ugh, did I screw myself over?

[Necr0sis445]

So on a few secondaries where they ask "have you been charged with a misdemeanor" I stated no, and I just found out that my misdemeanor that was taken to court and dismissed still counted as a "charge" but not a "conviction".

I got an underage possession of alcohol a long time ago and I took it to court, got supervision, and the case was dismissed. My attorney said after the procedure that the case was dismissed and I was not convicted. I thought this also meant that there would be no "charge", but I guess I was wrong. I'm currently in the process of getting my record expunge, hopefully before January first before AMCAS does background checks.

The question is, since I contacted all school's who's secondaries ask "Have you been charged" with a misdemeanor and told them that I made a mistake, am I pretty much screwed with these schools, or will they appreciate me reaching out to notify them?

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[Dirk__Diggler]

Na you're fine. I'm shocked that it says "charged" and not "convicted" I've never heard of that on any secondary app ever. Just make sure the charge is expunged from your record and they will have no way of accessing that information anyway.

 

[Necr0sis713]

Best thing to do is to just update them with the info. It's better than trying to hide it.

 

[andelJ94]

Wow, these schools really are looking for any reason to reject. What about arrests for civil disobedience (a la Occupy Wall St. BLM protest)?

 

[Ismet]

Wow, these schools really are looking for any reason to reject.

Not sure where you got that idea.

 

[andelJ94]

Not sure where you got that idea.

My surprise is with how broad the question is. I understand that "Do you have a conviction in your record" would be reasonable. But, like medical malpractice lawsuits, can't charges or arrests happen under innocent circumstances, or totally UN-justified circumstances? I just worry casting so wide an vague a net is a way to get applicant to volunteer perfectly innocent information as an additional screening tool (not that you could prove it one way or the other, unless an ADCOM wants to break rank and divulge).

I'm just a pre-med for now, but is it common to ask physicians applying for a job if they have ever been sued for malpractice or accused of unprofessional behavior, or do they only care about what's on your record?

Maybe I am wrong (I know I am naive) but if an arrest leads to nothing, should it still be used to make conclusion about one's character or fitness for professional school? How vague a question can be allowed? Why not limit it to questions about charges that would be relevant to licensing, professional conduct, not a fishing expedition. FYI my dad is a civil rights attorney so I am perhaps a bit biased on this topic.

 

[Ismet]

My surprise is with how broad the question is. I understand that "Do you have a conviction in your record" would be reasonable. But, like medical malpractice lawsuits, can't charges or arrests happen under innocent circumstances, or totally UN-justified circumstances? I just worry casting so wide an vague a net is a way to get applicant to volunteer perfectly innocent information as an additional screening tool (not that you could prove it one way or the other, unless an ADCOM wants to break rank and divulge).

I'm just a pre-med for now, but is it common to ask physicians applying for a job if they have ever been sued for malpractice or accused of unprofessional behavior, or do they only care about what's on your record?

Maybe I am wrong (I know I am naive) but if an arrest leads to nothing, should it still be used to make conclusion about one's character or fitness for professional school? How vague a question can be allowed? Why not limit it to questions about charges that would be relevant to licensing, professional conduct, not a fishing expedition. FYI my dad is a civil rights attorney so I am perhaps a bit biased on this topic.

Yes, when you apply for your license to practice as a physician, you are asked a multitude of questions about various charges or convictions. If you answer "yes" to anything, you have to submit a written statement explaining it, often having to include the court documents as well. It's not like a "yes" automatically bans you from licensure, the written statement will be reviewed and it will go from there.

Admissions committees don't screen out everyone who answers "yes" to a charge/misdemeanor/felony/etc. That's why there is a chance to explain the circumstances. Those get read. And we certainly admitted people who had things like underage drinking, caught with marijuana, etc. It's not the end of the world. However, if there's a pattern to it (i.e. multiple instances of underage drinking and getting caught) that shows poor judgment and not something that is desirable in a physician. Still, it's evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

 

[jqueb29]

Wow, these schools really are looking for any reason to reject. What about arrests for civil disobedience (a la Occupy Wall St. BLM protest)?

Civil disobedience = these groups are almost always blocking major roads with their "protests" = they are often blocking urgent access to hospitals = automatic rejection

 

[Goro]

Too broad and gross a generalization. I had interviewed people who had been arrested for civil disobedience.

We tend to shy away from those who are zealots about their advocacy.

Civil disobedience = these groups are almost always blocking major roads with their "protests" = they are often blocking urgent access to hospitals = automatic rejection

 

[Goro]

Medical schools are not the same as courts of law. There is no right to go to medical school. It's a privilege that has to be earned.

We select against people who make bad choices. An arrest has to be taken in context and doesn't always mean the candidate makes bad choices all the time. To reiterate, we always have to ask is this the person we want to have in our class?

Maybe I am wrong (I know I am naive) but if an arrest leads to nothing, should it still be used to make conclusion about one's character or fitness for professional school? How vague a question can be allowed? Why not limit it to questions about charges that would be relevant to licensing, professional conduct, not a fishing expedition. FYI my dad is a civil rights attorney so I am perhaps a bit biased on this topic.[/QUOTE]

 

[andelJ94]

Medical schools are not the same as courts of law. There is no right to go to medical school. It's a privilege that has to be earned.

We select against people who make bad choices. An arrest has to be taken in context and doesn't always mean the candidate makes bad choices all the time. To reiterate, we always have to ask is this the person we want to have in our class?

Maybe I am wrong (I know I am naive) but if an arrest leads to nothing, should it still be used to make conclusion about one's character or fitness for professional school? How vague a question can be allowed? Why not limit it to questions about charges that would be relevant to licensing, professional conduct, not a fishing expedition. FYI my dad is a civil rights attorney so I am perhaps a bit biased on this topic.

[/QUOTE]
Thanks all! This info has cleared it up immensely. So long as it's not taken as a + or a - until the details have been hashed out, that seems fair.

 

[andelJ94]

Civil disobedience = these groups are almost always blocking major roads with their "protests" = they are often blocking urgent access to hospitals = automatic rejection

Trolls gonna troll.