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Had many such run ins with professors over the years. One egregious example came from a chemistry professor. I was doing horrible in his class and needed every point to pass. But even correct answers were marked wrong. When I brought up the fact I had the exact same answer as he did, he refused to change the grade. Instead he said he didn't like the way I solved it. And back then tenured professors had even more power than today. Even the Deans were hesitant to cross the tenured faculty.
Ok, so I get it. This might actually be the hill you're willing to die on. If you're facing losing your entire scholarship over this and other questions on tests in this one class, you need to go above her head and resolve this grade issue right now.
Or she could spend all this energy and time studying the hell out of her books and making sure she aces the rest of the semester.
Had many such run ins with professors over the years. One egregious example came from a chemistry professor. I was doing horrible in his class and needed every point to pass. But even correct answers were marked wrong. When I brought up the fact I had the exact same answer as he did, he refused to change the grade. Instead he said he didn't like the way I solved it. And back then tenured professors had even more power than today. Even the Deans were hesitant to cross the tenured faculty.
I definitely had experiences like that too. The worst was my 8th grade math teacher. Everything had to be solved using only her technique showing every step, even trivial ones such as showing 1+1=2. You could solve the entire problem correctly, using her technique, and still get 0 credit if you didn't show something trivial such as 1+1=2. It was also tough having to unlearn everything we learned the previous year, since this teacher's techniques were all different from what we learned the previous year. My teacher the previous year was an excellent teacher who really understood math. This teacher in 8th grade I don't think really understood math at all, and was more about teaching discipline.
To make matters even worse, even when I did answer questions correctly, using her technique, and showing every trivial step, she would still sometimes mark questions wrong! This happened to me on nearly every exam, and it would often be enough to make the difference between one letter grade and another. She would refuse to correct such errors, and just say that she never makes corrections to grades, since she has no way of knowing that I didn't change the answer after getting it back, and because I need to learn that life isn't fair. I can maybe accept (but not agree) with such an attitude if her blatant errors happened once. But this happened to me on almost literally every exam! Eventually, I asked if she could maybe photocopy my exams before grading them, so she would know that I was not changing the answers. But she refused, saying "If I do that for you, I have to do it for everybody". But if life isn't supposed to be fair (according to her), then why would she have to do that for everybody?
Or she could spend all this energy and time studying the hell out of her books and making sure she aces the rest of the semester.
Which gets her the result she wants?
So, in other words, if somebody stole a significant amount of money from you, rather than pressing charge against the thief, you would just take on an additional job to earn back the money that was stolen? Typical victim blaming.
Well, the book that she listed in the syllabus supports it. I also googled it (I know not the most reliable source, but i don't have any other books) and the internet said: "Paresthesia is an early sign, which later progresses to pulselessness. Pretty clear to me.
Again, she is arguing that paresthesia was the only option offered that had something to do with ischemia. For me that is not good enough since the question was specific.
I hope that you read my previous response (Post #19) and that you fight for what is right, and that things work out for you.
Since I know nothing about medicine or nursing, one thing I wonder is, was this just a poorly written question, or is it a legitimate matter of controversy where your professor happens to disagree with the book? If the later, unfortunately, there may not be much you can do.
The other thing that is tough is that multiple choice questions often say to choose the "best" answer. Your professor, unfortunately, can argue that the "best" answer is the one that is the least wrong. It would be completely wrong for you to lose your scholarship based on such a technicality, so I really hope things work out for you.
I am in the second semester in nursing school. Last week we had a Peds exam a question asked: What is the late ominous sign of ischemia?
Options were: posturing, pelting, paresthesia and hypo-tension. As soon as I saw the question I knew it was not paresthesia because it is an early sign. I also knew that other options are not part of 5Ps (signs of ischemia) but still picked pelting. As soon as I submitted the exam, I brought this up to the prof. She said paresthesia is a late sign. I pulled out my book and proved her wrong. She said ” well everyone makes mistakes, I will probably drop it.” Guess what, she didn't drop it and when I tried to talk to her today, she said she doesn't have any time and is not dropping the question.
Am I right to be upset with this question? Paresthesia might be the least wrong answer, but it is still wrong. Students will pass this class, thinking it is a late sign. she should have at least clarified it in class. Should I email nursing director or someone else about this? Any similar experiences?
BTW: sign of ischemia are 5Ps (pallor, paralysis, pulselessness, paresthysia and pain). Paresthisia is early, pulselessness and paralysis late.
Thanks
One thing nobody has commented on is, the fact that students graduating from this program who will be practicing nursing while believing something that is incorrect? Regardless of the grade, does the OP have any moral obligation to somehow make sure that the other students in the class learn that the answer the professor wanted is not correct? Even if it causes her to make enemies with the professor.
I realize that this does not apply to the OP, since her scholarship is in jeopardy due to the grade (so she needs to get it corrected at all costs): but if the grade was not an issue to the OP, maybe she could have tried speaking the professor's language, and say something like "I realize that life isn't supposed to be fair. And I realize that school is a hierarchy, and that the exam grades that you give us are final. So I am not challenging the grade. But you need to make sure that us students, who will be practicing nursing, learn the correct answer. So you should announce to the class what the correct answer should have been, even if you do not correct grades". Try to use as many authoritarian buzzwords as possible, so she feels that you are speaking her language. Again, I know that this doesn't apply to the OP's case, but I'm just thinking of a more general moral dilemma.
No, professor is not always right. We are all adults, I am in an accelerated nursing program, and i work full time, I am stressed and tired beyond belief, and every mistake i make (or if I ever run late for a clinical) it has consequences)... but professors, can't even bother.. and they are not exactly bright either (this professor argued it was late sign, until i had to prove it was an early sign) and just can't let it go.
You are not the only one working full-time and in an accelerated nursing program. My daughter did it, and had a professor who never answered emails at all, but she chose to suck it up and wound up graduating with honors.
If you die on this hill, you can't blame the professor. You can only blame yourself for how you reacted to her mistake.
Or because you are throwing it in her face and being confrontational instead of just kindly mentioning it and asking that she drop the question.
Where did the OP say she was throwing it in her face and being confrontational? As far as I can tell, the OP kindly mentioned it and asked that she drop the question.
Quote:
Originally Posted by convextech
You are not the only one working full-time and in an accelerated nursing program. My daughter did it, and had a professor who never answered emails at all, but she chose to suck it up and wound up graduating with honors.
How is that relevant to the OP?
Quote:
If you die on this hill, you can't blame the professor. You can only blame yourself for how you reacted to her mistake.
None of this would have happened if the professor didn't make a mistake and then abuse her power. I see nothing wrong with how the OP reacted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by convextech
Bingo. It's not the professor's fault that she is behind in her studies.
Where did the OP say that she is behind in her studies? The professor made a blatant error, and is on a power trip and won't correct it, and the OP's scholarship, which she worked hard to earn, is now in jeopardy because of somebody else's error.
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