I think my professor is making up stuff.......not sure what to do.

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So, I think one of my professors is making up statements. One in particular: 90% of allergies are caused by drinking milk-based formulas to babies.

OK, so I asked her about that statistic and where I could find it. She told me it was on the AAP site. Searched 45 minutes and found nothing. Looked thru medline....nothing. She makes other incredulous statements... and I am beginning to think she's fabricating them (other students found alternate truths to her statements before).

What would you do? I'm thinking about going to my advisor with this.

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Go to your advisor. Who is to say she won't start putting fabrications on quizzes and tests. Then students would really start suffering because of her misinformation.

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Specializes in Medical.

You might want to have more support for your position before taking this further. Asking her where the "90%" statistic came from was a good start, but maybe you could go back and say you couldn't find it and does she have a specifc reference. perhaps also collate a list of other unsupported and suspect statements, to demonstrate a pattern of behaviour rather than a one off incident. Good luck :)

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You might want to have more support for your position before taking this further. Asking her where the "90%" statistic came from was a good start, but maybe you could go back and say you couldn't find it and does she have a specifc reference. perhaps also collate a list of other unsupported and suspect statements, to demonstrate a pattern of behaviour rather than a one off incident. Good luck :)

Great advise !!! I second them.

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Oh there are a few other documented inaccuracies. Furthermore, she's not gaining much respect amongst some of my classmates, as she's very opinionated, particularly when it comes to breastfeeding, daycare, and single parenting. A few of us parents are feeling very wary of her professionalism.

But its the inaccuracies that is really bothering me. She makes up her exams using nclex test banks, so I'm pretty confident we won't be tested on "her" statistics. I will ask her for clarification on that statistic. I feel it needs to be defended if she's going to spout it out.

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Specializes in Medical.

Excellent! When you opened with her 'fact' that 90% of allergies were caused by giving babies milk/formula I suspected she had a particular axe to grind. So you want to demonstrate that her personal biases or opinions about these topics (breast feeding, day care,single parents) are colouring or even distorting the information she's providing.

I suggest you frame it in a neutral, slightly concerned way, with as much supporting evidence as possible. Try to stick with facts as much as possible, as they are less open to criticism. For example: on this day she gave this fact, which conflicts with this (supported) information. Or: she has systemically failed to address/acknowledge this aspect of x, perhaps because it conflicts with her stated position on y.

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I don't know that I would go toe-to-toe with this person. As long as her statistics aren't getting onto tests, who cares? I think if you get into a pi**ing match with this person, you will be the one to lose out. Just be aware that she is someone who likes hyperbole, and leave it at that.

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If you mean American Assn of Peds a 2 minute search pulls up umpteen articles that support your teacher's pov. It's not my research project so I'm not going to bother to trowel through them looking for stats. I recently took a psych class where our professor required us to write papers on this issue and debate it in class. Just about everyone in the class was pre-nursing, a nursing student, or already nurse and doing continuing ed. Anyway people came down on one side or the other in favor of or against mandatory breast feeding and good points were made on both sides. There were no right or wrong answers and the discussion wasn't contentious.

My point - if your teacher isn't going to test you on her opinions I don't see the point in getting up in arms about it.

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I'm not going to get into a debate about whether or not formula feeding CAUSES allergies. I'm looking for her 90% causal relationship statistic. If you find it, please share -- I didn't have much luck.

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I feel it needs to be defended if she's going to spout it out.

I'd let it go and get through the class. Professors vs student = professor wins. She controls your grade and could really screw you over.

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As long as it's not being tested on, I wouldn't care what this professor thinks. And I'm a single Mom who didn't breast feed. I think everyone is entitled to their opinions. I do agree that it's not professional for the instructor to discuss her opinions in class, or say they are fact if they're not, but don't step in the middle of it. If she is doing wrong, she will dig her own hole. In one ear, out the other. Good luck!

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Since she is not testing on the material, your time and effort is probably better spent in studying and working on your other coursework. Let her talk to her heart's content as long as you get good grades on the material covered by the class.

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