A former School of Medicine and Health Sciences student is suing the University for $2 million in damages, alleging she was unfairly dismissed from a physician’s assistant program just days before completing her degree.
Cyrena Paulin, a 53-year-old who enrolled at GW in August 2007, filed a lawsuit Jan. 19, after she did not receive a diploma due to a failing grade in her final rotation, or practical training course, that prompted her removal from the program, according to court documents.
The failing grade, Paulin said in her complaint, was not administered fairly and was “solely the product of ill-will and malice.”
By fall 2010, Paulin completed all her courses with a 3.27 GPA, except for a final training program, or a preceptorship, according to the court documents.
The month-long preceptorship began in August 2010, but former physician assistant program director Venetia Orcutt assigned Paulin to a rotation program that had never before accepted students, while others were able to self-select their rotations.
Orcutt resigned from her post at the University in November, after students complained she did not offer instruction for two online courses on evidence-based medicine but doled out “A” grades anyway. GW refunded tuition for the courses, but students were permitted to keep their credits based on the idea that they earned them through other program activities and coursework.
Orcutt did not return a request for comment.
According to the documents, Paulin was not supervised or instructed while examining patients, was denied access to computers to complete her work and felt isolated from the rest of the team. She completed much of her work in the hallway and called the environment hostile.
She also said she was “subjected by those around her to humiliating, degrading treatment,” the documents read.
Paulin received a failing grade but was not permitted to retake a rotation like other students or given a reason for the marks, according to the documents.
Court documents show a memo Orcutt wrote, citing Paulin’s clinical evaluation as “sub-standard for a student with one rotation remaining prior to graduation.”
The student received a letter about her planned dismissal Sept. 8, 2010 and appealed the decision in a nine-month process that Paulin claims did not include her witnesses, according to the documents.
“During the review process, GW did not bother to interview any of the persons who Ms. Paulin identified as having witnessed events, including her mistreatment, even though Ms. Paulin had requested that they be consulted concerning what had transpired,” the complaint reads.
The $2 million in damages would compensate for Paulin’s tuition, the lost year of her career and the difference in the annual salary of an individual with a physician’s degree compared to someone without a degree.
Seann Malloy, Paulin’s attorney, said his client tried to settle her claim during the appeals process.
"Ms. Paulin did not want to have to file a lawsuit. This is the last thing she wanted to do," Malloy said.
University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said the University does not comment on pending litigation.
A GW PA student goes through three years with a 3.27 GPA and no prior complaints/issues, and then has gets a failing grade from Ms. Orcutt?
Perhaps Ms. Orcutt was too busy concerning herself with failing Ms. Paulin so she just doled out A’s to the students in “evidence based medicine”?
Sounds personal to me.
In today’s world, lawsuits are like Mcdonald’s. They’re everywhere… No body seems to take responsibility and blame it on others…
Really David? You sound like a goody two shoes. Or shall I say you sound like a self-absorbed. You remind me of someone I used to know. He is a classic example of someone who throws other people under the bus to make himself look good. Well, when others people are good and ready, they will throw him under the train, so buckle up. Apparently, the Physician Assistant Program Director, Venetia Orcutt, did not know anything about The Law of Gravity – what goes up, must come down. Venetia Orcutt had been throwing and tossing her student, Paulin, up in the air. And now the sewer waters are raining on Ms. Venetia Orcutt. Ms. Orcutt is well deserved it. By the way, I don’t think she resigned, she got fired.
Yes, I completely agree with every word you said. The educational system is seriously ill and only get worse since no one evil educator got any trouble or got fired. Poor students, paid tuition and spent time and energy but easily ruined by these damn evil educators. Shame!
I do not think this is a true story.
Who is the lawyer?
I would like to know the contact number of that lawyer for the case of mislabeling the student as an Autism.
That’s how they roll nowadays. If there is a disgruntled faculty does not like you for whatever reason, she definitely will try her hardest to gather troops against you. That’s including back stabbing, made up some untrue BS about you, and manipulating others to believe everything came out of her mouth. That evil professor would to whatever it takes to make the students think that they are the ones that have problems. The saddest thing about the professors in higher education is they think that they are God. They think that they are above others human being because of their status. So they have the right to abuse and bully whoever they want. For example, 5 faculties can get together gang up on 1 student, and they are very proud that they win. Yeah, they are cowards like that, 5 against 1. I feel sorry for them though because they are so arrogant and ignorant. They are in denial. They forget that they are human being just like everyone else. It does not matter how much money they have or where how high their status are in society, when the time comes, they will get sick (cancers), get into car/motorcycle accidents, get run over by a semi truck, become paralyzed…..and eventually die. Their money and status do not guarantee that they will be safe and be healthy until the rest of their life. I believe in karma and I believe that whatever you put others people through, you will get twice as bad. I hope this student gets her justice. I will pray that she will win the lawsuit.
I Agree. This people in the committees and faculty get an air in their head that people who practice medicine have to be perfect like God. But are they perfect themselves? They are also incomplete and are full of wrong ideas and they destroy other peoples life with a hellish notion that they are doing something good! And by the way, doctors/PA/NPs are also people. They have their share of human incompleteness. Why is so much expected from someone persuaing this carreer?
I believe in karma , and it is true that whatever goes around ,comes around. They have closed doors of their heart and I feel sorry for them . They will never see the light.
In the US, many( not all) educators seemed too self-important , narrow minded and arrogant. These type people normally very hateful and prejudicial as well, if you google about nursing student’s case, you’ll see more even worse than this. They use their position to sneakily lied about student and bunch of paradox to ruin student’s reputation and future career. They even lied in the court trial and the worst is the judge has daughter in their department as a current nursing student but still in charge of the case(interest conflict but the judge didn’t recuse himself). Everybody believed the judge is fair and trustworthy ( they should be like that right?) , the jury didn’t know the judge set up bunch traps for his dirty game….. Of course, you can see the result…. the jury favored on school. Now these high paid educators ( per average paid for $130,000 a year) just much worse than ever ( they can get away with anything… no matter how evil they did). Hope this situation won’t happen on Ms. Syrena again. As a middle age student, all she wants just a higher education diploma to help to get better job to improve her life. Anyone prohibit her efforts on chasing an improvement is not worthy to get blessing from GOD.