addressing deferred/ dismissed misdemeanors

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2 years ago I was stopped by campus police while walking home through campus on the way from the bars. Unfortunately I was arrested & given a deferred public intoxication sentence. After 30hrs of community service / 3mo probation / lots of fees later , the case was dismissed (so never convicted of anything and no criminal record). However, since it happened on campus I was also cited with a misconduct violation which I have to disclose on applications (this was fixed by writing an essay and attending 10 stress-therapy sessions).

Since the arrest I have finished my undergrad, received a Master's degree abroad, and will be interning abroad in a pharmaceutical company this year. I'm just wondering how much the incident will affect me in the application process and how I should go about it in interviews if it comes up.

Also should I disclose it the people who are writing references for me? Some of them are higher up in the medical / school communities and I'm wondering if it would hurt their image for supporting me.

Thanks for the help!

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Follow the AMCAS instructions. Be honest: lying may hurt you very badly. If you have a dismissed misdemeanor charge, you do not have to report it on your primary, but you do need to report the IA.

It may be a problem for you because it was two years ago rather than the four or five that adcoms like to see. On the other hand, you’ve been a model citizen since, and your infraction was quite minor. Many adcoms will likely chalk it up to youthful idiocy and move on.

Good luck. As IAs and misdemeanors go, this isn’t terrible.