Alison Sturrock¹
Chris McManus¹, Gil Myers¹ and Eliot Rees¹
1 University College London

Background
Cheating continues to be a complex issue which poses a threat to the validity and fairness of assessments, with the potentially serious implications for the quality of patient care. However, the nature of cheating has changed significantly in recent years due to the advent of computer- based assessment, social media, AI powered language models etc. 

Candidates have exploited the shift from invigilated assessment to remote proctoring with unknown consequences. Research is yet to fully explore either how students cheat or how best to combat these new methods. This symposium will be collaborative to allow participants to share their experiences and facilitate transfer of learning. 

Why is the topic important for research and / or for practice?
This symposium will explore the contemporary landscape of cheating, including the use of technology, the rise of online learning, the changing nature of assessment and the increasing use of AI powered language models such as ChatGPT and Bard. The symposium will also discuss the ethical implications of cheating and how to limit it. 

When Bard was asked to summarise in a single brief paragraph if cheating in medical school exams was acceptable, it said: 

"No, cheating in medical school exams is not acceptable. It is unprofessional behaviour, it can lead to disciplinary action, and it can damage a student's reputation. In addition, cheating does not help students learn the material in a meaningful way, which can lead to problems later on in their training." 

This symposium is designed for medical students, faculty, and staff who are interested in learning more about cheating in medical school and strategies to challenge it in a proactive manner. 

The symposium will be divided into four sections. Each section will be interactive with opportunities to present case studies: 

1. Defining contemporary cheating and identifying the different types of cheating and how and why students cheat. Picasso: “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. 

2. Discovery: Discuss effective and ineffective interventions for discovering; remote proctoring utility 

3. Limiting and tackling cheating: Candidate honor codes, academic integrity policies, and technology-based solutions. 

4. Conclusion: using Five Safes framework as system to guard against cheating (https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/help/secure-lab/what-is-the-five-safes-framework/) and safeguard patient safety. 

Symposium outcomes
By the end of this symposium, participants will be able to: 

Take home message
Cheating in medical school is a serious problem that can have a negative impact on both students, the profession and patient care. There are a number of strategies that can be used to prevent cheating, and it is important to educate students and staff about these strategies and the ethical implications of cheating. 

References (maximum three)