Policy & Procedure Statement

Student Professionalism

Policy & Procedure Statement

Posted on MDCOM web site: www.marylandcom.org

Responsibility of the Student
To be honest, act fairly towards others, take group and individual responsibility for honorable and ethical behavior and know what constitutes ethics violations and academic dishonesty as set forth in the Code of Conduct/Professional Promise, Academic Integrity Policy and Institutional Policies.

Code of Conduct/Professional Promise
Students are expected to emulate the legal, moral and ethical standards expected of professionals in their respective areas and display behavior which is consistent with these qualities. Professionalism and professional ethics are terms that signify certain scholastic, interpersonal and behavioral expectations. Among the characteristics included in this context are the knowledge, competence, demeanor, attitude, appearance, mannerisms, integrity, morals, etc. displayed by the students to teachers, peers, patients and colleagues in all health care and educational settings.

The MDCOM Honor Code is maintained for the students by the students to protect the right to participate in an academic environment free from injustice caused by dishonesty. The MDCOM Honor Code is maintained by the Student Government Association (SGA). The MDCOM Honor Code is first and foremost upheld by the student body. Students at MDCOM are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner befitting the honorable profession which they are entering. Students have an obligation to maintain the highest standards of integrity. It is not possible to enumerate all examples of expected academic and professional behavior nor is it possible to enumerate all behaviors that would be considered inappropriate, unprofessional, unethical, or not in keeping with the standards of a MDCOM student. The following serves as a guideline to students.

In general, the founding principles of the MDCOM Honor Code are the established rules and regulations of the MDCOM community. The MDCOM community includes MDCOM, affiliated hospitals, and any institution where MDCOM students pursue activities for academic credit. Violation of these rules and regulations may constitute a violation of the MDCOM Honor Code. In addition, specific examples of behavior that may constitute a violation of the MDCOM Honor Code include but are not limited to the following:

• Cheating: Providing or receiving any unauthorized assistance or unfair advantage on any form of academic work, or attempt thereof. Sharing information from testing/exams is also considered a form of cheating.

• Plagiarism: Copying the language, structure, ideas, algorithms, or computer code of another and representing it as one’s own work on any form of academic work or attempts thereof.

• Falsification: Fabrication of information on any form of academic work or attempt thereof; including but not limited to the following:
     • Clinical requirements;
     • Clerkships;
     • Assignments such as: histories, physicals, laboratory tests, rotation records, etc.

• Disruptive Behavior: Any inappropriate etiquette or inappropriate disturbance repeated often enough to establish a disrespectful trend. Inappropriate disturbances include but are not limited to the following:
     • Repeatedly arriving late for class, or leaving class while in progress;
     • Disrupting class with pagers or cell phones or use of pagers or cell phones for personal reasons in the academic setting;
     • Disrupting class with computers, computer games, or website surfing;
     • Disrupting class with loud talking, or other activities that create a distraction;
     • Leaving trash in classrooms or academic areas;
     • Bringing food into unauthorized areas or hosting food functions without permission;
     • Posting unapproved materials or approved posting in inappropriate areas;
     • Parking in inappropriate or reserved spaces; or
     • Repeated dress-code violations