advice/chances with institutional action

[uniqenam]

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HI All,

I recently found out that an incident from Spring 2011 is considered institutional action by my University, and I need to report it...but I've already sent in my primary apps. I guess my best bet is just to contact all the schools I'm applying to and add it to my secondary apps?

The action is from a pretty ridiculous event, where I screwed up filling out a timesheet as a paid study group leader and was fired for what amounted to me overstating how many hours I worked by 1.1.

Does anyone here have any idea how much this will affect my application? I expect to be asked a lot about it in interviews, assuming I'm able to get some...I'm just nervous since I consider myself a somewhat borderline applicant for big-name MSTPs (3.76, 37S, 4 years research 1 1st author pub). Any advice on how to handle it (or thoughts on its effect) would be appreciated. Thanks....

 

[Fencer]

You could send a letter to MD/PhD directors of programs where you applied to, explaining the incident. It is a red flag, but not a killer. You could limit those letters to those who offer you an interview, or all you applied. An alternative is to have a written statement ready when you interview. IMHO is better to disclose it early, than be questioned later during the interview. Disclosing shows that you learnt the lesson or that you take this issue, which might be related to scientific misconduct very seriously. Well handled, I think it will not affect you, but it can be a killer if perceptions take over. By having a written statement to handle, you are controlling the message.