Reveal this to medical schools?

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texasm

texasm

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My GPA is now 3.50 at my present college. Before I moved from TX to CA, I had enrolled at a community college for a class on Ballroom Dancing (to meet cute girls), one on Rock Climbing and another on Biology-1. The classes were almost free to me because I worked there. In the process of moving, I forgot to withdraw from these classes. Last month I found out that I got F's in all three classes. I don't have any other classes at that community college, so maybe I can get by without mentioning this in my application? The 3 F's are going to considerably depress my GPA. Should I reveal this to medical schools when I apply? Are they likely to find out? How will they find out?
 
texasm said:
My GPA is now 3.50 at my present college. Before I moved from TX to CA, I had enrolled at a community college for a class on Ballroom Dancing (to meet cute girls), one on Rock Climbing and another on Biology-1. The classes were almost free to me because I worked there. In the process of moving, I forgot to withdraw from these classes. Last month I found out that I got F's in all three classes. I don't have any other classes at that community college, so maybe I can get by without mentioning this in my application? The 3 F's are going to considerably depress my GPA. Should I reveal this to medical schools when I apply? Are they likely to find out? How will they find out?
Click to expand...

Read the 5 MILLION other threads where students are advised not to try to cheat the system. YES, medical schools can find that record. YES, they can rescind your acceptance WHEN they find out. NO, it will not kill your chances. 😴
 
You have to, they will find out. How could you be so irresponsible to forget to withdraw from classes?
 
You guys are jerks. lol.

Try to call the school and explain the error and see if they can do a retroactive withdrawal.
 
^ This.
How can you forget to withdraw though?
uhh
 
jab8220 said:
You guys are jerks. lol.

Try to call the school and explain the error and see if they can do a retroactive withdrawal.
Click to expand...

No, they said they cannot do that.
Everyone says schools will find out. How will medical schools find out?
 
NightGod said:
http://www.mystudentcenter.org/
Click to expand...

I understand an average university administrator using the National Student Clearinghouse {NSC} won't have the flexibility to make those kinds of analyses. I doubt if they will find out using NSC. NSC doesn't provide such functionality from what I am told.
 
i have a 1.0 gpa at my first 4-year school/i have a 4.0 gpa at my second 4-year school (8 years undergraduate)

i am going to get my bs from cornell university/i am going to get my md from upstate medical university.

the truth shall set you free/honesty is the best policy.
 
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texasm said:
I understand an average university administrator using the National Student Clearinghouse {NSC} won't have the flexibility to make those kinds of analyses. I doubt if they will find out using NSC. NSC doesn't provide such functionality from what I am told.
Click to expand...

Then by all means, roll the dice.
 
medicalmuscle said:
i have a 1.0 gpa at my first 4-year school/i have a 4.0 gpa at my second 4-year school (8 years undergraduate)
Click to expand...

Should I really believe this from someone with 11 posts?
 
Gut Shot said:
Then by all means, roll the dice.
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I used to work at a university. Worked for 8 months at the registrar's office. I know I couldn't get the NSC to perform those kinds of analyses. Maybe LizzyM knows if such analyses can be performed.
 
CurrySpice said:
YES, medical schools can find that record.
Click to expand...

How will they find out though? I admit my mind isn't made up. I might reveal those three F's. But unless someone tells them, there doesn't seem to be a way for med schools to find out.
 
medicalmuscle said:
i have a 1.0 gpa at my first 4-year school/i have a 4.0 gpa at my second 4-year school (8 years undergraduate)

i am going to get my bs from cornell university/i am going to get my md from upstate medical university.

the truth shall set you free/honesty is the best policy.
Click to expand...

Seriously, how did you get into Cornell with a 1.0 GPA?
 
texasm said:
I understand an average university administrator using the National Student Clearinghouse {NSC} won't have the flexibility to make those kinds of analyses. I doubt if they will find out using NSC. NSC doesn't provide such functionality from what I am told.
Click to expand...
What functionality do you have in mind? I think it will provide at least the list of the institutions that you attended. For each of these, you're expected to have a transcript. Your Fs will be on the transcript from the CC.
 
texasm said:
Seriously, how did you get into Cornell with a 1.0 GPA?
Click to expand...

i have a 1.0 gpa at my old 4-year college.

i have a 4.0 gpa at my new 2-year college (freshman/sophomore year)
i am transferring to cornell university (junior/senior year)

i was addicted to X, Y, Z.
i changed my life,
i went to rehab.

i told them my story.
 
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Just explain the situation honestly in your AMCAS (if it's not explained in your primary you might have a hard time getting an interview to US medical school). Put a positive spin on a bad situation and mention something about what you learned from the experience.

If you don't mention it, you'll be looking over your shoulder the entire app cycle and even later. Lying medical school applicants make lying doctors. Would you want one?:shrug:
 
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milski said:
What functionality do you have in mind? I think it will provide at least the list of the institutions that you attended. For each of these, you're expected to have a transcript. Your Fs will be on the transcript from the CC.
Click to expand...

You get a first window where you click on school X1. That will give you enrollment information/transcript for that school X1. Then then they will go on to X12, X31 and the other schools you list on the application form. If med school admins don't know someone attended school X793, they won't search for you on X793 and they don't get the transcript and enrollment info for school X793. They cannot search for you at every single school in the country.
 
EsseQuamVideri said:
Just explain the situation honestly in your AMCAS (if it's not explained in your primary you might have a hard time getting an interview to US medical school). Put a positive spin on a bad situation and mention something about what you learned from the experience.

If you don't mention it, you'll be looking over your shoulder the entire app cycle and even later. Lying medical school applicants make lying doctors. Would you want one?:shrug:
Click to expand...

I agree you have a point there. But everyone lies. Even doctors lie. I am not your perfect candidate with a 40+ MCAT and 3.9 GPA from Harvard. I go to a lowly community college. I can't let 3 F's drown me forever.

{Once again, I haven't made up my mind on what I am going to do. Maybe I will be honest and upfront with them. My point though is that I don't see a way how med schools are going to ever find out}
 
1. Call the school.

If it does work, then you are GOOD TO GO.

If it does not work, then TELL THE TRUTH.

Seriously.
 
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This guy is gonna be a horrible doctor. And more evil than Hitler...
 
texasm said:
I agree you have a point there. But everyone lies. Even doctors lie. I am not your perfect candidate with a 40+ MCAT and 3.9 GPA from Harvard. I go to a lowly community college. I can't let 3 F's drown me forever.

{Once again, I haven't made up my mind on what I am going to do. Maybe I will be honest and upfront with them. My point though is that I don't see a way how med schools are going to ever find out}
Click to expand...

Well then go for it. 🙄
 
medicalmuscle said:
TELL THE TRUTH. Seriously.
Click to expand...

I am not a perfect individual. Yes, I lie occasionally. I don't see why I should withhold information on those 3 F's because otherwise I risk saying goodbye to medical school forever.
 
AZFutureDoc said:
This guy is gonna be a horrible doctor. And more evil than Hitler...
Click to expand...

Oh man, I hate someone bringing up someone as evil as Hitler into this. If you ever meet me, you'll agree I am one of the nicest people you've ever met. Everyone tells me that. Hitler?
 
texasm said:
I risk saying goodbye to medical school forever.
Click to expand...

You are not "saying goodbye to medical school forever."

"Nobody is perfect."

You said it yourself.
 
I've often heard people saying med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out. But no one ever specifies HOW they will find out. Not via the National Student Clearinghouse for sure and I know that because I worked at a registrar's office.
 
texasm said:
Oh man, I hate someone bringing up someone as evil as Hitler into this. If you ever meet me, you'll agree I am one of the nicest people you've ever met. Everyone tells me that. Hitler?
Click to expand...

You must be new here...:laugh:
 
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texasm said:
I've often heard people saying med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out, med schools find out. But no one ever specifies HOW they will find out. Not via the National Student Clearinghouse for sure and I know that because I worked at a registrar's office.
Click to expand...

umu knew my 1.0 gpa.

i told them the truth.
they said, "we know."

seriously.

(greys anatomy ref)
 
texasm said:
You get a first window where you click on school X1. That will give you enrollment information/transcript for that school X1. Then then they will go on to X12, X31 and the other schools you list on the application form. If med school admins don't know someone attended school X793, they won't search for you on X793 and they don't get the transcript and enrollment info for school X793. They cannot search for you at every single school in the country.
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Are you saying that NCH has no 'give me the list of schools applicant X has attended'?
Based on this I would say they can do it rather easily. http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/colleges/coreserv/non_member_faqs.htm
"History, by student, of all status updates received from schools and reports to lenders and guarantor"

I imagine enrolling in CC was considered a status update.
 
You should try to find out if your school participates in the NSC program - not all institutions in the U.S. do. Most Canadians school don't.
 
texasm said:
How do they know? We think of medical school admissions as a perfect process. The truth is that they muddle along.
Click to expand...

fafsa is how they knew my gpa.

(social security number)
 
milski said:
"History, by student, of all status updates received from schools and reports to lenders and guarantor"
Click to expand...

Where exactly does it say this on that FAQ?
In fact, if you google your quote, only this thread on SDN shows up.
Where did you get the above quote from?
 
texasm said:
Where exactly does it say this on that FAQ?
In fact, if you google your quote, only this thread on SDN shows up.
Click to expand...
Click on the link in my post, expand the 'Does The Clearinghouse Retain Historical Data?' question, it's the 3rd bullet point.

It's probably not indexed by Google since the page loads with all the answers collapsed by default.
 
So medical schools have to make a special request for this info. If they request this info for me, I am screwed.

But I don't think even a single medical school does this unless they suspect something. They'll be like, we can't check for Canadian data, we can't check data for someone from China, so screw it.

Maybe honesty is a better policy after all. But I seriously doubt medical schools are so thorough. They just muddle through the selection process moving from one fad to another fad like the MMI.

I suppose LizzyM is the best person to ask if med schools check all this for every student.
 
Another question. Clearly the Clearinghouse is like Experian, Equifax, Transunion {the three credit reporting agencies}. Now if there is an error on the credit reporting agencies report, someone can change the error or the individual can add a statement or addendum explaining the error. I wonder if someone can change errors on their Clearinghouse data.
 
For all applicants? Probably not. For all matriculating students? Maybe. If they bother with criminal background checks they might as well verify everything. I know I would, if I was making the decision.

Just like you said - you're permanently screwed if they find out. I would recommend disclosing everything, the downside of being caught is just too big.
 
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By the way, I did not report my attendance at the community college {where I enrolled for only 3 classes} to my current university. I emailed the registrar of the community college in Texas that I was leaving the college and joining another college in California. But I forgot to withdraw from the three classes, which I was required to do. Back then, I didn't know that very clearly. That was what gave me F's.

Because I did not report my attendance at the community college to my current university, I am hesitant to report it to medical schools. Might cause more problems.
 
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texasm said:
So medical schools have to make a special request for this info. If they request this info for me, I am screwed.
Click to expand...
How are we supposed to know? Srsly. You want to know how to be 100% NOT screwed? Just explain it on your application.
But I don't think even a single medical school does this unless they suspect something. They'll be like, we can't check for Canadian data, we can't check data for someone from China, so screw it.
Click to expand...
Then go ahead and do it. Don't feel bad if you get found out and the door closes on you permanently. None of us will feel bad if that happens.
Maybe honesty is a better policy after all. But I seriously doubt medical schools are so thorough. They just muddle through the selection process moving from one fad to another fad like the MMI.
Click to expand...
Are you actually externalizing your internal dialogue on SDN?
I suppose LizzyM is the best person to ask if med schools check all this for every student.
Click to expand...
Do you think an adcom is seriously going to disclose this information to you? Especially when doing so may potentially lead you to withhold information on applications?
 
My current school does not know of my attendance at the TX community college. If I mention it to the med schools, am I not inviting more trouble?
 
texasm said:
If I mention it to the med schools, am I not inviting more trouble?
Click to expand...

If you do not mention it to the med schools, you are inviting more trouble.

in my honest opinion, of course.
 
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You would really feel ok about blatantly disregarding the extremely explicit rules on AMCAS? And then certifying that your application is correct and contains no false information? Then applying with your falsified GPA and sitting through interviews talking about what a great student you are? And how you exemplify many qualitites of an excellent future physician? And then, never feeling guilty that you lied and gained admission on false pretenses, sitting next to people that reported their poor grades and still got in?
 
texasm said:
My current school does not know of my attendance at the TX community college. If I mention it to the med schools, am I not inviting more trouble?
Click to expand...
Unlikely. The med school is not going to send a summary of your transcripts to all the schools that you attended - what would be the purpose of that?
 
Do not try to cheat the system. The consequences are not worth it and it sounds like you have your mind made up already.
 
lexington said:
Do not try to cheat the system. The consequences are not worth it and it sounds like you have your mind made up already.
Click to expand...

My mind certainly isn't made up. I am actually slightly more inclined to full disclosure. But only slightly.
 
texasm said:
My mind certainly isn't made up. I am actually slightly more inclined to full disclosure. But only slightly.
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So... basically you are trying to convince yourself otherwise (come on, you've been trying to reason your way into it from every angle) and trying to get the support of the forum?

Because, if so, it's not going to happen. There are far too many people here who got off to bad starts, or who have bad grades, who recovered from them simply by working hard to support non-disclosure. This is what people typically do in situations such as yours.
 
UnclePhil said:
So... basically you are trying to convince yourself otherwise (come on, you've been trying to reason your way into it from every angle) and trying to get the support of the forum?
Click to expand...

No, if you really want to know what's going on in my mind, I am only trying to push myself away from the Caribbean/Ireland/Australia option.
 
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