This document summarizes a research presentation on variation in academic misconduct among medical students over their undergraduate studies. The presentation was given by a research group from Dow International Medical College in November 2011. The study assessed levels of cheating among medical students in different years of study through anonymous questionnaires. The results found higher rates of cheating among lower years, and cheating methods included copying answers and trying to learn questions in advance. The discussion concluded that environmental factors contribute to cheating and recommendations included more studies and educational/disciplinary actions to improve integrity.

2. RESEARCH PRESENTATION
4th
YEAR MBBS.
GROUP: G,
BATCH 2012,
DOW INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL
COLLEGE,KARACHI.

3. Variation of Academic Misconduct among
Medical Students along their Course of
Undergraduate Studies
Research Group G
Dow International Medical College
November 16th
, 2011

4. Research Supervisor :
Dr. Kamran Hafeez
Assistant professor orthopedic surgery
Dow International Medical College
Dow University Hospital

5. Research Members:
Farah Naz
Talha Baig
Hassaan Khan Nayaab Gul
Umer Arif Rubab Waheed
Nida Shamim Asia Nazar
Kulsoom Javed Hazel Daniel
Sarah Ajmal Khan Batool Chatha
Muzna sikander Dania Rahim

6. Misconduct:
It is a legal term which describes an
unacceptable, immoral , or improper behaviour,
especially by an employee or professional
person.
1
1 "Misconduct." Def. 1. The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language British ed. 2011.

7. Academic Misconduct:
Academic misconduct is an act in which a student:
 Seeks to claim for the work or efforts of another
without authorization or citation.
 Uses unauthorized data for cheating.
2. University of Wisconsin, Madison; “Division of Student Life”; Student Assistance and Judicial affairs,
10.October 2011, <www.wisc.edu/students/saja/misconduct/UWS14.html>

8. Academic Misconduct:
It includes:
 CHEATING
using unauthorized materials, information,
or study aids in any academic exercise
3
3. Anderson RE, Obenshain SS. Cheating by students: findings, reflections and remedies. AcadMed1994;69:323–32.

9.  Most of the students admit cheating at least
once in their academic life.
4
4. Helms LB, Helms CM. Forty years of litigation involving medical students and their education. 1: General
educational issues. Acad Med 1991;66:1–7.

10.  Dishonesty among students may result in lack
of medical knowledge and cause harm to
patients.
5
5. Sierles F, Hendrickx I, ‘Circle S. Cheating in medical school.’ J Med Education 1980;124–5.
Helms LB, Helms CM. Forty years of litigation involving medical students and their education. 1: General
issues. Acad Med 1991;66:1–7.

11.  Learning to become a physician requires not
only the development of medical knowledge
and practical skills, but also high ethical and
moral standards including academic integrity.
6
6 Rozance CP. “Cheating in medical schools”: implications for students and patients. JAMA 1991; 266: 2453–6.

12. Rationale:
Due to lack of research on this subject matter
it was a good opportunity to conduct the
survey.
 To highlight the importance of administrative
management .
 Results may be helpful as baseline data and
useful for comparing their attitudes and
behavior to academic misconduct across the
years.

13. Objectives:
 Our purpose of this research was to assess the
level of cheating among medical students and
their perspective towards different ways of
misconduct.
 To compare the level of cheating in different
years of medical study.

14. Methodology

15. Methodology
• September 2011
1. Dow International Medical College.
2. Dow Medical College.
3. Sindh Medical College.
• Cross-sectional study.
• Anonymous self administered
questionnaire.
• Students of all five years were
included.

17. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.
• SPSS Version 17.0.
• Descriptive study.
• Sample size = 132 (2500 MBBS students of
DUHS). Through openepi online software.
• Convenient sampling.
• Chi square test was used to compare
significant difference between groups.
• P<0.05.

18. RESULTS

19. Institution
TOTAL = 274

20. YEAR OF STUDY

21. Gender

22. Have you ever cheated during any exam?
Chi 2
test value= 5.54,
p= 0.236

23. Have you ever cheated during any exam?
Chi 2
test value= 4.408
P = 0.036

24. How often do you cheat during exam?

25. Have you ever copied answers from a friend during
an exam?
Chi 2
test value= 9.610
P = 0.048

26. Chi 2
test value= 8.206
P = 0.084
Do you use mobile phone to exchange
answers during an exam?

27. How often do you try to Find out questions in
advance?

28. How often do you try to Find out questions in
advance?
Chi 2
test value= 25.8, P = 0.011

29. Have you ever marked answers on the question
paper during the OSCE/OSPE?

30. Do you ask the teacher for help during OSCE/OSPE?
yes
Chi 2
test value= 19.56, P = 0.01

31. Do you tell your friends the questions which were
asked in first shift of osce/ospe?
Chi 2
test value= 2.957, P = 0.51

32. Have you ever copied assignments/presentations from your
seniors/class mates?

33. Have you ever copied
assignments/presentations from your
seniors/class mates?
Chi 2
test value= 18.31
P = 0.106

34. Why do you prefer copying
assignments/presentations?

35. DISCUSSIONDISCUSSION
• The best predictor of whether someone was likely to cheat in
medical school was whether they had cheated before, although
the data strongly support the role of environmental factors.
• A medical school reflects the society in which it is located and
cannot be expected to operate in isolation from it.

36. Our study showed there was less
cheating comparable with UK and
India.
Croatia
•Failure to emphasize codes of honor.
•Improve grades.
•Work load.
•Lack of time/interest.
•Laziness.
Our study
•More honest.
•Administrations may be more strict.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CHEAT
Chart Title
Croatia
India
UK
Our Study
1-Sheriff DS, Sheriff SO, Manopriya M. Higher education on a pedestal of academic dishonesty. Eubios J Asian Int Bioethics 2000;10:6-8 accessed
on 20 May 2004
2-Harbak M, Vujaklija A, Vodopivec I, Hren D, Marusic M et al.
Academic misconduct among medical students in a post-communist country . Med edu. 2004;38:276-285
3-Bjorklund.M,and wenestang CG. Academic cheating:frequency,method,and causes Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational
Research, Lahti, Finland 22-25 September 1999
Cheating

37. Copying assignments/presentation
• Lack of interest.
• Non-creative assignments.
• Laziness.
• Non-productive.
• Other priorities.

38. 83.6
32.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Our study Croatia
Q. Do you tell your friends the questions
which were asked in first/previous shift in the
OSPE/OSCE?
Important topics
Nature of questions
Out of good will
Important topics
Nature of questions
Out of good will

39. Do you try to find out about test questions in
advance?
• Smart study.
• Short cut.
• Extra
advantage.
• Laziness.
• Habitual.

40. Finding out test questions in advance
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70 U.K India Our Study
• U.K students do not have
access to past papers &
examination department.
• Having a doctor in the
family was a significant
predictor for approving
the use of private
connections to pass an
examination and for
arranging with
administrative personnel
to be assigned to a
lenient examiner.

41. Do you ask the teacher for help during OSCE/OSPE?
• New comers.
• First exam.
• 3rd
year clinical exam-
first time.
• 5th
year- scared of last
exam.
• Way more tougher
than undergrad level.
• Good relationship
with teachers.
• Rare cases.

42. RECOMMENDATIONS
• More studies are required to find out different
factors responsible for the cheating.
• Realistically, dishonest behavior cannot be
completely eliminated before improvements
are made in other sectors of society, but
educational and disciplinary actions could
improve medical student integrity and
promote responsible and trustworthy doctors
as instigators of social change.

43. CONCLUSION
• 55.1% of students have admitted of using unfair
means during exam.
• 37.9% of students admitted that they have
copied answers from a friend during exam.
• 62.5% of students admitted that they have tried
to find out about questions in advance.
• 22.5% of students ask for help to their teachers
during exam.

44. Thank you