Darth Strikes

I must be naive. To think that coming to medical school, being inducted into a “profession” that prides itself on being selfless and honest and trustworthy, sitting through an entire course on Bioethics, sitting through lectures on professionalism, signing an Honor Code, standing up in front of our professors, our families, and our classmates (now colleagues) and reciting a pledge of Honor...I must be naive to think that all those things meant something. I thought it meant the cheating, the pettiness, the parasitic leeching off of students who work harder than you was over. Apparently not. Cheating is an act most people think, or would hope, is a nonissue in a medical school. I have found that this is not the case.

Midterms were coming up, and naturally, everyone was freaking out. It was our first semester in medical school, and we had no idea what to expect from the exams. All night study sessions were punctuated by trips to the coffee machine. By some miracle of the universe, we were offered two review sessions by the Biochemistry and Histology departments. We would get a chance to see sequestered test questions, the only caveat was that we could not record in any way the questions. For those who may be confused, that means no furiously scribbling down the questions, no turning your laptop around to record via the webcam, no recording devices at all such as your phone, your voice recorder, or anything else. No pictures of the slides with your phone or otherwise.

Apparently, not everyone understood what this meant.

In the final days leading up to exam week, an email landed in my inbox. I opened it, and found, much to my dismay, the sequestered questions from one of our reviews.

When we all started this program, we stood in recently donned white coats and recited an ethical oath. Along with that oath, we also were informed of our school’s Honor Code. We signed the Code then, and we sign it before each exam is administered. Besides the obvious of not using any forbidden materials (such as sequestered questions) there is an expectation of students to report those classmates that use such material or cheat in other ways. I remember signing the Honor Code, and I will live by it. Unfortunately for those cheaters, that means that if I catch you, I will turn you in. I will not apologize for this or back down from it in any way. If you choose to cheat in MEDICAL SCHOOL then you do not deserve to be here. You are wasting a seat that could be filled with someone of greater moral fiber than you. I don’t want cheaters as my doctors or my colleagues. No one does.

I tracked down the email’s source as far back as I could go, which turned out to be not very far. I did this to clear as many names as possible. There was no need to indict every person who received the email, I just wanted the person who took the questions.

As far as I know, the administration did nothing about the event. It was swept under the rug, just like last semester’s cheating incident. This is the greatest failure. When a medical school administration is presented with a clear case of cheating, they choose to do nothing about it. They tell me, “Don't worry, just focus on your midterms, this doesn’t affect you.” Does it not? I was under the impression that there was an “Honor Code” involved, which involved me and every student who received the same email. According to the Honor Code I was obligated to turn in those I believed were cheating, now the administration tells me not to worry?

It is pathetic and spineless when a medical school administration does not take cheating seriously. Especially in a school that is supposedly trying to better it’s reputation, it is absurd that cheating goes unpunished. What is the school concerned with? Is it a simple money game? Let’s not throw out the students paying $25,000 a semester, let’s just let them keep paying. In the end, the school kept their student(s) and the student(s) kept their school. The student(s) can keep paying and keep cheating, and rest well at night knowing that even if they are turned in, nothing will be done about it.

Arrival

So here I am, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. There has been snow, there has been rain, and there has been a “wintry mix” since my arrival Sunday night. After finally landing in Newcastle International Airport, collecting my luggage, and wandering around until I found the group of students scheduled for pick-up with the Meet and Greet Program, i got my first taste of the weather. It was a shock. Freezing temperatures, snow falling, piles of ice and snow on the ground, and wind I wasn’t prepared for were, nonetheless, what I found.

I made my way to my dorm, making small talk with one other first term student. I finally sat down in my own room days after I started the journey.

The first night was incredibly difficult. I was missing my family, my friends and loved ones, the comfort and familiarity of home, and the warmth of Florida. I will not say that it is easier now, but then again it has only been a few days. One of my best friends reassured me that feelings change over time, and even though I cannot imagine not being lonely now, that could change tomorrow or the next day or any time.

Today is Wednesday. I have gotten a roommate nicknamed Ash. I have turned in lots of paperwork, gotten the process started to get a local bank account, gotten on of my Student ID cards, put my books on the shelves, and unpacked all two pieces of luggage. My room is sparse and I love the simplicity.

My initial impressions of Newcastle are that this is a city I think I will like. The city center (excluding the suburbs) is extremely small, with a radius of only a little over a mile. There is an extensive and efficient public transportation system including a metro and a bus. The people seem friendly enough. I can get to the beach on the metro in probably 25 minutes. There is an extensive and serious pub/club atmosphere. Really, the only downside that i have found so far is the weather.

After three days of orientation, and two more to come, I am starting to become more and more anxious about school starting. My textbooks are looming over me. I am worried. But I am excited to start learning exactly what it is I want to do with my life. I am excited to learn how to take care of people. Today, sitting in a Substance Abuse lecture of all things, I realized how real this was becoming. I should say, how real this is. I am finally at the edge of the most important formal education I will probably ever receive. I am finally about to start doing what it is i have been dreaming of, planning for, and preparing for. I miss my family and friends and loved ones more than I could ever express, but I am excited to start on this journey that I have been waiting for for so long.