academic disonesty by accidentally releasing materials

[GFT]

To cut my story short,
like every other student on my campus, i was trying to sell my old textbooks with materials to other students (materials i bought them from previous alumni as well), but my materials, without my knowledge really~i swear to GOD~ accidentally overlapped with the materials kept by an academic program, thus, the program reported me to school, and no matter how i claimed myself about the innocence along with my student advocate and said it happened without my knowledge, i am charged of suspension for half year.

As a perspective pre-med student and dreaming of getting into medschools for 24 years, am i screwed?

would ANYONE please give me any advice how should i explain to med school admission?

Almost every primary application asks students if they were once under probation, suspension or dismissal from school,

but i am REALLY REALLY REALLY falsely incriminated and did those thing without my knowlledge, if i say yes to that question, NO SCHOOL, WHAT SO EVER, would want me....


or Should i just kill myself (i am serious)?

thank you

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[OSUdoc08]

To cut my story short,
like every other student on my campus, i was trying to sell my old textbooks with materials to other students (materials i bought them from previous alumni as well), but my materials, without my knowledge really~i swear to GOD~ accidentally overlapped with the materials kept by an academic program, thus, the program reported me to school, and no matter how i claimed myself about the innocence along with my student advocate and said it happened without my knowledge, i am charged of suspension for half year.

As a perspective pre-med student and dreaming of getting into medschools for 24 years, am i screwed?

would ANYONE please give me any advice how should i explain to med school admission?

Almost every primary application asks students if they were once under probation, suspension or dismissal from school,

but i am REALLY REALLY REALLY falsely incriminated and did those thing without my knowlledge, if i say yes to that question, NO SCHOOL, WHAT SO EVER, would want me....


or Should i just kill myself (i am serious)?

thank you

Caribbean schools will take you.

 

[liverotcod]

If you are actually thinking of harming yourself over this, don't. No career is worth that. And if you are having those feelings, I would encourage you to talk to someone. A good starting point would be 1-800-784-2433, which is a national hotline.

On the other hand, people do get in to medical school with bad stuff on their records. Try to enjoy your time off from school. You'll come back with a new perspective and probably better off anyway. Best wishes.

 

[ntmed]

GFT, I sent you a Private Message.

 

[Megalofyia]

Caribbean schools will take you.

What IS your problem anyways?

 

[OSUdoc08]

What IS your problem anyways?

It was a poor choice to turn down Johns Hopkins for Chicago.

 

[63768]

OSUdoc08, lol.

GFT, this isn't something to kill yourself over. I'm in a similar boat with an academic dishonesty thing hanging over my head. Just write your personal statement to show yourself off as best you can, then in the little box in your apps that ask for explanation on conduct violations explain yourself as best you can.

Then in interviews, be honest. Adcoms can see through lies. They would rather see someone who made a mistake and someone who is honest then someone who made a mistake and lies about it. Hang in there and apply to more lower-end schools and you'll be fine.

 

[LADoc00]

In all honestly, this may have been the greatest thing EVER to have happened to you. You just cant see it. Forget medicine, get a real paying job after graduation, then go onto business school which if there is academic dishonesty in your background will likely get you a scholarship to Harvard!

We are just the minions of the business world now anyways, you will be thankful this happened one day. Trust me.

 

[beastmaster]

Someone mind explaining what academic dishonesty and an "academic program" mean?

I don't quite see how an accident translates into such serious punishment. My feeling is that a lawyer should be consulted given the stakes.

 

[LADoc00]

Someone mind explaining what academic dishonesty and an "academic program" mean?

I don't quite see how an accident translates into such serious punishment. My feeling is that a lawyer should be consulted given the stakes.

Or bet yet apply to law to school, I think "dishonesty" is the buzzword in the app. they like to see now at Stanford law.

 

[discover]

Or bet yet apply to law to school, I think "dishonesty" is the buzzword in the app. they like to see now at Stanford law.

So first thing I would tell you is to take a DEEP breath...this is not as big as it seems right now...you should be ok, just wait and see how this plays out and dont listen too much to insensitive comments on this post. There is a chance that this incident wont even be put on your transcript and you may just get a warning. Send my an PM if you wish, I had a friend in a similiar situation and it worked out fine for her! good luck and dont worry so much!

 

[sunnyjohn]

1. Don't kill yourself. Applying to medical school takes away much of an applicant's dignity. Do not let it take your life.
Get of your computer and go talk to someone RIGHT NOW if you are thinking about hurting yourself.

2. You said you did not do it. So, you are not a crook. Say it with me, "I am not a crook. I am not a bad person."

3. Anything can be dealt with tactfully on an application in the personal statement. That is why those sections are there. If you don't feel you can do it justice, get someone to help you include this event in your Personal statement.

4. Loose the blue 32 pt font. It makes normally swell SDN'ers go crazy.


So, lets review.

Don't kill yourself. Go talk to a counselor. Think positive thoughts ("I am not a bad person"). Be honest on your application and get help dealing with this event in your personal statement. Loose the 32pt blue font.

(P.S. I hope my response gave you a chuckle. Seriously, I know how bummed you must be. Don't go it alone. Get someone to help you.)

 

[Fenrezz]

Say it with me, "I am not a crook...."

That didn't work so well for Tricky Dick.

 

[sunnyjohn]

That didn't work so well for Tricky Dick.

But it gave the rest of us a chuckle

 

[deuist]

It was a poor choice to turn down Johns Hopkins for Chicago.

Really? Have you interviewed at both? Can you comment on these programs to help me understand why (other than rankings) Hopkins is so much of a better school than Chicago? From what I've heard, J.H. may have lots of research, but it's in a dangerous area of Boston. Seriously, one student was even murdered a while back. I'd rather not be in that environment.

Also, maybe the green bunny has other reasons... scholarships, ties to the Windy City, a desire to live in the Central time zone, who knows.

 

[liverotcod]

From what I've heard, J.H. may have lots of research, but it's in a dangerous area of Boston.

Johns Hopkins is in Baltimore, which is probably what you meant to type.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Johns Hopkins is in Baltimore, which is probably what you meant to type.

Baltimore, Boston. What's the diff??

 

[OSUdoc08]

Really? Have you interviewed at both? Can you comment on these programs to help me understand why (other than rankings) Hopkins is so much of a better school than Chicago? From what I've heard, J.H. may have lots of research, but it's in a dangerous area of Boston. Seriously, one student was even murdered a while back. I'd rather not be in that environment.

Also, maybe the green bunny has other reasons... scholarships, ties to the Windy City, a desire to live in the Central time zone, who knows.

Good reason to choose a school.

I believe a student was murdered at my school as well, back in the 70's.

Perhaps I should drop out.


And don't even try to argue about a medical school if you don't even know what STATE it is in.

 

[brodaiga]

I got two interviews with academic dishonesty this time around, currently on two waitlists, it is not as big as you think. PM me if you want to talk.

 

[chicadehuskers]

Every teacher I have ever had has said not to sell materials, even if it is taped lectures. So there are some things that are common sense. I personally wouldn't risk selling such things.

Really?! I think I'm really ignorant on this whole topic, because I wasn't aware of any such policy at my school. There probably was one. I'm an annoyingly honest person, so I don't usually pay attention to such policies (I once returned the pen to the photo counter in Wal-Mart because I felt so bad about accidentally swiping it. They looked at me like I was a *****, but I felt better!). I can understand the concept behind it, and it seems like common sense to not sell tests, taped lectures, etc...especially at top-tier schools with well-known professors. Is selling the materials forbidden, or is it the actual act of passing on the materials to an underclassman? Lots of people get notes from someone who took the class before them. In fact, at one school I attended, incoming medical students were assigned a "buddy" by the school. These upperclassmen buddies passed on notes, old quizzes, lab reports, etc. (tests were not included) to the incoming freshman. I'm not sure if the school was aware of the passing of these materials. Surely they were. Is this academic dishonesty? I'm not trying to stir things up, I'm just genuinely curious.

 

[housecleaning]

It was a poor choice to turn down Johns Hopkins for Chicago.

Osteopath, what exactly has made you such an unpleasant person?

 

[keyop]

i think you should dedicate a small section of your PS to this issue. you never know what will happen.

 

[63768]

^^^ i'm in a similar situation. leave it out of your PS. your PS is for you to show yourself off and for special circumstances that aren't mentioned elsewhere in the application. seeing as how there's a box for conduct violations on the app, you don't need to talk about it in your PS.

it gives your PS a bad tone and this doesn't bode well with adcoms.

 

[DrBowtie]

Directly from the AMCAS Instruction book. Interpret it how you want.

Use the Personal Comments essay as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Some questions you may want to consider while writing this essay are:
• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that hasn't been disclosed in another section of the application?
In addition, you may wish to include information such as:
• Special hardships, challenges or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.
• Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application.

 

[GFT]

I Defeated my self, i guess...
i do not feel to do anything, i should be preparing to take August MCAT,
i do not know why i am afraid of it...
over GPA is 3.5+ suspension+ disconfidence+no motivation
what is wrong with me????

why i just cannot go back what i was, a passionated, confident, and motivated person or student?

 

[brodaiga]

I Defeated my self, i guess...
i do not feel to do anything, i should be preparing to take August MCAT,
i do not know why i am afraid of it...
over GPA is 3.5+ suspension+ disconfidence+no motivation
what is wrong with me????

why i just cannot go back what i was, a passionated, confident, and motivated person or student?

IM me, brodaiga

 

[GFT]

At the same time, I am preparing for the april mcat with frustration for the first time. The reason is because after the suspension from school during the fall 2005, i am back to school to take the rest of my classes for graduation. On the other hand, during early this year i underwent the tumor removal surgical operation because i was born with this non-benign tumor, and, because of my carelessness of health, it started to bother me and made me decide to get rid of it. Now, it is mid March, i am in the half way of getting better from my health and struggling for maintaining classes performance, thus, i start to worry about possibly doing bad on the April mcat. I really want to listen to your advice to do well once for all on the mcat and apply early. I have no other choice but apply this year in order to get into MedSchool next year....all the frustration and inconfidence make me procrastinated and self-destructed on the studying...

 

[91946]

Really?! I think I'm really ignorant on this whole topic, because I wasn't aware of any such policy at my school. There probably was one. I'm an annoyingly honest person, so I don't usually pay attention to such policies (I once returned the pen to the photo counter in Wal-Mart because I felt so bad about accidentally swiping it. They looked at me like I was a *****, but I felt better!). I can understand the concept behind it, and it seems like common sense to not sell tests, taped lectures, etc...especially at top-tier schools with well-known professors. Is selling the materials forbidden, or is it the actual act of passing on the materials to an underclassman? Lots of people get notes from someone who took the class before them. In fact, at one school I attended, incoming medical students were assigned a "buddy" by the school. These upperclassmen buddies passed on notes, old quizzes, lab reports, etc. (tests were not included) to the incoming freshman. I'm not sure if the school was aware of the passing of these materials. Surely they were. Is this academic dishonesty? I'm not trying to stir things up, I'm just genuinely curious.

I had no idea it was such a big deal. At my school there's no policy on passing on notes or old test. Hell, I had to buy old midterms from professor to study for midterms. They sell it at the student store and charge 50 bucks !!!

 

[vesper9]

it's b/c faculty owns the copyright to their course materials

This recently foiled Andrew Jones' plan to pay UCLA students $100 for tapes of class lectures by "radical professors."

 

[riceman04]

To cut my story short,
like every other student on my campus, i was trying to sell my old textbooks with materials to other students (materials i bought them from previous alumni as well), but my materials, without my knowledge really~i swear to GOD~ accidentally overlapped with the materials kept by an academic program, thus, the program reported me to school, and no matter how i claimed myself about the innocence along with my student advocate and said it happened without my knowledge, i am charged of suspension for half year.

As a perspective pre-med student and dreaming of getting into medschools for 24 years, am i screwed?

would ANYONE please give me any advice how should i explain to med school admission?

Almost every primary application asks students if they were once under probation, suspension or dismissal from school,

but i am REALLY REALLY REALLY falsely incriminated and did those thing without my knowlledge, if i say yes to that question, NO SCHOOL, WHAT SO EVER, would want me....


or Should i just kill myself (i am serious)?

thank you

That sucks. Did you ever think to check with what was being used in the current curriculum? I know that is hindsight bias...and you probably did not mean to be "academically dishonest."

Regardless, I would not give up my dream. When you apply you will have an opportunity to explain your point of view on your application (and possibly even in interviews). Dont let anyone on this board tell you, before you even try, that you wont be able to get into medical school with this on your record. Make medical schools reject you by actually putting forth the effort to apply...dont automatically assume that they will reject you (and therefore not apply at all).

good luck with your endeavors

 

[CatsandCradles]

"I'm not a crook. I'm not a bad person."

Richard Nixion said the exact same line. Then there was something called the Watergate Scandal (Sorry about that)


But to the original poster,

I think some of the posters here have made some excellent advice. Just be honest and explain what happened. The admission committee is not stupid, they will see through everything and scrutinize everything.

Thus whenever you see something like, "Have you ever been on any type of academic probation and why?" section on AAMCAS or ACOMAS, just be honest and tell them the entire story.

If you goofed and did something that was clearly wrong - then mention it and tell them you have confessed and repented your academic sins.

However this is the anonymous internet and I am going to assume that everything you said is correct - so just write down your story - and when you do it, do it humbly. Don't write down on your forms that the dean or professor so and so was a mean old jerk or something. Rather write down that:

1) so and so made an honest mistake in diciplining you
2) this caused you a lot of grief and anguish
3) even though so and so was wrong, you don't hold it against him or her

That is key. If I were the admissions committee, I would buy a humble explanation and not a boastful one.

God Speed you well

C & C

 

[md2010class]

first time posting, but felt that you need to hear this. i also have academic dishonestly thing hanging over my head from my undergrad. however, i still decided that i wanted to go to med school, so i pushed onward-- my advice? be honest. be open. everyone is human, and everyone does things that they regret. turn it around and talk about how it affected everything you've done since then for the better.

apply to a lot of schools. applying DO and carribean may be a good idea too, although i did not. i only applied MD. apply early, take april mcat.

outcome? i will be matriculating at an allopathic medical school this fall 2006. it is possible.