Medical students found cheating on online exams

By Bahk Eun-ji

Inha University said Tuesday that medical students who cheated on the school's online tests will be given zero points as punishment for their misconduct.

The university found that 91 students on pre-intern undergraduate courses engaged in the collective cheating that took place during online tests between March and April. Among them, 50 are first years and 41 are second years. The 50 first year students took the online exam April 11 in groups of two to nine, and 41 took the exam on March 12, 22 and April 18 in groups and shared answers through phone calls and social media.

Inha University /Korea Times file

Students who did not participate in the cheating raised the issue, and the school suggested the offending students come forward to report themselves while it launched an investigation. The 91 came forward and admitted they had cheated, the school official said.

The university has been providing full-time online classes for the first semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In the case of evaluation methods in which the professor in charge of each subject has discretion, there are many classes set at 20 percent for midterms and 80 percent for final exams.

Inha University's medical school held a “reward and punishment” committee meeting later Monday and decided on disciplinary measures for the students.

In addition to giving them zero points for the tests they cheated on, the committee also ordered the students to have counseling sessions with professors who teach those subjects, and complete community service activities. The final exam for the first semester will be conducted through a face-to-face evaluation.

“Professors advised the medical students to take the exams conscientiously because they were being given online. If students hadn't violated the rules, there would have been no problem,” said an official of Inha University.

However, some were critical of the medical professors for neglecting to manage the test.

“There are ethical problems on the part of the medical students for cheating, but the school is also responsible for neglecting to address this,” said a university professor in Seoul who didn't want to be identified.

“An online test without any devices to prevent cheating may be seen as an excuse for students to cheat,” he said.