Anyone get accepted to Pharmacy school with a messed up background?

[vaughnpereira]

Other than speeding or parking tickets, does anyone on here have any larger crimes but still got accepted into a college of pharmacy? Does anyone have any blemishes on their record that they were wrongly accused of, and if so, were you able to explain that in your letter or interview?

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[Pharmacopia]

you mean like a felony or a violent crime.

Getting into pharmacy school won't be a problem, but getting licensing afterwards will.

I know a few people who have felony DUI and one person with a violent crime. They did eventually get licensed in cali, but they had to go to hearings/write letters/ and ultimately wait a good amount of time before the BOP issued them a license.

As for getting into pharmacy school, depends on the school. Schools do background checks, so don't try to hide it. I would fess up at interview time, and explain to them what happened, take responsibility, and tell them you've matured, etc.....

 

[vaughnpereira]

Well, I'm not speaking of anything in particular or necessarily anything violent... What is it, in your opinion, would be some legal issues that would result in you not being able to get licensed? Do they automatically just deny you just from one look at your record or do you have a chance to explain yourself?

Obviously some things would be a red flag such as Drug Trafficking or Murder but what about things such as DUI, Drug Paraphernalia, Public Intox, or something similar?

The purpose of my post was to know if people still get into pharmacy school, and later actually get licensed and obtaining a job as a pharmacist with a blemished background.

 

[Pharmacopia]

Its hard to say because each person's circumstance is different. Some obvious ones are drug related felonies and violent crime: DUI/substance abuse. Drug Diversion, etc.

The BoP doesn't automatically deny you. They will hold your application, and send you a letter to explain the situation You either have to write them a letter explaining your situation, or you get a hearing.

You should contact the BoP of your state you plan on working in. For instance, Cali is strict. Any felony will require an explanation, and maybe a hearing. Whereas, Nevada only cares about drug related felonies.

To answer your last part: people do get into pharmacy school with legal blemishes, and people do get licensed afterwards, and obtain a job as a pharmacist.

Good luck.

 

[EBT12]

You should start formally looking into it now for your state (and other states you might be interested in working in).

For example, the school I attend in Ohio requires a background check before you are accepted, before you get your intern license in the fall of your first year, and then again in your third year. Their rationale is that Ohio is pretty strict and no individuals who possess a felony have a license to practice as a pharmacist in the state. The school will not allow someone to go through the coursework if they do not meet the requirements of the state to sit for licensure.

 

[ValeRx]

Let's just say that some guy here in Ohio trying to get his intern license had done drugs ten years ago and the board met in front of all of the student body to hear his case. He barely got his license approved after is first year of pharmacy school.

He was accepted into pharmacy school but nearly wasted his time because you must have your inten license. No license means no more pharmacy school.

 

[vaughnpereira]

I am looking into it I was just hoping to hear other people's experiences.

The only drug related charge I have is a paraphanelia charge which was BS. I also have had 2 DUIs, I was convicted of those in '04 and '06 although they actually happened in '03 and '05...

 

[ValeRx]

I am looking into it I was just hoping to hear other people's experiences.

The only drug related charge I have is a paraphanelia charge which was BS. I also have had 2 DUIs, I was convicted of those in '04 and '06 although they actually happened in '03 and '05...

Most wording you will find states something along the lines of having "good moral character." nobody can say for sure but I think you will have problems being licensed. Most people have a small mistake or so but it looks like you are a repeat offender and have no concern for other peoples well being or safety. You are also one DUI from being charged with a felony, at least in my state.

 

[joetrisman]

Anything is possible, but ymmv.

 

[vaughnpereira]

What is YMMV?

Edit: nevermind I got it. I figured as much. I can explain myself very well so I'm going to continue on my journey to pharmaceutical stardom. Just like to hear other people's experiences. Thanks for the insight.


Obviously those were in my younger years in which I didn't care but if only I knew then what I know now...

 

[CuriousPharmD]

i had a dude in my class that had a sexual predator offense on his file...which i dont understand how he got into pharm school when my school does background checks...and i had another classmate have a dui while in school and was able to graduate...why....what did you end up doing?

 

[cycloketocaine]

I am looking into it I was just hoping to hear other people's experiences.

The only drug related charge I have is a paraphanelia charge which was BS. I also have had 2 DUIs, I was convicted of those in '04 and '06 although they actually happened in '03 and '05...

.

 

[vaughnpereira]

You know, everyone is judged in one way or another but I really hate that I'm judged for mistakes I made in my teens... Of course there is nothing I could say to change anyones' mind here about the person I was and the person I am today. I know I made stupid mistakes but I was mis-guided and hanging with the wrong people. Those occurred 7-9 years ago and in that time I've gained a wife and two children, I realized about 5 years ago that I had more to live for and that I could do more with my life. I used to live for myself but now I live for my family.

 

[owlegrad]

My advice is to not give up until you know. Perhaps you can get your record sealed? If they are all misdemeanors you may not have a problem. If they are felonies you may have a bit harder time. A lawyer may be what you need.

 

[Ackj]

happened in '03 and '05...

7-9 years ago

Whoa, just felt really old all of a sudden.

 

[vaughnpereira]

Yea, I'm going to continue on my original route and do whatever it takes to make my dream come true. I've come one million miles since then so I can't stop now...

Luckily they are all misdemeanors and one charge was dismissed so I can get that expunged. I don't know about the sealing process so I will need to look into that, but it appears to be, pretty much, the same thing as far as eligibility goes.

 

[BPharmD2011]

I live in Ohio, so I can only speak for Ohio, but a member of the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) came and spoke to our class before we submitted our intern applications and he said the Ohio BOP sees applicants with underage drinking charges ALL the time - that it's not really a big deal and that the person would not have to worry about not getting their license over something like that as long as they were truthful about it. They really stressed that if someone does have a charge on their record, but does not list it, that's when there would be a serious problem.

Also, if memory serves correctly, I think the member also said you had to list violations even if they were expunged (it may not be like this in all states, though), so I'm not sure if getting a violation expunged really matters much in the long run or not? I'd definitely look into it a little more/call your state BOP before you pay those lawyer fees.

I'm not certain how things would go for you since you've got more than one violation, but I at least wanted to post what the Ohio BOP representative said to my pharm class to maybe help ease your mind a little bit.

EDIT: I did also just want to mention that this was back in 2007, so it's been a few years ago, but hopefully things haven't changed too much since then.

Good luck!

 

[Sparda29]

One of the pharmacists at one of my sites last year apparently got arrested for DUI on the day of graduation. Luckily, he was taken to a precinct where his friend is a lieutenant.

He was in the cell for a couple of hours when the lieutenant got there for his shift and saw him in the holding cells and let him go.

 

[ValeRx]

I live in Ohio, so I can only speak for Ohio, but a member of the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) came and spoke to our class before we submitted our intern applications and he said the Ohio BOP sees applicants with underage drinking charges ALL the time

The OP never said anything about underage drinking, he was charged with two DUI's.

 

[BPharmD2011]

The OP never said anything about underage drinking, he was charged with two DUI's.

I never said the OP had an underage drinking violation. I was just sharing what I heard from the Ohio BOP because I was surprised to find out someone could still get their intern license despite having any sort of drinking-related charge. I thought the BOP would really crack down on something like that. I think most people would probably think that, so I was just trying to share what I heard and give a little encouragement.

 

[vaughnpereira]

I appreciate ANY experiences, so anything is welcome. Thanks to everyone who has chimed in so far.

No matter how bad my violations seem, I am not going to give up. I've never been able to follow through with anything I've ever started but pharmacy feels different to me. Thinking about it motivates and inspires me so how could I give up on something like that in life?