Question regarding the dreaded Criminal Background Check

[preMDO2010]

I will be applying to medical schools for the upcoming cycle, and I was wondering if anyone who has had the background check could give me some info.

I know this sounds bad (but I really just came here for advice on the background check, not to be lectured because honestly I didn't do anything wrong), but over 3 years ago I was arrested and charged with felony rape and consensual sodomy. The story behind all of this is very long and I do not wish to go in to it, however I ended up not being convicted of any of the charges.

Is this something that I would need to disclose to schools when I send in my secondaries? Will this prevent me down the road for becoming a doctor? I honestly am not sure what will show up on a background check because I was not convicted, and I do not want to pay for one either because it seems like they can be expensive.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

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[b-real]

I will be applying to medical schools for the upcoming cycle, and I was wondering if anyone who has had the background check could give me some info.

I know this sounds bad (but I really just came here for advice on the background check, not to be lectured), but over 3 years ago I was arrested and charged with felony rape and consensual sodomy. The story behind all of this is very long and I do not wish to go in to it, however I ended up not being convicted of any of the charges.

Is this something that I would need to disclose to schools when I send in my secondaries? Will this prevent me down the road for becoming a doctor? I honestly am not sure what will show up on a background check because I was not convicted, and I do not want to pay for one either because it seems like they can be expensive.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Methinks you're a troll...but if you weren't convicted, it doesn't show up.

 

[manraj76]

Methinks you're a troll...but if you weren't convicted, it doesn't show up.

I actually didn't apply yet, and I won't for another three years, but I heard that in some secondaries that they ask you if you were ever charged for anything.

 

[preMDO2010]

I actually didn't apply yet, and I won't for another three years, but I heard that in some secondaries that they ask you if you were ever charged for anything.

This is what I am afraid of and is why I am reluctant to even submit my AMCAS. I have a feeling once they see the charges they will immediately throw my application out. I plan on applying VERY broadly (40+) including DO.

 

[EMS5]

Yeah that could be a tricky scenario where you were charged with a felony, especially what is considered a violent crime against a person. Just get the background check done, if you weren't convicted, it shouldn't show up. If they ask if you were charged during their secondary or interview or any of that good stuff...well you would have to use your own discretion on that one.

 

[preMDO2010]

Yeah that could be a tricky scenario where you were charged with a felony, especially what is considered a violent crime against a person. Just get the background check done, if you weren't convicted, it shouldn't show up. If they ask if you were charged during their secondary or interview or any of that good stuff...well you would have to use your own discretion on that one.

Yeah I might as well suck it up and run one on myself, if I'm going to be paying over $1000 for my application I might as well fork out an extra $100.

 

[preMDO2010]

Another thing that I am concerned about is that I am not 100% sure if I was taken off the sex offender registry. They were supposed to remove me from the database once I was found not guilty, but I do not know how to check on this.

 

[Spleenic]

Sounds like you're a good match for proctology.

 

[venacontracta]

Pay whatever you need to pay to

1) obtain the best "intelligence" on your situation as possible, which involves getting background check(s) on yourself from the source(s) used by all the medical schools you're interested in

2) doing whatever you can to ensure you are off the sex offender registry and that you've taken whatever steps are possible to make records related to this incident hard to access (I say this not knowing whether or not there is, I just know that in some cases people manage to get things sealed or expunged or whatever, and that if you are in the right situation and hire a lawyer, maybe you can too)

The cost of doing this is not insignificant but is very small compared to the total cost of the application process.

 

[Spleenic]

Pay whatever you need to pay to



2) doing whatever you can to ensure you are off the sex offender registry and that you've taken whatever steps are possible to make records related to this incident hard to access (I say this not knowing whether or not there is, I just know that in some cases people manage to get things sealed or expunged or whatever, and that if you are in the right situation and hire a lawyer, maybe you can too)

Yeah, because deceit is a valued quality in this profession.

 

[preMDO2010]

Yeah, because deceit is a valued quality in this profession.

I'm just trying to make it through to medical school, if I have don't have to disclose something I'm definitely not going to.

I think once I'm in though it will be fairly smooth sailing from there on out.

 

[chman]

Get a lawyer and find out exactly what you must disclose depending on the wording. The thing is, if you are dishonest about any of the questions, you may get your license taken away down the road. Sexual crimes are taken very seriously in health care for obvious reasons. That being said, this is America, and if you were not convicted then it should not show up in a background check, and you are proven innocent. Hopefully you will not get any questions like, "have you ever been arrested for blah blah blah." Because you will most likely have to disclose it then. Anyways, again, get a lawyer who specializes in this kind of thing, because nobody on here is going to be able to tell you for sure.

 

[chman]

Yeah, because deceit is a valued quality in this profession.

How is that being deceitful? I don't see any reason why this poster would be on the list since those are for convicted criminals.

 

[venacontracta]

Yeah, because deceit is a valued quality in this profession.

I never advised him to lie or be deceitful. How he responds to questions asking whether he was charged is his decision, and he will have to live with the consequences of it, ethically and practical.

People get arrested and charged with sexually related offenses for shaky reasons, such as accusations with questionable motivations that eventually are proven false. In a fair society, the fact that he was not convicted of the crime would mean that these charges would not be held against him. However, the United States is rightfully or wrongfully very much obsessed with condemning all those who have ever been so much as under suspicion for these offenses. If you are in the unfortunate situation of having been accused of one of these crimes and not convicted, I don't think there's anything wrong with using all the resources at your disposal to minimize the chances the wrong person will discover what happened at any point in your future and respond disproportionately. That's what I said he should do.

 

[GoSpursGo]