Advice with deffered adjudication & applying to TX schools

[DrMccodell]

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Hello everyone! I have read some great advice on here and am now asking for some of my own. I am applying to TX schools this cycle and just started the filling out the application.
There is one question that asks,
"Are you currently under charge or have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, other than minor traffic violations, or have you ever received a felony or misdemeanor deferred adjudication? An applicant need not disclose information about a juvenile or criminal record that has been sealed or expunged. Failure to disclose information that is not in fact expunged or sealed may result in the applicant being denied admission."
I can't believe they ask if you have ever been on deffered adjudication! I thought the whole point of deffered was that once you have taken care of it, it is removed from your record! I got 2 MIP's (minor in possession of alcohol) when I was 18 (one year from being considered juvenile) but was not ever arrested, and now I am totally freaked out thinking this is coming back to bite me in the ass! I feel so stupid! For both the MIP's I was placed on deffered adjudication and completed them successfully and on time.
I have run mult. criminal background checks on myself and NOTHING comes up with my name. My questions for yall are:
(1) is there anyone out there who has experience applying to med school under similar circumstances? What happened? Are MIP's when you are 18 a big deal?
(2) does anyone know if there are records with this info kept around and can anyone (med school admissions committee) just access it?
(3) How do med schools find this stuff out? Is it just from the criminal background check or what???
(4) Is this going to seriously hurt my chances? (bc to me this is completely petty and rediculous)
& finally (5) has anyone applied under similar circumstances (something minor like an mip for alcohol) and not been exposed?

I would seriously appreciate any and all comments/suggestions you all would have!

Thanks!

 

[pennybridge]

if you have a solid application with strong evidence of commitment to service (ie. volunteering etc) then it will look like you have learned from your mistakes. If your application is "3.4gpa, 30 mcat, frat social chair, IM sports, 50 hours volunteering at the hospital" then it might look like you haven't learned from your mistakes and likely never will. best of luck.

 

[DrMccodell]

ok well my gpa is a 3.75, I have been heavily involved with the honors program at my school (graduating with teir 2 honors for doing undergrad honors thesis), April 2007 mcat score of 29N (PS11, VR10, BS8), I have LOTS of EC's & lots of different kinds of jobs (from server to lifegaurd to store manager to a teaching assistant for Bio classes).
I have volunteered at different hospitals since I was a freshman in high school and have shadowed on the order of like 8 or 9 doctors during the last 8 years (Im only 22). In my volunteer work I usually did patient escort or was a radiology runner at one hospital.
I want to go to a TX state school...my #1 is UT-Houston. I also have really great letters of recommendation & am a part of the ambassadors program at my school (where u represent the university at high profile events like the president's lunch etc etc).
So what do you think my over chances are with this on my app?
Thanks for the reply

 

[pennybridge]

as long as you don't have any DUIs or charges of statutory rape i think you'll be fine.

 

[DianaUT06]

You sound like you have great EC's...I'd be a little concerned about the MCAT. And I only say that because this past TX cycle was absolutely crazy (for lack of a better word). A lot of good apps similar to yours (including mine) were overlooked and not accepted...I'd suggest applying OOS as well. It can't hurt. 😉

 

[DrMccodell]

Yeah I know the MCAT isn't stellar....what do you mean the last cycle was crazy? What made it worse than past cycles?
My MCAT score was a complete shock bc when studying for it I always did terrible in PS (like around an 8 avg), ok in VR (like 9-10), AWESOME ion the writing sample (like Q and up), and awesome in BIO(from 10-13). My actual scores were almost opposite lol (PS-11, VR-10, BS8!!!, WSN?!!?)
But, since it is the Bio section that I scored poorly on and I am a BIO major, work in a molecular BIO lab, and work as a BIO TA, do you think that will help or hurt me in the long run?
Thanks for the advice guys !

 

[gordec]

Yeah I know the MCAT isn't stellar....what do you mean the last cycle was crazy? What made it worse than past cycles?
My MCAT score was a complete shock bc when studying for it I always did terrible in PS (like around an 8 avg), ok in VR (like 9-10), AWESOME ion the writing sample (like Q and up), and awesome in BIO(from 10-13). My actual scores were almost opposite lol (PS-11, VR-10, BS8!!!, WSN?!!?)
But, since it is the Bio section that I scored poorly on and I am a BIO major, work in a molecular BIO lab, and work as a BIO TA, do you think that will help or hurt me in the long run?
Thanks for the advice guys !

I'm a 4th year at San Antonio. I think your CV looks great. Nothing to worry about, as long you stay true to yourself during interviews.

Not sure about the MIP stuff. Haven't heard anyone in your shoes before.

 

[Mardi-Bob]

Hello everyone! I have read some great advice on here and am now asking for some of my own. I am applying to TX schools this cycle and just started the filling out the application.
There is one question that asks,
"Are you currently under charge or have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, other than minor traffic violations, or have you ever received a felony or misdemeanor deferred adjudication? An applicant need not disclose information about a juvenile or criminal record that has been sealed or expunged. Failure to disclose information that is not in fact expunged or sealed may result in the applicant being denied admission."
I can't believe they ask if you have ever been on deffered adjudication! I thought the whole point of deffered was that once you have taken care of it, it is removed from your record! I got 2 MIP's (minor in possession of alcohol) when I was 18 (one year from being considered juvenile) but was not ever arrested, and now I am totally freaked out thinking this is coming back to bite me in the ass! I feel so stupid! For both the MIP's I was placed on deffered adjudication and completed them successfully and on time.
I have run mult. criminal background checks on myself and NOTHING comes up with my name. My questions for yall are:
(1) is there anyone out there who has experience applying to med school under similar circumstances? What happened? Are MIP's when you are 18 a big deal?
(2) does anyone know if there are records with this info kept around and can anyone (med school admissions committee) just access it?
(3) How do med schools find this stuff out? Is it just from the criminal background check or what???
(4) Is this going to seriously hurt my chances? (bc to me this is completely petty and rediculous)
& finally (5) has anyone applied under similar circumstances (something minor like an mip for alcohol) and not been exposed?

I would seriously appreciate any and all comments/suggestions you all would have!

Thanks!

Quick answer. Yes you need to report it.

Despite your belief that its removed from your record you were lied too!!

Q. Are deferred adjudication records public?

A. Yes. Although there is a common misconception that deferred adjudication records are removed from a defendant's criminal history upon successful conclusion of the community supervision (probation) period, the law does not provide for automatic expunction of deferred adjudication records.

Accordingly, unless there is a court order directing otherwise, records of a prosecution resulting in a deferred adjudication are publicly available in the District Clerk's records and the Justice Information Management System (JIMS) database maintained by Harris County, Texas.

Source: http://dao-web.dao.hctx.net/ie/DADJ/FAQs.htm

It does look like you have options for making it non-public by filing a non-disclosure form of some kind. However, you would likely need to hire an attorney.

Hope this helps

 

[DrMccodell]

and I wonder if you havent heard of anyone else in your shoes bc most dont put it on the application bc minor deffered offensives for which you weren't arrested DONT show up on the criminal background check

 

[DrMccodell]

WOW martibob! THANKS SO MUCH!!! You guys are really awesome

 

[DrMccodell]

Quick answer. Yes you need to report it.

Despite your belief that its removed from your record you were lied too!!

Q. Are deferred adjudication records public?

A. Yes. Although there is a common misconception that deferred adjudication records are removed from a defendant's criminal history upon successful conclusion of the community supervision (probation) period, the law does not provide for automatic expunction of deferred adjudication records.

Accordingly, unless there is a court order directing otherwise, records of a prosecution resulting in a deferred adjudication are publicly available in the District Clerk's records and the Justice Information Management System (JIMS) database maintained by Harris County, Texas.

Source: http://dao-web.dao.hctx.net/ie/DADJ/FAQs.htm

It does look like you have options for making it non-public by filing a non-disclosure form of some kind. However, you would likely need to hire an attorney.

Hope this helps

Marti-Bob,

Do you know what it means to be made "non-public"? This is what TMDSAS says,
"Are you currently under charge or have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, other than minor traffic violations, or have you ever received a felony or misdemeanor deferred adjudication? An applicant need not disclose information about a juvenile or criminal record that has been sealed or expunged. Failure to disclose information that is not in fact expunged or sealed may result in the applicant being denied admission. "

If a record is made "non-public" is that the same thing as as it being sealed or expunged? If not, do you know how to get seal or expunge a record?

Sorry for all this technical jargon, I am still just in shock that this is coming back to bite me in the ass! and I really want to get in the cycle!

Thanks for all yalls input!

 

[DrMccodell]

Actually I just noticed something....

Q. What is the effect of the order of nondisclosure?
A. The court's order will be sent to the Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety will then sends the order to all law enforcement agencies, jails or other detention facilities, magistrates, courts, prosecuting attorneys, correctional facilities, central state depositories of criminal records, and other officials or agencies or other entities of this state or of any political subdivision of this state, and to all central federal depositories of criminal records that there is reason to believe have criminal history record information that is the subject of the order. Those entities are obliged not to disclose the deferred adjudication record information to anyone other than
· Other criminal justice agencies
· For criminal justice or regulatory licensing purposes
· An agency or entity listed in Section 411.081(i) (click here for those agencies or entities; scroll down to Section 3, creating subsection (i))
· The person who is the subject of the order.

This might be asound question but.....Would medical school admissions committe's be considered regulatory licensing entities?

 

[Mardi-Bob]

Those are all really technical Legal questions. The only person who could answer that would be an Attorney.
That being said it seems that this year Med schools are caring more about non-traffic misdemeanors. I only recall felonies being considered just last year.

It thats true, it could possibly (I stress that this is just speculation on my part) mean that med Schools have become more aware of minor offenses and are looking to find out about them up front.

But thats just my thoughts atm.

 

[DrMccodell]

damn and I get to be one of the firsts to find out! lol figures!

I have been reading some of the past threads on the topic and it seems like it is primarily for licensing purposes down the road and that 2 MIP of alcohol at18 shouldnt hurt my chances at all as long as I am up front and truthful about it!

What's the saying..."The truth will set you free" right? lol I HOPE SO!!!!

HERE GOES NOTHING......😀

 

[Mardi-Bob]

Ya I agree. MIP no biggie.

Ya, I actually got a MIP/MlC back in H.S. I was never worried b/c my Dad was good friends with the District Attorney.(therefore I actually didn't get one)😀

Its no problem if you had a little to much fun in your youth as long as you learn from it and avoid those types of situations in the future.

 

[sprinkibrio]

So at the UTSW 2nd look weekend, some of the deans talked about criminal background checks. They said that although a few of the people sitting in the room (out of like 80) had some minor hiccups in their past, as long as they were truthful on their application, they have been accepted and their acceptance won't be recinded. They said they will recind those who haven't been truthful on the application. I don't know the exact details of what is past their limit for acceptance, but I doubt it will matter if you have two possesions in your past.

 

[DrMccodell]

That's what I am beginning to think after talking to all you guys! Thanks for the peace of mind! Like this isn't stressful enough! lol 😀

 

[houston89]

So DrMccodell, how'd it go?