Lying about previous application

[flaktroop3r]

Hi.

Some schools specifically ask if I applied to ANY med school in ANY previous year. Since they don't know this info (or at least they aren't supposed to), I figured that it is alright to say NO. Does that sound OK?


Thanks.

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[jlee9531]

haha hello troll. but ill take the bait anyway.
its not alright to say NO. They can easily find out. And you will thus be blacklisted and work for biotech companies.

 

[HIghbury]

With all due respect, lying is not right.It will catch up with you. I am not saying this because I am sort of a saint, but it is the right thing to do.

 

[calstudent]

don't do it--if caught, you could be reported to AAMC.

 

[leechy]

He's not a troll - I remember his earlier posts. Got rejected last cycle although his stats are great and he's a smart person - just young (or was last time around).

To the OP: I wouldn't recommend lying about it. Besides the moral thing, we poor applicants don't know exactly what goes on with AMCAS - it could be that schools have some way of knowing where you've applied to in the past, especially if they actually accept you. Doesn't AMCAS ask this question on the primary? I don't remember.

In any case, I heard that normally, schools get to see where else you've been accepted on April 15th. Whether they then get to see where you've been rejected from in the past, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't risk it.

And then there's the whole "if any info on your application is ever discovered to be false, we can kick you out of school" type draconian language. That kind of language scares me. I wouldn't risk it. Just my two cents. Good luck with your apps.

 

[soreed]

haha hello troll. but ill take the bait anyway.
its not alright to say NO. They can easily find out. And you will thus be blacklisted and work for biotech companies.

blacklisted? such a thing exists?

 

[fourthyearmed]

I am horrified to think that anyone hoping to be a physician would even think of lying on their application! I hope you get caught.

 

[dmk724]

Hi.

Some schools specifically ask if I applied to ANY med school in ANY previous year. Since they don't know this info (or at least they aren't supposed to), I figured that it is alright to say NO. Does that sound OK?

Thanks.

Please tell me that this is a joke.

During orientation, they talked a lot about how the "white coat" is a symbol of trust, and that good doctors should be honest, have integrity, and do the right things for the right reasons. That way, they maintain the trust that their patients have in the medical profession. Therefore, I'm assuming that they'd look for applicants who are honest and have integrity. So, I guess the short answer would be ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Just my thoughts on this topic.

 

[tautomer]

I love how one question like this provokes all sort of responses about the type of physician you'll become and integrity, etc. etc. After all, we've NEVER lied before.

Anyways, maybe i'm missing something but I don't see why there would be a problem with just putting "YES" on the application saying that you've applied before. Thousands of applicants reapply to medical school each year and no big fuss is made about it.

I don't see any worry here. Now, most people lie when they want to prevent something they've done in the past from getting out. I don't know why you would want to lie on this question, but they may just want to know YES or NO to "have you applied before." They're not asking WHY you didn't get accepted previously right?

I don't know, maybe i'm just talking out of my butt, but I would put "yes," that way you DON'T LIE (God forbid) and it prevents you from getting in any big trouble from the AAMC. To me, a medical school application is the last thing you want to lie on.

 

[medic170]

I am horrified to think that anyone hoping to be a physician would even think of lying on their application! I hope you get caught.

I second that. Go take an ethics course before you reapply.

 

[dr.z]

I wouldn't do it either. I applied couple years back, and I am applying again. I thought about that too, but I just couldn't do it. Once you decide to matriculate, the school that you may attend could check up on you. There's only going to be 100 or so matriculants at each school, and it should be easy for the schools to check. It will ruin rest of your career.

 

[SFAJess]

I agree with most everybody on this thread....don't do it. Plus, I thought the adcoms percieved perserverance as a good quality....You know, like when they ask in an interview "What will you do if you don't get in?"....and you respond, "I will try again next year and the year after that...."

I actually heard of someone applying 8 times before he got in or so our pre-prof advisor told us.

Anyway, suppose you do get away with it.....but they find out later. Many of the stuff you agree to online through AMCAS or TMDSAS and on secondaries say:

"I certify that the information in this application and all attachments is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. I understand that submission of any false information is grounds for rejection of my application, withdrawal of any offer of acceptance, dismissal after matriculation, or rescindment of any degrees granted and that the information supplied is subject to verification."

".....rescindment of any degrees granted...."?????? I know it's far-fetched, but by clicking that little check box or signing that secondary application, they can take it all away no matter when they find out.

Use your good judgement.

Jessica

 

[Kazema]

From an older thread...

1) Are you sure of that because it never came up duirng your interviews.... or because you know that for a fact, independent of your experiences? I have to be certain, as I want (or actually, need) to say 'NO' when asked by the interviewer, "Did you apply to medschool last year?"

Why do you "need" to say 'NO'?

I really don't think it's worth the risk to lie. I don't think you're at that much of a disadvantage for being a reapplicant.

 

[calstudent]

To build on the previous poster, in fact if you have done something to build your credentials for medicine since your first attempt, you are probably in even better shoes than before!

 

[euromd]

someone on another forum asked a similar question except it was regarding transcripts: "They asked for all my transcripts. Do I send all of them, or just the best ones from all the schools?"

my answer:

-way to start a career in medicine!

bottom line, we all have things that we wish we didn't do, marks we didn't get and we all want to put our very best foot forward to beat the competition. however, the adcoms want to see all of you when they are making a decision. you will not be only person who has checked that box. in your ps, you can state why you are reapplying and anything you have done since last year to improve yourself. the worst thing to do would be to copy-paste your ps from last year, second to not checking that box.

and like someone else mentionned, you can get thrown out for lying on an application. is that worth your career in medicine?

-S

 

[xanthines]

Has anyone every actualll looked at their AMCAS app!? On mine, it says exactly when and where I've applied to medical schools pas and present. My guess is that schools either do not get this information upon application (ie, they get it after May 15 when all your acceptances are resleased to all schools anyway) or they do.

I would just say that you've applied before since they will likely find out eventually.

-X

 

[woolie]

I still get anxious about the honesty thing, like when I read someone's post above where if they find you lied about anything,etc you will get booted out, your diploma rescinded, etc. I did my darned best to be as honest as I could be, and yet, when I read that I still get a shiver. What if I forgot someting or if something could be misconstrued ... ? Then, I realize I am just obsessing and I need to turn off the worry part of my brain.

This field is so filled with all kinds of 'attention to detail', and it is so easy to verify information.

I even went back, and dug out a C+ from an Anatomy Drawing class I took when I was 18 at the School of Visual Arts. And I am an older student, so because the transcript wasn't automated, how easy would that have been to not mention it? Noooooooo ... C+ or not, it has to be mentioned.

In the end, you honesty and integrity are extremely valuabe assets - they're your reputation, which is priceless.

 

[Fed Meat]

With a name like flaktroop3r, this guy is for real? Well, he caught flack whether he wanted to or not.

that good doctors should be honest, have integrity, and do the right things for the right reasons. That way, they maintain the trust that their patients have in the medical profession

yah yah yah. I agree, but wait until you realize that someone might sue you if you always do the right thing for the right reason. Ethics takes a back seat to pragmatism when the stakes get high.

I'm not shocked someone would lie on their application. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are packed with little liars and resume stuffers. With all the idiotic roadblocks they throw in your way in this med school process, I'm sure the same is true with med schools.

With that said, it's not right. You shouldn't lie. But people will. But so what? You overslept during your final and said you were sick. Who cares. Crap happens. But schools care, and thus, so should you.

Be honest, dude, especially here when being dishonest might hurt your application more than help you. I guess what I'm saying is always be honest (but the indignation you're getting is really overboard).

 

[veenut]

I am horrified to think that anyone hoping to be a physician would even think of lying on their application! I hope you get caught.

Please drop the righteous indignation, it's not helping anyone.

But to agree with the others, you shouldn't lie about the previous application. These things have a way of coming around to bite you in the ass in the end.

 

[jlee9531]

With a name like flaktroop3r, this guy is for real? Well, he caught flack whether he wanted to or not.



yah yah yah. I agree, but wait until you realize that someone might sue you if you always do the right thing for the right reason. Ethics takes a back seat to pragmatism when the stakes get high.

I'm not shocked someone would lie on their application. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are packed with little liars and resume stuffers. With all the idiotic roadblocks they throw in your way in this med school process, I'm sure the same is true with med schools.

With that said, it's not right. You shouldn't lie. But people will. But so what? You overslept during your final and said you were sick. Who cares. Crap happens. But schools care, and thus, so should you.

Be honest, dude, especially here when being dishonest might hurt your application more than help you. I guess what I'm saying is always be honest (but the indignation you're getting is really overboard).

but at least some people do get caught thankfully.
i personally know of someone who lied on most of their ECs to get into stanfurd, and i guess they did a random check and found out she was lying and took away her acceptance.

 

[WatchingWaiting]

Hi.

Some schools specifically ask if I applied to ANY med school in ANY previous year. Since they don't know this info (or at least they aren't supposed to), I figured that it is alright to say NO. Does that sound OK?


Thanks.

Putting aside the righteous indignation, the appropriate analysis when contemplating lying:

(1) What is the benefit if I am successful?
(2) What is the likelihood I will be detected?
(2) What is the downside if I am detected?

In this case, the benefit of not listing yourself as a previous applicant is basically nil, while the potential negatives are pretty substantial. If you add a couple of hours a week to your activities or give yourself an increased amount of workload in the description, there really is no way you'll get in trouble because hours are hard to compute, open to interpretation as to what counts and what does not, etc. Something like this is pretty clear-cut, as it's rather difficult to argue that you forgot that you applied to med school, and, thus, it would reflect quite badly on you if detected. Moreover, since this is a couple of dozen lines of code in the AMCAS database, it is quite likely to be noticed.