Alcohol Conduct issue

[CmRuLz88]

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During my second year of college I got written up for drinking while I was 19 at a party. Though the incident isn't on my permanent record, according to AMCAS application it counts as a sanction, and my school dean told me I still have to report it.

How much would this issue normally affect applications?

 

[flip26]

Where do you get the terminology "sanction?" I don't recall that term.

Maybe this is just semantics, but you have to report institutional actions. Pretty good indication that if you dean tells you to report it, it is an institutional action whether it is on your "permanent record," whatever that is...

Just make sure if you need to report something or not. I don't know.

 

[runawayclock]

I have a violation which is apparently not on my record, but if it happened, it's a good idea to write about it. Also, getting written up for drinking at a party when you're 19 does not seem like a big deal, unless you were doing something much worse at the time - like breaking into a car or a house.

 

[eatinglightning]

I really don't know how much a drinking charge will affect your app, but I'm pretty sure all medical school adcoms are aware that you will party and drink underage in college because it is well...college.

Like clock said, I don't think it will be a huge deal.

Ask someone you know who's gotten written up too and still been accepted

 

[Poliscidoc]

Does a permanent record even exist? I have asked the dean and he laughed at me and told me "No this isn't Saved By The Bell".

 

[Web MD]

Good for you - if it comes up in the interview explain that you just want to be able to relate to future patients better. You'll seem more "normal" since about 99% of non pre-med college students drink. I have 4 friends who have been written up for underage drinking and one had to explain it as a dumb mistake while the other 3 shared college drinking stories with their interviewers. As long as you didn't commit a felony while you were drinking I think you're going to be fine.

 

[Reekneee]

I had basically the same thing happen to me, except I was actually put on disciplinary probation for 4 weeks my sophomore year for being caught drinking, which I'm pretty sure is on my "record" somewhere. Anyway, I reported it on the AMCAS application and wrote a little blurb about it. My pre-med advisor told me to make sure that I wrote about what I'd learned from the experience and not to make excuses or downplay it.

I was really nervous that the probation would be a red flag on my application and that I wouldn't get interviews with it, but I did get interviews and acceptances. I got asked about it at a few of my interviews, but I just explained the facts of what had happened and all of my interviewers were very cool about it, they said that they understood that this happens a lot in college and that I shouldn't be worried about it hurting my chances. So yeah, just tell the truth about it and I think you should be fine!