Advice Anyone ?

[JasonChem]

Hello,
I am not sure if anyone will be able to answer this question or not, but here goes. I am a pre-med student, and have taken all the required science classes in which I have a 4.0 GPA and an overall GPA of 3.94. The MCAT is of no concern to me at this point. I have one bad mark that could completely ruin my chances of ever getting into med school. When I was 17 years old I was with the wrong group of friends and was convicted of a crime in which I had nothing to do with. The court realized this, yet I still have a criminal record. Will this any way effect my application ? I do not wish to mention this to my advisor at school, because of the embarassment. I have the option of attempting to get a "forgiveness" from the state, which would clear my record, but would cost me greatly in attorney fees. I am a double Biochem and Psych major and have dreamed of becoming a doctor. As I metioned previously I don't see academics as a problem. Does any one have any insight concerning this matter?

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[Arti]

Jason:

This is a pretty tricky situation. If the court realized that you were innocent than they should be able to clear you record, since I don't know anything about law I really don't know how this is done. But I imagine that this is a pretty straight forward procedure.

Since stuff like this can hunt you for a very long time, if I were you I would try to clear you record. This is of course all depends on the which crime you committed. Shoplifting , grand theft auto would be more of a joke than a problem. However anything else could present a potential problem.

I would definetly not mention this to your advisor and in addition maybe try calling anonimously to couple of the schools you will not be applying to, to gauge how the view this situation. But first I would maybe just try talking to attorneys to see how much exactly this will cost and how quickly it can be done.

You can email me if you have any more questions.

Arti

P.S. As I understand it records are cleared for all minors, unless they were tried as an adult.

 

[rangers1]

Your age when this incident occured might have an impact. If you were 17, is it not a juvenile matter? If it is, I believe it is not concidered an adult conviction. I agree with Arti, consult with an attorney and get the facts. Do whatever you have to do to prevent this from ruining your goal of medicine.

 

[raindodger]

Go to your local Tower Records, there's a book called "clearing your criminal record/Wiping your slate clean" or something to that effect. It was written in the 80s, but I'm sure the laws still apply to this day. It was written by a prisoner who turned lawyer and wiped his record clean. He supplies you with some generic forms should you need them, and details how to get forgiveness letters written by your state. Some states' laws vary from one to the other.

It's an interesting read, even if you've never been convicted of a crime. I found it next to the "Anarchist cookbook" and the "The Home-made Pharmacy" books, which are also very interesting books.

-raindodger