Medical students at CUNY allege they were not given a fair hearing following a cheating scandal that rocked their program in the medical field.
The Sophie Davis Biomedical Program at the CUNY School of Medicine, which trains local students to become doctors in seven years, has been embroiled in a cheating controversy. One of the students, referred to as Student 1, has been accused of submitting the exam from a different IP address. Another student, yet to be identified, has also been caught up in the scandal and is maintaining their innocence.
Emails accuse the students of cheating, and faculty notes a list of students who left the exam room early and logged back into the test portal from a different device. The students have requested a hearing for months, and finally, one has been scheduled.
The first of two hearings has been arranged after our News New York informed CUNY about the investigation. The students accused of cheating are known as Student 1 and Student 2 in this investigation. The university's statement claims each allegation was thoroughly investigated, and additional testing safeguards have been implemented.
CUNY School of Medicine's Dean Carmen Renee Green stated that they are committed to producing doctors that New York needs and wants. Green oversees the Sophie Davis Program, which is partially taxpayer-funded.
Dean Saghafi, a former graduate of the program, has recruited many students to the school. However, one of Saghafi's former students has been sidelined after being accused of cheating.
Attorney Joseph Lento, who represents one of the students maintaining innocence, is preparing legal action against CUNY. Lento claims the school failed to provide oversight, citing instances of students leaving exams within 15 minutes of the start and logging back in from different devices.
Our News New York has obtained records suggesting repeated cheating in one class alone, with students attempting to cheat on exams more than 50 times over the course of three months. The students were accused of cheating in the 'Organ Systems' undergraduate course.
CUNY's team declined repeated interview requests to discuss the scale and history of cheating in the program. Mahsa Saeidi, an investigative reporter at our News New York, joined the team in March of 2024, and her work on this investigation is ongoing.
Admitted cheaters at CUNY School of Medicine are offered a path back, which includes an ethics course and retaking the Organ Systems undergraduate course. The person leading the disciplinary hearing against the accused students of the Sophie Davis Biomedical Program at the CUNY School of Medicine is the dean of the medical school. The second hearing is yet to be scheduled.
This is a developing story, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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