS if I didn't know better, I would say this post is trollish...

A lawyer for copying a sentence from a lab report? Imagine that actually happening. If I was the dean, I would be pissed to see a lawyer in the room and seek harsher penalty.

 

[Frazier]

Hi all,
I recently graduated, and my last course(undergrad) I will ever take, ended up biting me in the rear. I submitted a lab report, and turnitin.com found an entire sentence word for word from my friend's (prior student) which I used as a guideline for writing mine. The only reason why I used their old lab report was to condense my materials and methods portion to an appropriate page amount, from 6 to 3 pages (requirement for the lab report), so basically I needed to see how in depth to write. In doing so, I accidently picked up a sentence from their report and somehow put it in my own lab report. Now, the total lab report being over 18 pages, this one sentence is getting me booked for a plagarism case.

I've talked this over with the professor, she does not find it acceptable that I allowed someone else's work to be in my lab report. I agree, this was beyond a blunder on my part. She is not going to give me a zero on the lab report, yet only that portion, thankfully. I'm not as worried about the grade as the academic integrity issue.

I have a meeting with my dean on friday to talk about this situation. Both the Dean and professor are not taking this situation lightly. Any ideas how I can redeem myself from a simple and honest mistake. One sentence out of the 19 page report is similar, and they do have electronic proof of that.

Again this is my last course, and I'm applying this cycle, which puts me in another bubble. I'm fairly sure this will go on my transcript and as much as I try to argue it, I feel like they have enough proof against me. Any advice on how to approach my application on this issue??

I've seen from previous threads/posts that it is best to show maturity from this incident, yet I don't see how I can do that, without any more classes/extra-curriculars. I'm ready as ready as can be to turn in my primary app, I'm just waiting on this Grade/situation to be resolved.

If this is how you are going to treat your patients -- perhaps you should consider a different profession. Have you considered D.O.? I would retake and apply Caribbean.

lolzzz 😛😛😛

 

[mdeast]

A lawyer for copying a sentence from a lab report? Imagine that actually happening. If I was the dean, I would be pissed to see a lawyer in the room and seek harsher penalty.

Agreed. You'd have to be an idiot to do that.

 

[hopki099]

A lawyer for copying a sentence from a lab report? Imagine that actually happening. If I was the dean, I would be pissed to see a lawyer in the room and seek harsher penalty.

Dean: So, it seems you have a clean academic history, and only one sentence was copied from this 19-page lab report. Why were you using a previous lab report as a template?

Student: I was just -

Lawyer: You don't have to answer that.

Student: But I -

Lawyer: We're willing to make a deal.

Dean: It's up to the school to determine the outcome of this situation. Why did you bring a lawyer in for something that should have been handled maturely and possibly dropped?

Lawyer: You don't have to answer that.

 

[anders11]

If this is how you are going to treat your patients -- perhaps you should consider a different profession. Have you considered D.O.? I would retake and apply Caribbean.

lolzzz 😛😛😛

okay, i know frazier's joking, but with that comment this thread is giving me a great shot at winning SDN bingo. 👍

So close..

 

[NickNaylor]

Hahaha, that bingo card is great.

 

[Cramster]

okay, i know frazier's joking, but with that comment this thread is giving me a great shot at winning SDN bingo. 👍

So close..

Did you make this just now?

 

[morning]

Lol @ SDN bingo! I think "poster types in colorful comic sans" is the worst, because it usually indicates another bingo square(s) will be hit soon enough - or at the same time.