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PharmCAS Applicant Code of Conduct
Violation Policy
Once admitted to a professional pharmacy program, students are considered to be members of the pharmacy profession and therefore bear the responsibility to adhere to the professional, ethical, and legal standards prescribed for the practice of pharmacy and their college or school of pharmacy. The ethical and legal responsibilities of student pharmacists are typically reviewed during orientation to the professional program and throughout the time the student is enrolled in school.
Applicants to pharmacy programs, although not yet members of the pharmacy profession, are likewise bound to legal and ethical standards of behavior during the admission process. Colleges and schools of pharmacy are encouraged to admit applicants with a high level of professionalism or professional potential.
The Applicant Code of Conduct provides an explicit statement of applicant responsibilities and expected standards of performance and behavior. It is drawn from the ethical principles of the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists as well as the Responsible Conduct of Research values. Misconduct in any of the principles defined in the code will not be tolerated. Any applicant found to have violated the principles of conduct risks losing the privilege of applying to or entering the pharmacy profession.
As an applicant to the profession of pharmacy, I pledge to:
Act with honesty and integrity throughout the admission process when interacting with school admissions officers, admission committees, and PharmCAS staff.
Respect the knowledge, skills, and values of those involved in the admission process, including the faculty and staff at schools or colleges of pharmacy and PharmCAS staff.
Respect the autonomy and dignity of fellow applicants, admission staff, college or school faculty, staff, and students, and anyone involved in the admission process.
Be responsible and accountable for my actions and personally manage and respond to all matters related to my application.
The following section describes the principles that are the foundation of the Applicant Code of Conduct. The discussion that accompanies each principle is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all possible situations or examples that may be considered to be violations of the Code.
Integrity is an obligation that requires each applicant to provide information honestly. Applicants must not falsify information (for example, make a false claim to be an officer in an organization, falsify work experience, plagiarize your personal essay, or provide altered transcripts). Applicants must also reveal information about previous legal offenses pertinent to admission to a professional program (for example, previous felony convictions or drug or alcohol offenses). An applicant should accurately represent herself or himself to staff and others during the admission process. It is inappropriate to contact admissions staff to inquire about an application claiming to be someone else.
Respect the knowledge, skills and values of those involved in the admission process, including the faculty and staff at schools or colleges of pharmacy and PharmCAS staff.
It is unacceptable for an applicant to disparage the competence, knowledge, qualifications, or services of faculty and staff involved in the admission process. It is inappropriate to imply in word, gesture, or deed that an application has been poorly managed or the applicant mistreated by a staff member without tangible evidence. Professional relations among all members of the admission committees at schools of pharmacy, PharmCAS staff, and applicants should be marked with civility. Thus, slanderous comments, uncivil language, and abusive behavior should be avoided, and each person should recognize and facilitate civil behavior among all involved in the application process.
The applicant should use the highest professional courtesy when interacting with fellow applicants, admission staff, college or school faculty, staff, and students, and anyone involved in the admission process. Offensive or threatening comments via e-mail or voice mail messages or any other form of verbal or nonverbal communication will not be tolerated. Inappropriate behavior includes the use of language, gestures, or remarks with sexual overtones. Applicants should maintain a neat and clean appearance, and dress in attire that is generally accepted as professional by faculty and staff during their interview and when meeting with anyone to discuss admission to a professional pharmacy program.
Applicants to a professional pharmacy degree program must demonstrate responsibility by taking ownership of all aspects related to the application process. Applicants are expected to review application materials from PharmCAS and Pharm.D. programs to which they apply. It is the applicant's responsibility to meet deadlines, provide information as requested, and follow the admission process for each school or college to which they apply. Applicants, not PharmCAS, are responsible for promptly correcting any errors or omissions identified in the applicant's file.
Applicants are expected to respond to constructive feedback from admission staff and faculty by appropriate modification of their behavior. If an applicant has a question about the pharmacy admissions process after exhausting all available online and printed resources, the applicant should contact the appropriate PharmCAS or pharmacy school admissions office directly for clarification. Staff will not discuss an application with an applicant's parent, spouse, relative, friend, or employer regardless of who submits the fee payment. The PharmCAS fee payment does not relieve applicants of the obligation to properly submit all requested data and application materials by the deadline.
Applicants who have not been accepted may consult admission staff to learn how they may correct deficiencies in their application or academic performance or seek to learn more about admission criteria for schools to which they may apply, but should remain respectful of decisions made by those involved in the admission process.
Misconduct, as defined in the Applicant Code of Conduct, and all forms of dishonesty, will not be tolerated in the application process. Pharm.D. programs from colleges and schools of pharmacy will determine whether an applicant has violated the Code of Conduct and will report this to a Conduct Review Committee, which is a sub-committee of the PharmCAS Advisory Committee that will confirm if a violation has occurred and whether sanctions should be imposed.
Sanctions imposed by the Pharm.D. programs and the Conduct Review Committee include, but are not limited to, revocation of application, or sharing information with admission committees about the applicant's behavior. Any applicant found to have violated the principles of conduct risks losing the privilege of applying to or entering the pharmacy profession. Conduct violations will be communicated to all schools and colleges of pharmacy in the U.S. as well as other health education associations.
The Conduct Review Committee will not consider a request for appeal before your initial case is reviewed. If the committee determines you have violated the Applicant Code of Conduct, you may submit a single letter of appeal to conduct@aacp.org within 10 business days after you were notified of the violation and sanctions. There is no required format for the letter.
If you can definitively demonstrate that the personal statement reflects your original work, you may also send proof with your letter. An example of an acceptable form of proof includes screenshots of the creation date of an essay that predates any source information found online. AACP and the PharmCAS Conduct Review Committee will review any submitted documentation and determine if it qualifies as proof of work.
The committee considers requests for appeal during its regular monthly meetings. Appeal requests must be written and submitted by you, as the applicant. The specific timing of the appeal process is determined in part by when your letter of appeal and any supporting documentation are received. Any reversal of the violation determination or reduction in sanction will be communicated to all parties previously notified. All appeal decisions are final.
In connection with any litigation between or including the parties hereto arising under, out of or relating to the application, you irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division; furthermore, you agree to pay all of PharmCAS' reasonable and applicable attorneys' fees and costs in the event that you bring any dispute or litigation in connection with, regarding, relating to, arising out of or under the application and PharmCAS prevails or the litigation is dismissed or withdrawn, with or without prejudice.
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