I try to stay away from SDN but sooner or later I find myself reading the many asinine posts that they have going on over there. If not for the jackasses, it would be a great place to visit because some of the information is quite valuable. Anyway, there was a post over there about 2 or 3 weeks ago that caught my eye. This poor chap basically poured his heart out and confessed that he had been suspended for 2 years from his university, lost his full ride scholarship, and permanently damaged his academic record because he used a key logger on the school computers. He wanted to get a leg up on studying some material before the actual class started, so when the professor denied him access to it he took matters into his own hands and got caught. This kid was asking the forum if his chances to get into MD school was ruined. Of course it's ruined...at least for now. Needless to say, the jewels over on SDN teared him a new one. He took it like a champ. Never once engaging with them and even agreed with their less than stellar opinions of him.
Maybe I'm getting soft with old age, but I felt bad for him. The devastation and regret expressed in the post was palpable. It's wrong for me to say that all of the members cut him to pieces, there were a few people that showed him kindness and remorse.
At first I thought that it was just a case of 'gunning' gone too far but upon further investigation, this kid was under extreme pressure to get into med school. The stress to succeed this feat came from family and the university, but most of all it came from him. He didn't want to let these people down and was swallowed up in the process. Although he doesn't realize it now and probably won't for some time, I think the higher power did him a favor. I think there is something else for him and that will be revealed in time. Humble pie is bitter but it certainly fills the soul.
I wish him the best of luck. 'His' story will stay with me for a long time.
http://www.growthandchangephiladelphia.com/
Here's to you roytran!
~Surly
