When to disclose criminal background to medical schools?

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BuckeyeN4tion

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The earliest you can be accepted by a medical school in this cycle is Oct 15 so this may all resolve itself like a bad cold before you get an offer of admission.
 
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I don't know about MD schools, but at my COM the requirement was to do background check before registration, which happens in July regardless of when you are accepted.
 
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I never wrote about any of the tickets I got. You'll often see disqualifiers like "minor traffic violations" or something similar on those secondary apps where they want to know everything you've ever done or want to do. You probably won't disclose this.
 
Check the AMCAS application for your home state... there are different rules depending on your home state (not the state where this happened or the state where you go to school). This may not be required to be reported given that you were not convicted and did not plead. Even if you had to report, it wouldn't be a big deal and wouldn't preclude your admission. Don't sweat it.
 
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Just tell them - doesn't seen like a big deal. You see 19 year olds being immature and drinking all the time.

Plus, I didn't even know that law until I was 23 :/
 
A lot of traffic offenses can be sorted out by calling a lawyer, or checking online. A few states I know classify speeding tickets as motor vehicle offenses rather than misdemeanors.
 
I never wrote about any of the tickets I got. You'll often see disqualifiers like "minor traffic violations" or something similar on those secondary apps where they want to know everything you've ever done or want to do. You probably won't disclose this.

What do you mean by "disqualifiers"? Are you suggesting that having a ticket of any sort can disqualify you from med school?
 
I was charged with an open container offense (was walking home from 2 houses down with a beer in my hand, nothing driving related) ~ almost a year ago, went to court, and got it resolved by bond/bail forfeiture. I was not arrested at the time and was just issued a ticket (which I could've just paid online, but then it would be a guilty plea). I specifically asked the judge at the time and she said technically I am neither convicted of the charge nor am I pleading guilty or no contest to it. So I answered "no" for the AMCAS misdemeanor conviction. I called the clerk office today and they said it will take ~4 months total for the record of my court appearance/original charge to be expunged. I won't be able to file for expungement until near the end of september, so there is a chance I could get acceptance from schools before it is expunged. I am fully intent on disclosing this to the schools I apply to if it is still on my record at that time, but am unsure when to do it. Shoulder I send them a letter right now (not even done with secondaries)? or wait until I gain conditional acceptance and do it before the background check? The only reason I'm hesitating to send it now is because there is still a chance I could have the record expunged BEFORE getting acceptance/background check, and I don't really want to disclose it if it is not necessary.

The 4 months is probably your deferred sentence. It doesn't take 4 months for something to be dismissed if the judge orders it dismissed. The judge did not accept any plea from you, which means she will most likely come back to the case in 4 months and enter a disposition for the case. At that time, she will then make a ruling and enter a dismissed disposition for you.

Until a ruling of guilty, a conviction, or a no contest disposition is entered into the court record, you can say "no". It sounds like she is waiting 4 months to enter a disposition for the case.
 
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