Anyone who has been through the process of applying to med school and who knows about this topic, please inform me. Thanks!
Applying to Med School-Criminal Record- Is it checked?
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Yes. At the end of the AMCAS application, a qestion specifically asks about criminal records.
Mr. Obsessive said:
What does the question ask specificaly? And do they do a background check? And if so, when in the process? I am sure you are all wondering why I am so worried about the criminal background check, well to anwser your question my husband was convicted of a DUI 6 years ago. Long story but since then he as changed drastically. This is when his male hormones were out of control. We all make mistakes but I hope it doesn't come at a high price. I hope my husband does not get rejected at all the schools even thought it was a long time ago and his stats and EC's volunteering is outstanding. Any more info would be appreciated. Thanks!
Amber
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AmberE said:
During one of my interviews, I stayed with a student host. One of his roommates had a similar problem (he stole a stop sign freshman year.) From what I understand, what he had was a misdemeanor offense. Everytime an application (including AMCAS) says, "Have you ever been convinced of a CRIMINAL offense," he had to answer yes and explain. If it specifically said, "Have you ever been convicted of a FELONY," he didn't have to put yes (cause he was convicted of a lesser offense.)
The bottom line is, if it's still on his record, he has to be honest about it. If he lies about it, and even if he gets in because a school doesn't bother doing a background check (which several schools do), they can rescind his acceptance, kick him out of school, or even take away his degree post graduation if they find out he lied (they are that serious.)
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AmberE said:
Oh. And a word of advice. I'm not sure if he's the one that gave you the "hormones" excuse for his behavior but if he is able to make it to his interviews and they ask him about it, tell him not to use that reason. I can guarantee you if he responds, "It wasn't really my fault--my hormones made me do it," they won't let him in.
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AmberE said:
Check your PM. He will be fine 🙂
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Hi,
I'm not well versed in what is and isn't a felony, but if you do have a felony record some states won't grant you a lisence to practice. I would assume that medical schools in these states wouldn't take people with a felony for that reason.
I'm not well versed in what is and isn't a felony, but if you do have a felony record some states won't grant you a lisence to practice. I would assume that medical schools in these states wouldn't take people with a felony for that reason.
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Wednesday said:
I'm pretty sure a DUI is a felony (you can go to jail for it.)
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What if your violation wasnt with the law, but rather just with your school? I got in trouble for being in a dorm room with alchohol, and had to pay like a 50 dollar fine, but no legal action was taken. Is this something that needs to be answered "Yes" to on the AMCAS?
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vhawk01 said:
Heh. I don't think so. Isn't that kind of like asking, "What if I got grounded by my mom?" If it's just through your school, it's not a criminal offense (the law--e.g. the police/courts--were never involved.)
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Not sure on how AMCAS deals with that one, but my undergrad school asks about this before they will do a committe letter for you and even gets a report about you from the Dean's office to verify this.
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Yeah, my school doesnt have a pre-med committee to write letters, so my LORs will all be close personal friends in facult and research, so they wont be mentioning it. I dont think it shows up on my 'scripts either, so I didn't think it was important. Just checking.
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Alexander99 said:
Absolutely not true. And just because you can go to jail for something doesn't define a felony.
DUI's become a felony when someone is injured.
OnMyWayThere said:
Yes he is right. Here's what I found about a DUI:
Is a DUI a Felony?
QUESTION:
Is a conviction for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI) a felony?
ANSWER:
A first-time DUI, (or, in some states, "DWI" -- short for "driving while intoxicated") is normally charged as a misdemeanor, not a felony. But if someone was injured as a result of the drunken driving, some states (including your home state of Illinois) will raise the charge to a felony. (And if the victim dies, Illinois may charge the driver with reckless homicide.) Also, in a number of states, a DUI will be raised to a felony if it is the driver's second, third, or even fourth DUI offense. Your state, Illinois, falls right in the middle -- Illinois will charge a third DUI as a felony.
"Misdemeanor" and "felony" are emotionally charged words, but what do they really mean? Whether a conviction ends up as a misdemeanor or a felony depends on the type and length of the punishment for the crime. Misdemeanors carry the possibility of incarceration in the county or local jail for one year or less; felonies usually result in a state prison term of more than a year.
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AmberE said:
I stand corrected. I guess drinking and driving really isn't that big of a deal afterall. And all those times I used a designated driver. . . 🙂
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vhawk01 said:
Actually, the AMCAS does ask for you to report if you have been subject to any institutional action by the university. If it is on record with the JA or anything like that, you should report it. I think it's better to let them know ahead of time (try putting a positive spin on the situation - maybe talk about what you have learned from such an experience) than to falsify information. Even if they find out after you have already completed a couple of years, you never know what sort of action they may take (kicking you out?!) and you don't want to have wasted all that time and energy. Good luck.
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I don't think med schools care too much about minor crimes. A DUI maybe as it speaks to character, but as far as stealing a stop sign it is obviusly just a childich parnk. I had a silly arrest on my record (don't ask, you wouldn't believe if I told you ), and I still go into my Ugrad with it on there as misdemeanor. I think adcoms know that not everyone is a criminal that has been convicted of a crime, don't forget they were all once Ugrads as well and I'm sure most had their share of pranks/minor criminal behavior. It's not really a huge deal if the crime was silly.
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A little trouble with the law never hurt anyone... or in any case it didn't if they learned their lesson. I also have a stupid arrest for misbehaving when I was in high school, and during one of my interviews I was explaining it (because you do have to mark it on your applications) and my interviewer told me not to worry about it at all because everyone makes mistakes. So yeah your husband should be fine.
P
Premedtomed
one basketball plpayer friend of mine got a DUI his freshmen yr. i think he had to explain what happened and wht he learnt from the experience. He just got accepted to med school with a 30 on his MCAT. just be able to explain what happened never fail to mention what you learnt from it
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Just don't lie about this stuff. Anything that involves the criminal justice system is available to many people in many states. You'll probably be OK if you tell the truth, but its the lies that get you into trouble.
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I had 2 misdemeanors from 13 years ago when I was about 20 years old. They were minor ones though, not major ones like DUI. I was completely open and honest about them. I was accepted to 2 med schools and waitlisted at several for next year.
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Hi AmberE,
I just read this thread b/c I'm dealing with a similar situation. I just wanted to suggest that you/your husband look into the possibility of getting an expungement order from the court. I'm from California and was able to get an expungement fairly easily. Mine was for a misdemeanor drug offense.
An expungement allows you to legally state "no" when asked a question regarding criminal arrests. However, it does not stand up in certain situations such as when applying for licenses or govt jobs. The value of an expungement, even in those situations when they don't "hold up" is that even if you do have to answer "yes", you can include in your explanation that you were able to get an expungement. This can help your case because it shows that the court supported that your criminal record not be held against you.
I can't say for sure what states have this statute, but I'd look into it. Unfortunately, criminal record will continue to come up throughout his career. I definitely agree with the previous posts, do NOT lie or withhold info when asked. It WILL come back to haunt him.
Also, check out this thread in "General Residency Issues":
prior misdemeanors and ERAS/NRMP
I just read this thread b/c I'm dealing with a similar situation. I just wanted to suggest that you/your husband look into the possibility of getting an expungement order from the court. I'm from California and was able to get an expungement fairly easily. Mine was for a misdemeanor drug offense.
An expungement allows you to legally state "no" when asked a question regarding criminal arrests. However, it does not stand up in certain situations such as when applying for licenses or govt jobs. The value of an expungement, even in those situations when they don't "hold up" is that even if you do have to answer "yes", you can include in your explanation that you were able to get an expungement. This can help your case because it shows that the court supported that your criminal record not be held against you.
I can't say for sure what states have this statute, but I'd look into it. Unfortunately, criminal record will continue to come up throughout his career. I definitely agree with the previous posts, do NOT lie or withhold info when asked. It WILL come back to haunt him.
Also, check out this thread in "General Residency Issues":
prior misdemeanors and ERAS/NRMP
