Am I screwed for ever???? Help Please!!!!

[jdasi]

Just wondering if I have any realistic chance. When finished High school had 2 equal passions music especially drumming (but play 7 instruments) .or medicine. Couldn't choose, joined school, 3.63 freshman year but heart still divided. Continued with the band side by side, Got some amazing opportunities and experience, dropped school for warp tour after 1 yr. after few mos band broke, and I sort of broke with it as I had put my heart and soul in it literally with hours of practice every single day. Back to school x 1 more yr, still was not certain, dropped again to pursue in another band which unfortunately had the same fate. Finally decided to pursue school but to make matters worse, ended being on the wrong side of the law and got arrested 1 days before semester finals, couldn't sit the exams, ended with F and a generic felony .Was a non prescription CS but CS part is not in the conviction.

However that became my wake up call. Since that day turned my life completely around, maintaining a >3.75 GPA every sem but cummulative is destroyed with that 1 sem of Fs. Advisor is working to try and get that unfortunate semester dropped, will have excellent letters of recommendation from school professors, the judge has even said that she will consider early termination of probation and an expungement if I can get admission to a med school. She may even consider it depending on my MCAT score if I seem to have a reasonable chance of acceptance to one. I am working with a goal of 36+ score, I have research, I don't have an organized volunteer work to put on paper but through out school, I have spent 100s of hours tutoring students voluntarily without any expectations and many can testify to that. My Advisor said this is actually better because this has been done without any intent. I have 100+ hrs of shadowing.

With all this, do I have a chance ??? or am I doomed for ever???

Sorry for the long post

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Catalystik]

You need to get that felony conviction off your record. Without doing that, even if a med school took a chance on you, which I find unlikely, you probably couldn't get a license to practice and prescribe medication from a state board.

Toward that end, it also matters if you get all those Fs removed from your transcript. It wouldn't surprise me if this effort was not successful (unless there are other extenuating circumstances you haven't shared), but you can hope. However, if the Fs are not removed officially, retaking all those classes can effectively remove them from your application GPA if you apply through AACOMAS to DO med schools, because they practice grade forgiveness if you retake for the same credit hours or greater.

You have not mentioned clinical experience, another essential EC besides shadowing. If not already started, I suggest you get it going, as 1.5 years is about average for applicants. You will need this to be competitive, IMO.

The unofficial tutoring is a valued experience and you can list some of your tutees to vouch for you. The artistic endeavors related to your music are also helpful and speak to your passion and dedication. You might also search out a leadership experience. It might speak well for you to get involved as a peer mentor in the Alcohol and Other Drugs arena.

You don't necessarily need a 36+ to be competitve for med schools, but most of the other above considerations will need to be addressed. What is your CGPA with and without the Fs being included?

 

[TriagePreMed]

I would forget med school completely if you have an active felony. There are 2 ways around this. One better than the other. The first, would be expungement, which will allow you to legally say you have had no convictions. The second, would be to get the charge reduced to misdemeanor. You would still have to report it, but the likelihood in comparison to a felony is greater. Some states will allow you to reduce it to a misdemeanor and then expunge it. This gives you greater advantage in other legal areas.

 

[jdasi]

Hi Catalystik,

Thanks for such a quick response! My only clinical experience has been with my internist mom who has been my model for dedication and perseverance at her pri care clinic. (long story of fight for survival, struggle and recovery after a head-on coll passing out driving after a hard call wknd as a 3rd yr res, without any family support as we are imm perm res ). Working with her every step of the way starting with the ICU --thru my last yr of junior high and first 2 high school yrs and then volunteering at her clinic. I don't know if any of this counts as clinical experience but this was more hands-on than I could ever get.

Other :
Merck Fellowship this past summer
Tail end of a research to be published soon.
Community service all with playing music in old people homes, Ronald Mcdonald house

Any ideas on what clinical experience I can try for? Because of this F, I am having a hard time getting anything else, can't even get to volunteer at the hospital until this is over. I am a senior but looking to apply in 2011 for starting in 2012. Officially, I can graduate now with a BS Chem but I just added more classes to try get a couple of minors next semester.

cGPA: 3.3 with f
3.63 without so far but 2 sem to go. Hoping to end both with 4.0.
It would be be 4.0 every sem since then except for A- in labs.


Please guide me with some concrete ideas if you can. I still have next summer to do some extras before I apply. If I do post bac what would you recommend? I think I have a good chance to get that felony expunged next summer.

For ever grateful,
jdasi

 

[Catalystik]

My comments in Bold:

My only clinical experience has been with my internist mom who has been my model for dedication and perseverance at her pri care clinic. (long story of fight for survival, struggle and recovery after a head-on coll passing out driving after a hard call wknd as a 3rd yr res, without any family support as we are imm perm res ). Working with her every step of the way starting with the ICU --thru my last yr of junior high and first 2 high school yrs and then volunteering at her clinic. I don't know if any of this counts as clinical experience but this was more hands-on than I could ever get. It's accepable to get clinical experience and shadowing time with a family member. A broader experience besides that would be desirable.

Other :
Merck Fellowship this past summer
Tail end of a research to be published soon. Helpful.
Community service all with playing music in old people homes, Ronald Mcdonald house Good.

Any ideas on what clinical experience I can try for? Because of this F, I am having a hard time getting anything else, can't even get to volunteer at the hospital until this is over. Then don't ask at the hospital. Go to a local nursing home, or hospice, or rehab faciliity where grades don't come into the conversation. Or a group home, or a home hospice agency. See if your mom can set you up to shadow a few other specialties.

I am a senior but looking to apply in 2011 for starting in 2012. This may not be a realistic timeline, considering that legal wheels turn slowly, but another year gives you more time to retake classes if needbe and get in additional ECs.
Officially, I can graduate now with a BS Chem but I just added more classes to try get a couple of minors next semester.

cGPA: 3.3 with f With an MCAT score of 27-28+, a DO med school acceptance is possible.
3.63 without so far but 2 sem to go. Hoping to end both with 4.0.
It would be be 4.0 every sem since then except for A- in labs. Good. Keep aiming high for GPA. A terminal upward grade trend loks good.


Please guide me with some concrete ideas if you can. I still have next summer to do some extras before I apply. Leadership, as mentioned above.
If I do post bac what would you recommend? Retake the low grades. Otherwise, some upper-level Bio courses are helpful.
I think I have a good chance to get that felony expunged next summer.Good Luck. You might also take into account the possiblity mentioned by TriagePreMed about reducing the severity of the charge. Maybe the judge would permit this with an offer of community service, etc. if expunging the felony doesn't work out.

 

[jdasi]

Thank you so much, you have given me hope when I thought there was none. I have shadowing coming up with a neurosurgeon that his office said will give me clinical and surgery hours. My mom had also mentioned cardiology and pulmonology.

I already retaken the classes from that semester and a couple others from the semester before . Have A in all but 1. Have 2 upper div bio, doing 2 more next sem.

If I can get all this done including expungent or charge decrease by June2011, do you think I should apply to any MD school?

 

[jdasi]

1

 

[jdasi]

Thanks TriagePreMed, you gave a possibility that I hadn't even thought of! I had just decided I wasn't going to apply if it wasn't expunged. I just hope that if the Judge changes, they will honor what this Judge has offered.

 

[Catalystik]

If I can get all this done including expungent or charge decrease by June2011, do you think I should apply to any MD school?

Whether MD applications are reasonable will also depend on whether the Fs stand on your record and how high your MCAT score is. I'm sure you realize that a GPA of 3.3 isn't very competitive for MD schools for the typical applicant, however, a high enough MCAT score, say 34+, could compensate at some schools. Please note that even though your school forgives those Fs, AMCAS is likely to include them anyway depending on how your official transcript looks.

With the additional information you've given and your active further improvement of your application, your ECs could be sufficient to apply this coming summer 2011. However, if you are unable to land a clinical experience gig very soon, you may not have enough of it to be successful this year. How many hours of volunteering did you do at your mom's office, and what did you do there?

Side comment: as English may be your second language, be aware that the verbal section of the MCAT may be very difficult for you to do well in. I realize your written English in these posts may not be a true representation of your formal writing and speaking skills, but on the chance that it is, you might possibly want to go to the MCAT Discussions forum and look for threads about improving the verbal score so as to start working on that proactively.

 

[jdasi]

My school CGPA is 3.63 as the school does forgive grades for retakes, with 30 credits still to go. About the sem in question, the adviser is helping with the idea of getting the semester off the transcript as though it didn't exist.

At my mom's office----about 2 hrs, 2-3x/wk for almost a yr and a half. Did things from filing, to watching some procedures like joint aspirations, skin biopsies. Got to take some medical histories after sitting with her on many. Sometimes she would ask the patient if I could feel what she found like an enlarged liver or lymph node, helped few times with skin prep. In general noted what she did and how. Often she would ask later what I picked up from a specific encounter.

The post isn't a true representation of my formal writing or speaking skills but please would you mind telling me what you were referring to? I will definitely look through the MCAT forum too.

Thanks a lot for all your guidance and interest. much appreciated. I know I will make a good doctor if I get a chance. I still have a hard time explaining the 3 months of my life that seem to be costing me the rest and are so deviant from who I was and am. From someone who was good enough to get into a 7 yr program--I would have graduated from med school this summer.

 

[Catalystik]

The post isn't a true representation of my formal writing or speaking skills but please would you mind telling me what you were referring to? I will definitely look through the MCAT forum too.

If you read through the intial posts again with attention to sentence structure and puctuation, you'll see what I mean. Probably you were typing in a hurry and didn't read it over before posting, but there are sentences that are difficult to understand.

The experience in your mom's office sounds good. You could use an office manager or nurse as a contact person when you enter it into the application.

 

[jdasi]

Contact person is the hard part. My mom quit her practice 3 years ago because of severe facial spasms mostly eyes and mouth, presumably due to all the facial trauma. The rest of the staff has all changed and she doesn't have any contact info.

 

[Catalystik]

What year of school did you help in your mom's office?

 

[jdasi]

Freshman and first half of sophomore yr.

 

[Catalystik]

Well, at least it wasn't during the HS years when the experience wouldn't be much regarded. With a three year interim though, you need to start checking out other possibilities for clinical experience as suggested above. If you can get in 7-9 months of fresh clinical experience, I think you could be ready to apply summer 2011, if the other suggestions are implemented and things work out with the judge.

 

[jdasi]

Thanks a lot for all your guidance. I should know by the end of this week when I can start. By the way, if I do get ready apply next yr, when should the MCAT be done at the latest? I know this is not a question for this forum, it would be okay if you don't want to answer that.

 

[Catalystik]

Ideally, by mid May, if possible. Earlier if you can.

 

[jdasi]

I am working with the idea of feb, with a repeat in April, if needed. One more question: I have all the credits to graduate already, but added a semester with more credits, because of the research. It needs some additional work to get published. There were some probation restraints too ie: full time school, or full time work, which was not possible. Couldn't use this time for anything "unpaid" like clinical experience etc.

Is this going to hurt me? If anyone looks at the number of credits, they will know why. I plan to explain some in my personal essay too.


By the way, I did read my earlier posts and I know exactly why you were concerned.( too anxious to start with, just wrote and posted)

 

[Catalystik]

Do you mean that the judge told you that you're barred from doing community service while attending school full time? And you can't tutor?

 

[jdasi]

No, I was trying to explain the extra semester for Research. I had planned to do just research, prepare for MCATs and ECs. The condition is that either I have to be either a full time student or be working full time. Just research would not qualify as full time student so added other classes to make to 16 credits and hope to continue to improve the GPA. Some of them will hopefully help with MCATs too.

With one or the other, I can do whatever else I want. I am still a tutor, perform every now and then in some open shows( summer mostly), hoping to start the clinical gigs soon.

 

[MCAT guy]

forever.

 

[Catalystik]

No, it won't hurt you that you stayed at school for a longer time to take more classes and do research, even though you quailfied to graduate.

 

[jdasi]

I am posting after a long time, didn't have much more to add
except I got 39 on my MCAT today P13 B15 V11. Do you think it will help? GPA so far is 3.5 not counting retakes, 3.25 counting all. Have been waiting for the score to approach the judge.
My question now is--If the judge agrees to seal or expunge it , as she had said before, I talk about it in my essay as a turning point and how it helped me because I got my focus again. will that do me any good? Do I have a shot at MD school?

Actually, I am convinced that I would have finished school as a mediocre student if nothing had happened. Now I am doing classes like Quantum physics, Linear Algebra, molecular biology of cancer in my senior year just because I really love to learn.

On that note, thinking about extending graduation another year while waiting for med school response--- If I do , I will be able to have a biochem and bio major, math ,physics minor a published reasearch. Any thoughts?

 

[GeronimoMD]

I got 39 on my MCAT today P13 B15 V11.

Wow!!! Excellent work on the MCAT! What study tools did you utilize? I think you should apply to both MD and DO schools. I know people in MD programs with 29 and < 3.5 GPA, so you do have a shot. Check out the stats on AAMC web site.

Good luck with the expungement process. I hope the judge goes through with this. Everybody deserves a second chance and you have certainly earned yours.

Good luck!

 

[IlDestriero]

I am posting after a long time, didn't have much more to add
except I got 39 on my MCAT today P13 B15 V11. Do you think it will help? GPA so far is 3.5 not counting retakes, 3.25 counting all. Have been waiting for the score to approach the judge.
My question now is--If the judge agrees to seal or expunge it , as she had said before, I talk about it in my essay as a turning point and how it helped me because I got my focus again. will that do me any good? Do I have a shot at MD school?

Actually, I am convinced that I would have finished school as a mediocre student if nothing had happened. Now I am doing classes like Quantum physics, Linear Algebra, molecular biology of cancer in my senior year just because I really love to learn.

On that note, thinking about extending graduation another year while waiting for med school response--- If I do , I will be able to have a biochem and bio major, math ,physics minor a published reasearch. Any thoughts?

Great recovery. You future, literally, hinges on what happens with your felony. You can overcome 1 semester of F's with the continued academic success you have had. However, be very cautious about how your arrest/charge/conviction is handled. You need to discuss with a knowledgable attorney what EXACTLY the ultimate decision means, what will appear in your criminal background check, etc. You need to be honest about what happened on your applications, licenses, etc. Meaning, for example, if the question is "have you ever been arrested for a felony charge?". Answer is yes. Supplemental comments are where you explain the details. You may or may not have to say you were convicted of something. This is where the attorney needs to advise you based on what the judge does with your conviction.
One former resident recently posted how he was thrown out of his residency and permanently barred from the match for failing to truthfully answer a question about a conviction he had that he believed he didn't have to disclose because it was sealed or vacated or whatever. He didn't understand what the judge did, made a bad assumption, and got tossed out for lying. You don't want that to happen to you.

 

[Catalystik]

1) I got 39 on my MCAT today P13 B15 V11. Do you think it will help? GPA so far is 3.5 not counting retakes, 3.25 counting all.

2) Have been waiting for the score to approach the judge.
My question now is--If the judge agrees to seal or expunge it , as she had said before, I talk about it in my essay as a turning point and how it helped me because I got my focus again. will that do me any good?

3) Do I have a shot at MD school?

I gather that your advisor was unable to get you a retroactive drop on the semester of Fs thus far?

1) Well done. Great score. Nicely balanced.

2) I think your situation might be better discussed in a Secondary essay rather than the Primary Statement, which should be more about "Why Medicine?". But you do what you think is best.

3) You could have a shot at an MD school, moreso if those Fs get retroactively completely withdrawn (as you are otherwise obliged to report them to AMCAS even if your school "forgives" them), but your chances at any medical school still depend on the judges decision.

 

[jdasi]

Thanks to all of you for your input! Really appreciate it. My attorney is one of the most respected and reputed in this city. The charging papers were already cleaned up at the sentencing. Background check will say " sealed under court order" Nothing else. He said we will make sure it is clarified that it was neither violent nor a sex offense once its time to describe it.
He said he will tell me exactly how to fill each form, write in a way that I cannot be accused of lying or withholding info. If anything needs to be withheld, it will be under the canopy of "as advised by the court or the attorney" I do not know what that could be.
Attorney is asking me to start filling out forms when available, write "yes" to conviction if asked, and describe in secondary application. I understand background checks do not start till Jan. This judge retires in sept, out of 4 candidates for her position, one is a personal friend of my attorney. His plan is that we file the motion in July with PO's approval, the successor will be announced in Aug. If its his friend, we will buy time till he takes office otherwise push for a hearing before she leaves. My attorney is very confident that we will get it sealed either way, but thinks he can get more from the other one because he also used to be a defense attorney and himself asked the Judges for what they will be asking .

 

[MedAdComMD]

So, is the felony reduced or dropped when its "sealed"?

If you can get that felony dropped, a 39 MCAT, and with such rich and unique life experience will make you an outstanding candidate at any medical school.

 

[jdasi]

I gather that your advisor was unable to get you a retroactive drop on the semester of Fs thus far?

1) Well done. Great score. Nicely balanced.

2) I think your situation might be better discussed in a Secondary essay rather than the Primary Statement, which should be more about "Why Medicine?". But you do what you think is best.

3) You could have a shot at an MD school, moreso if those Fs get retroactively completely withdrawn (as you are otherwise obliged to report them to AMCAS even if your school "forgives" them), but your chances at any medical school still depend on the judges decision.

Thanks again!. if I do make it to med school, a lot of credit will go to you. I had almost given up hope.

Now your questions above:
I requested my adviser to hold off till I had something to give her to justify trying. I did take MCAT 1/29/11, for whatever reason I wasn't able to sleep for 3 continuous days before, Got P13 B12 and V7, couldn't believe verbal! Knew I could do better. I think a 7 point diff is enough to convince someone.

What do you think has a better chance: higher GPA low MCAT or low GPA high MCAT? I have a friend with a 3.97 GPA, but 31 MCAT. Got called for interviews but got turned down by everyone!


I agree with your suggestion about Secondary but how much can I write about "Why Medicine". Will I not need to give some explanation for a broken school record on the Primary?

I wrote something about what my attorney is planning in the common reply to everyone--- does that seem logical/workable?

I was thinking of writing to some schools anonymously asking.... if I have a sealed non violent, not sex- related conviction, will you consider my application ? -- is that worth a shot? ) I don't know if under sealed record, they will mention "F" or not yet. The attorney said he will find out some more.

 

[MedAdComMD]

A high MCAT, low GPA (as in you case) is in much better position than vice versa, especially if you have an upward trend and such extraordinary circumstance.

Basically, whether or not you go to medical school right now solely depends on your "conviction." You must do whatever it takes to get it removed.

 

[jdasi]

So, is the felony reduced or dropped when its "sealed"?

If you can get that felony dropped, a 39 MCAT, and with such rich and unique life experience will make you an outstanding candidate at any medical school.

Thanks for your vote of confidence!.

Well, my mom came across a very similar case in a different district court of our state where the person involved was a year older, female, national guard but much worse conviction involving meth, had multiple counts of violation when on probation, got more serious sentence but later cleaned up and needed it dismissed to get back to national guard and deploy.

It was dismissed half way through probation Now I don't know if a national guard and a would-be-doctor will mean the same. That time my attorney had said it won't apply because it was a different district court. But then he didn't have any way to convince the judge I could be a physician. Maybe we can re-visit that.

As far as "sealed" means , as I understand it will tell someone there was some problem, but not what it was. I am not sure of the rest yet.

Hoping to find out more in near future. Will keep you all posted.

Again, thanks everyone, You all have helped me feel more confident and hopeful.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Have you ever considered joining the reserves or perhaps joining the Coast Guard Auxiliary? The judge may be more willing if you come back with a contract to one of those. The good thing is the Auxiliary is a civilian branch, so you wouldn't have to worry about getting called or deployed.

 

[Catalystik]

1) What do you think has a better chance: higher GPA low MCAT or low GPA high MCAT? I have a friend with a 3.97 GPA, but 31 MCAT. Got called for interviews but got turned down by everyone!

2) I agree with your suggestion about Secondary but how much can I write about "Why Medicine". Will I not need to give some explanation for a broken school record on the Primary?

3) I wrote something about what my attorney is planning in the common reply to everyone--- does that seem logical/workable?

4) I was thinking of writing to some schools anonymously asking.... if I have a sealed non violent, not sex- related conviction, will you consider my application ? -- is that worth a shot? ) I don't know if under sealed record, they will mention "F" or not yet. The attorney said he will find out some more.

1) It depends also on ECs and grade trends; it's not just about the numbers.

2) Your journey toward medicine can include your passion about music (which explains your interupted education).

3) You had originally projected that things might be be resolved by June 2011. I think that an end of summer application would put your application at a huge disadvantage (as it would for anyone). Consider waiting until everything is settled (corrected official transcript available and in your possession, court records entered, background check tested), and if that won't be in the next two months, consider waiting until June 2012, continuing to improve your application in the meanwhile. For example, I feel it is critical that you update your clinical experience and have this on your application.

I believe that many/most background checks are done before acceptance, meaning, potentially considerably before January.

4) I would not write. I would call anonymously and ask to speak to a dean (making an appointment to call back later when they are available).

 

[jdasi]

1) It depends also on ECs and grade trends; it's not just about the numbers.

2) Your journey toward medicine can include your passion about music (which explains your interupted education).

3) You had originally projected that things might be be resolved by June 2011. I think that an end of summer application would put your application at a huge disadvantage (as it would for anyone). Consider waiting until everything is settled (corrected official transcript available and in your possession, court records entered, background check tested), and if that won't be in the next two months, consider waiting until June 2012, continuing to improve your application in the meanwhile. For example, I feel it is critical that you update your clinical experience and have this on your application.

I believe that many/most background checks are done before acceptance, meaning, potentially considerably before January.

4) I would not write. I would call anonymously and ask to speak to a dean (making an appointment to call back later when they are available).

Thanks

1) Grade trends are upwards for the most part.

2)Bit confused about application time. My advisor says up to Sept is OK. Other than ED, applications don't even start till Aug 1st. Maybe I am missing something.

3) already been working on clinical experience. With a pulmonologist for this month, had some hrs with Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon. Planning on Cardiology from mid June. maybe some experience in sleep lab in July.

According to AMCAS: background check are done after Jan 1st, after conditional acceptance pending clearance. It seems they send a report to candidates first before submitting, give 10 days to contest, if wrong.

I was thinking schools will be busy with graduating classes, unlikely to find the Dean to talk to. Perhaps worth trying with a few schools to see. Will keep you updated.

 

[Catalystik]

2)Bit confused about application time. My advisor says up to Sept is OK. Other than ED, applications don't even start till Aug 1st. Maybe I am missing something.

3) already been working on clinical experience. With a pulmonologist for this month, had some hrs with Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon. Planning on Cardiology from mid June. maybe some experience in sleep lab in July.

2) We all have our own opinions about what constitutes "late". I'd agree that by September 1 is OK, so long as each school has all your materials, including verified Primary, Secondary, LORs, and all supplemental requirements by then. Keep in mind that historically once transcripts are received by AMCAS, verification takes a few days in early June, a few weeks by July, and up to 6 weeks by October.

3) Keep in mind that clinical experience (interacting directly with patients) is not the same as shadowing (a passive observership where you concentrate on what the doc is doing). Are you personally engaging sick people, or watching patient-physician interaction?

 

[jdasi]

2) We all have our own opinions about what constitutes "late". I'd agree that by September 1 is OK, so long as each school has all your materials, including verified Primary, Secondary, LORs, and all supplemental requirements by then. Keep in mind that historically once transcripts are received by AMCAS, verification takes a few days in early June, a few weeks by July, and up to 6 weeks by October.

3) Keep in mind that clinical experience (interacting directly with patients) is not the same as shadowing (a passive observership where you concentrate on what the doc is doing). Are you personally engaging sick people, or watching patient-physician interaction?

I interact some of the times. That's why I did pursue further with the surgical specialty. Hoping to get more in Pulmonary and Cardiology in the summer.

 

[jdasi]

Thanks for your vote of confidence!.

Well, my mom came across a very similar case in a different district court of our state where the person involved was a year older, female, national guard but much worse conviction involving meth, had multiple counts of violation when on probation, got more serious sentence but later cleaned up and needed it dismissed to get back to national guard and deploy.

It was dismissed half way through probation Now I don't know if a national guard and a would-be-doctor will mean the same. That time my attorney had said it won't apply because it was a different district court. But then he didn't have any way to convince the judge I could be a physician. Maybe we can re-visit that.

As far as "sealed" means , as I understand it will tell someone there was some problem, but not what it was. I am not sure of the rest yet.

Hoping to find out more in near future. Will keep you all posted.

Again, thanks everyone, You all have helped me feel more confident and hopeful.

As it turns out, if it is sealed, all it will say is Sealed under court order. Won't say anything about what the case was. They will know there was something. In this situation, what kind of detail do I need to provide?

Any thoughts?

 

[MedAdComMD]

As it turns out, if it is sealed, all it will say is Sealed under court order. Won't say anything about what the case was. They will know there was something. In this situation, what kind of detail do I need to provide?

Any thoughts?

I am not an attorney, but as long as it is not expunged - then you must be truthful when asked if you ever had a conviction, let alone a felony. You need to press your attorney to get this expunged.

 

[TriagePreMed]

As it turns out, if it is sealed, all it will say is Sealed under court order. Won't say anything about what the case was. They will know there was something. In this situation, what kind of detail do I need to provide?

Any thoughts?

I am pretty positive the AMCAS application says that you don't have to include convictions that have been sealed. If this is the case, you don't have to say anything.

 

[SixStringPsych]

Continued with the band side by side, Got some amazing opportunities and experience, dropped school for warp tour after 1 yr.

I may be the only one interested in this, but can I ask what band you were in on the Warped Tour? I'm also a musician, definitely had some confusion with what I wanted to do with my life also lol. Never played in anything as big as the warped tour but have played tons of shows throughout New York with plenty of bands. Just curious haha.

 

[LegendaryPunk]

Dude. You have one of the most epic redemption stories I have read on this forum. Regardless of whether or not you make it to medical school, the fact that you have made significant changes to your life-style puts you in a league most people only talk about joining.

I know it only means so much coming from an anonymous poster on an Internet forum, but you truly have my respect and admiration. I wish you the best of luck in getting your criminal record expunged.

I may be the only one interested in this, but can I ask what band you were in on the Warped Tour?

Haha, I was wondering the same thing. Pretty sure if I had been talented enough as a musician to join the Warped Tour I would've dropped out of school too. Depending on the year you played I might have actually been in the audience

 

[SixStringPsych]

Depending on the year you played I might have actually been in the audience

SAME haha. Been going for years!

 

[jdasi]

I may be the only one interested in this, but can I ask what band you were in on the Warped Tour? I'm also a musician, definitely had some confusion with what I wanted to do with my life also lol. Never played in anything as big as the warped tour but have played tons of shows throughout New York with plenty of bands. Just curious haha.

That was our initial band, probably the most committed group of 4 , or so it seemed to me. It just happened the warped tour began from my city that year. The band never made a big name but still has links on the web. Please don't mind if I don't give that info,to protect my ID. That was the most exciting year of my life, Thrice is my favorite band, got to talk to them informally too and still do!

 

[SixStringPsych]

totally understand you not wanting to give that info away. Thrice???? Thats AWESOME. I would kill to be able to talk to those dudes. Well you certainly have a ton of life experience and I certainly would not regret anything if I were in your shoes.

 

[jdasi]

I gather that your advisor was unable to get you a retroactive drop on the semester of Fs thus far?


Bad news Yeah, the Dean refused consideration saying "we do not consider arrest as a reason for not being able to sit the finals!"

Now what to do??? Please advise.

 

[Catalystik]

I gather that your advisor was unable to get you a retroactive drop on the semester of Fs thus far?

Bad news Yeah, the Dean refused consideration saying "we do not consider arrest as a reason for not being able to sit the finals!"

Now what to do??? Please advise.

When you apply, you will primarily apply to less-selective MD schools, with a good number of DO med schools, and a few dream schools just in case a miracle happens.

 

[jdasi]

When you apply, you will primarily apply to less-selective MD schools, with a good number of DO med schools, and a few dream schools just in case a miracle happens.

Any ideas for specific schools? My home state has some reserved seats in U of Utah, UW, U of Nevada. Do you think worth applying to any of these?

I know I will have great letters of recommendations. My teachers really like me, sometimes even I wonder why, for all my screw-up... I will have a lot of hours of clinical work (though in a relatively shorter time) by the time I apply.

I was going to start trying to contact Deans about the legal stuff but since AMCAS application specifies "No need to answer yes for any sealed or expunged conviction" I decided against it.

My biggest worry for that semester is not the fs but since that was first semester of my Junior year--- it really messes up the 3 yr GPA. I know UW only calculates the first 3 yrs with junior yr weighted most. Will the rest of my grades even be considered or will I be an automatic discard?

Do you know how this works? On one hand there is talk of automatic cut off, on the other hand people talk about how some get in even with a GPA below 3. If only 3 yrs are counted, I won't have a chance.....

Anything I can do to improve my application ?

I really want to go to MD school.

 

[MedAdComMD]

Any ideas for specific schools? My home state has some reserved seats in U of Utah, UW, U of Nevada. Do you think worth applying to any of these?

I know I will have great letters of recommendations. My teachers really like me, sometimes even I wonder why, for all my screw-up... I will have a lot of hours of clinical work (though in a relatively shorter time) by the time I apply.

I was going to start trying to contact Deans about the legal stuff but since AMCAS application specifies "No need to answer yes for any sealed or expunged conviction" I decided against it.

My biggest worry for that semester is not the fs but since that was first semester of my Junior year--- it really messes up the 3 yr GPA. I know UW only calculates the first 3 yrs with junior yr weighted most. Will the rest of my grades even be considered or will I be an automatic discard?

Do you know how this works? On one hand there is talk of automatic cut off, on the other hand people talk about how some get in even with a GPA below 3. If only 3 yrs are counted, I won't have a chance.....

Anything I can do to improve my application ?

I really want to go to MD school.

1) You need to be more aggressive, and take more action to overrule your dean to get your semester of Fs dropped. You being arrested means you were not able to sit the exam due to *involuntary* reasons, a situation that you can argue that was out of your control.

2) If you answer NO on AMCAS, the background search after acceptance or being placed on waitlist might turn up a record contrary to your declaration - just take that into consideration. Some adcoms, when they see *any* sort of conviction record views it as a dealbreaker.

3) Schools will calculate based on ALL the courses you have taken. Doesn't make sense that U of W discard your most recent coursework.

 

[Catalystik]

Any ideas for specific schools?

Do you know how this works? On one hand there is talk of automatic cut off, on the other hand people talk about how some get in even with a GPA below 3. If only 3 yrs are counted, I won't have a chance.....

You'll need to get a copy of the MSAR and look for schools that have a bottom tenth percentile for cGPA of 3.3 or less (Nevada and Utah are probably among them), then check the OOS matriculation rate to see if it's worth applying there.

Every school has a different formula/system with which they assess an applicant. Most schools won't tell you what the formula is. Some give less weight to freshman year grades. Some have automatic cutoffs. Some look at MCAT subscores and some don't. That's why applying broadly is essential. As an example, Oklahoma uses this formula to decide who gets interviews: [cGPA X (3.75 + MCAT score/3)]/2. I've read you need a 12 to be in the first round of interviews.

 

[jdasi]

1) You need to be more aggressive, and take more action to overrule your dean to get your semester of Fs dropped. You being arrested means you were not able to sit the exam due to *involuntary* reasons, a situation that you can argue that was out of your control.

2) If you answer NO on AMCAS, the background search after acceptance or being placed on waitlist might turn up a record contrary to your declaration - just take that into consideration. Some adcoms, when they see *any* sort of conviction record views it as a dealbreaker.

3) Schools will calculate based on ALL the courses you have taken. Doesn't make sense that U of W discard your most recent coursework.

1) Can you please give me some specific ideas on what I can do to overrule the Dean?? All it says is," I can Re-APPEAL if I can come up with any NEW EVIDENCE". I gave them the appeal application, a rec from one of my teachers, my letter of explanation and police record of arrest. It didn't even ask for a rec letter.

2) Attorney explained, when it says "sealed" in records it doesn't necessarily mean a sealed "conviction". In his words " if someone is arrested on a suspicion and then dropped, it creates a record that needs to be sealed". After Judges decision, we will figure out what all to explain and how.

3) On UW website it shows how they calculate your weighted GPA. If I rem -- its1/3 freshman , 1/2 of the sopho and 3/4 of junior-- No mention of senior or thereafter. We will see. Do you have any specific school to recommend?