Advice needed about potential IA

[bashfulspinner]

Hi,

I just learned that I might have a potential institutional action but it's a bit unclear to me and I wanted to get some advice while I wait for my school/advisor to email me back.

Basically, the fall semester of my freshman year my friends and I stupidly decided to try and climb our school's stadium fence (I genuinely have no clue why I did this now which I guess hopefully points to growth??) and were caught by campus police. I remember getting a warning for it but because I was actually still 17 at the time it never went on my record. My school just got back to me and let me know that on their side,"This resulted in a warning but no formal disciplinary charges." (from their email). They stated that schools typically only request formal records, but after some googling it seems that medical schools might go beyond that?

I can't find any other situations like mine so I was hoping for some advice on what to do. Most IAs seem to be academic or drinking related, and while I think mine is closer to the latter category I wasn't sure what the best approach for addressing it would be or if I should even bring it up. I also haven't had any incidents since then so I'm hoping time is on my side.

As an aside, I was also wondering how much this would affect my chances if I do report it? I'd like to believe I have a decently strong application (very strong stats, lots of hours in projects I care a lot about) and my list is pretty top-heavy, and I would really hate if this is what holds me back. But I also want to be realistic so I would appreciate any feedback/help. Thank you!

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[pedneuro6894]

Whether or not this will be reported by your school I'm unsure of. I would specifically ask them about how they report to med schools (not sure if you did that but it doesn't seem like it). Maybe someone else can weigh in.

If we assume you do have to report it: Everybody does stupid s**t in college, especially freshman year, just take responsibility and say what you've learned. This will be a nothingburger.

P.S. Everybody does stupid stuff, but only stupid people get caught 😉

 

[LizzyM]

You have the right to examine your schools records. Ask to see yours. Is something there? Report it. If something is not there because it has been removed, you are supposed to report it. The question becomes, is there nothing there because there never was anything there (there was no action on the part of the institution) or there was but it was erased after some period of time.)

You could simply say that during your freshman year you received a written warning but no disciplinary charges after you and your friends were caught by campus police attempting to scale a stadium fence as something as a prank. Then you go on to say that you took the warning to heart and avoided unauthorized (and potentially dangerous) activities going forward.

 

[Goro]

This is the type of thing that will be a nothing burger, as long as you own it. We were all young and stupid once.

 

[bashfulspinner]

Thanks for replying! I posted this before my school got back to me and since then they basically said they have record of a trespass warning but nothing on my disciplinary record. I'm planning on going ahead and reporting it (unless them explicitly saying that it's not on my disciplinary record means that I don't need to, but I'm honestly still confused what med schools get access to when they request your information) and saying something along the lines of what LizzyM suggested, but I really appreciate everyone's assurance that it won't be a big deal. I definitely freaked myself out a little this morning haha.

 

[Pile O' Nephritis]

https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/11616/download

"You may answer no if the action was deleted or otherwise removed from your record by the institution." (p. 20)

You're fine answering no if it's not on your disciplinary record

 

[LunaOri]

To be safe, I would report it. A “trespass warning” sounds worse than “climbing the stadium fence” so it would be good to have the details out there.

 

[LizzyM]

https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/11616/download

"You may answer no if the action was deleted or otherwise removed from your record by the institution." (p. 20)

You're fine answering no if it's not on your disciplinary record

This is new, IIRC. Some redemption for people who learned a lesson and had the offence wiped out.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

This is new, IIRC. Some redemption for people who learned a lesson and had the offence wiped out.

I think it's to avoid penalizing Vanderbilt premeds (and med students) who took down the goalposts after their team defeated Alabama to carry them all the way through Broadway to the Cumberland River. Or the Harvard students who streak around the Common on the first day of significant snow completely naked. 🙂

 

[LunaOri]

I think it's to avoid penalizing Vanderbilt premeds (and med students) who took down the goalposts after their team defeated Alabama to carry them all the way through Broadway to the Cumberland River. Or the Harvard students who streak around the Common on the first day of significant snow completely naked. 🙂

Those Harvard guys are such wimps! At MIT they jump out the windows naked into the snow. It’s not an IA though. 🤣