ARRESTED. Big Problem.

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oopsydaisy

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I was accepted to dental school in December and things were great. However, I recently received a public intoxication and am concerned of the ramifications. I have obtained representation and plan an challenging the charge (I give it a 50-50 chance I can get out of it due to the circumstances).

Of course I know the school can revoke my acceptance but does anybody know of this happening?

Greatly appreciated.
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BTW, I do plan on talking to the school and getting the exact details. Just wanted to get your opinion.
 
If at all possible try meeting with the admissions director face-to-face. Try not to do anything over the phone.
 
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oopysdaisy is right...good luck and let us know how this turns out.
 
Mmmm... not so sure I'd mention it to the school unless it is certain they would find out. You have no obligation to tell them. Everyone makes mistakes. It's easier somehow when alcohol is involved, but everyone makes them. I think unless you KNOW they would find out (not sure how they would)... I'd probably keep it to myself and not put it on forums like this with any info able to lead schools to know who you are bc some schools DO in fact look at this site.

No harm, no foul. Let it go and move on. Don't go too far with it. I would advise against telling the school you were accepted to. I don't even know why you would consider telling them, actually. I know some that felt themselves morally superior may disagree, but I get that this can happen and you shouldn't have to pay for it with the rest of your life. It was an innocent thing... move on.
 
SugarNaCl said:
Mmmm... not so sure I'd mention it to the school unless it is certain they would find out. You have no obligation to tell them. Everyone makes mistakes. It's easier somehow when alcohol is involved, but everyone makes them. I think unless you KNOW they would find out (not sure how they would)... I'd probably keep it to myself and not put it on forums like this with any info able to lead schools to know who you are bc some schools DO in fact look at this site.

No harm, no foul. Let it go and move on. Don't go too far with it. I would advise against telling the school you were accepted to. I don't even know why you would consider telling them, actually. I know some that felt themselves morally superior may disagree, but I get that this can happen and you shouldn't have to pay for it with the rest of your life. It was an innocent thing... move on.
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+1 Don't tell unless they ask
 
SugarNaCl said:
Mmmm... not so sure I'd mention it to the school unless it is certain they would find out. You have no obligation to tell them. Everyone makes mistakes. It's easier somehow when alcohol is involved, but everyone makes them. I think unless you KNOW they would find out (not sure how they would)... I'd probably keep it to myself and not put it on forums like this with any info able to lead schools to know who you are bc some schools DO in fact look at this site.

No harm, no foul. Let it go and move on. Don't go too far with it. I would advise against telling the school you were accepted to. I don't even know why you would consider telling them, actually. I know some that felt themselves morally superior may disagree, but I get that this can happen and you shouldn't have to pay for it with the rest of your life. It was an innocent thing... move on.
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I am not sure that there is no obligation. There is a moral obligation right? Isn't there anything in the acceptance letter that addresses this?
 
i dont know what the protocol for this would be but, the dont ask dont tell might might not be the best a few years down the road when u r trying to get licensed....maybe, just sayin
 
SugarNaCl said:
Mmmm... not so sure I'd mention it to the school unless it is certain they would find out. You have no obligation to tell them. Everyone makes mistakes. It's easier somehow when alcohol is involved, but everyone makes them. I think unless you KNOW they would find out (not sure how they would)... I'd probably keep it to myself and not put it on forums like this with any info able to lead schools to know who you are bc some schools DO in fact look at this site.

No harm, no foul. Let it go and move on. Don't go too far with it. I would advise against telling the school you were accepted to. I don't even know why you would consider telling them, actually. I know some that felt themselves morally superior may disagree, but I get that this can happen and you shouldn't have to pay for it with the rest of your life. It was an innocent thing... move on.
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schools do background checks on their incoming students. i think it would be wise to be up front with them in case this shows up on the report. just my two cents.
 
anschutz1913 said:
i dont know what the protocol for this would be but, the dont ask dont tell might might not be the best a few years down the road when u r trying to get licensed....maybe, just sayin
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agreed
 
I understand that the OP has already been accepted to dental school already, so the obligation to report the incident is questionable. In a different case, what if another individual had encountered a similar incident but has not yet applied to dental school? Is there somewhere on the application that you have to report these things? Or do schools run background checks on all of the applicants?
 
i know public intox isn't the same as a DUI but a friend of mine got a DUI last january and she was planning to attend loma linda for pharm school and they revoked her acceptance due to the DUI however washington state still accepted her. Guess it really depends on the school but i'd be surprised if they didn't do background checks on their students before final enrollment.
 
What if ONE day out of nowhere you got a call from you school and tells you that your acceptance has been withdrawn due to your failure to report your recent incident? Then what???
 
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peerless218 said:
What if ONE day out of nowhere you got a call from you school and tells you that your acceptance has been withdrawn due to your failure to report your recent incident? Then what???
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What if you have already financed a year or two of dental school and then are told this?
 
you do not have to report it to your school as it is a civil offense not a criminal one and therefore not in your background check record unless the school requests a civil check which most do not. I had a minor in college for EtOH and asked about when applying to medical school 3yrs ago.
 
You do not have to report anything you are not convicted of this is still America and you are innocent until proven guilty. I don't know where you live but down here in the south if you get yourself a real good attorney you can get out of almost anything (except vehicular manslaughter or anything the local media does not get a hold of)
 
Get some legal advice for piece of mind I say, anonymous of course.

I don't know how you can deal with THAT wondering if they can pull your acceptance or not. :(
 
Common interview question: "Describe a time when you were placed in an ethically challenging situation. What did you do? What did you learn from it?"

Oopsydaisy, you're in a tough position. Only you can answer the question. Transparency, truth, and fact are all aspects we love about our medical system.

My advice...tell the Dean. Come clean. Apologize profusely. Explain what is happening legally and what you have learned from the issue. Above all, lay off the sauce.

You may give yourself a 50/50 shot, but if you come clean and are honest and contrite on the matter, the Dean will probably understand.

We all look for high character and high trust individuals in our professional interactions. I say start the transition now.
 
unless you are convicted in a court of breaking the law this will not be on any record they can get there hands on. If you were joining the military or needed a security clearance in some kind of government entity that would be different.
 
Don't do anything unless you're convicted.

Then voluntarily drop out. You're not allowed to join professional associations with a criminal history.
 
SugarNaCl said:
Mmmm... not so sure I'd mention it to the school unless it is certain they would find out. You have no obligation to tell them. Everyone makes mistakes. It's easier somehow when alcohol is involved, but everyone makes them. I think unless you KNOW they would find out (not sure how they would)... I'd probably keep it to myself and not put it on forums like this with any info able to lead schools to know who you are bc some schools DO in fact look at this site.
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Interesting. What's next? NOT telling a pt if you messed something up, esp. if they would not find out about it? Tsk tsk...ethics are a slippery slope. Once you start sliding, it is difficult to stop.

Individuals are offered a spot under a certain premise. What would look worse? The school finding out from the person who made a mistake, or the school finding out from another source. In the first scenario, if I were a Dean, I would listen, be upset, listen some more, commiserate, listen even more, advise, and thank the person for having the balls to come forward. Ultimately, he would be forgiven and his spot retained. In the second scenario I would tell the student, "why am I finding out about this from x? Are you kidding me? I am sorry, we are pulling our offer. We value integrity and honesty in our program, and now feel you are not a good fit for the school. I have several hundred candidates with similar numbers who I feel would have handled this situation appropriately. Good luck next cycle."

I am not on an ethical high horse. I have had nearly 13 years of professional experience where ethics are a driving principle. I have made plenty of mistakes. Ones which were discovered by sources other than me were painful experiences, and those were I turned myself in were respected and appreciated.

Don't play the game of waiting for the law to decide your fate and thinking this will swept under the rug. Be accountable for your own actions. At the end of the day, you will be able to rest easy knowing your instincts and morals were not compromised. Mistakes are the greatest learning tool ever devised. It is far easier to learn from times when you messed up than when you succeeded.
 
subdoc said:
Interesting. What's next? NOT telling a pt if you messed something up, esp. if they would not find out about it? Tsk tsk...ethics are a slippery slope. Once you start sliding, it is difficult to stop.

Individuals are offered a spot under a certain premise. What would look worse? The school finding out from the person who made a mistake, or the school finding out from another source. In the first scenario, if I were a Dean, I would listen, be upset, listen some more, commiserate, listen even more, advise, and thank the person for having the balls to come forward. Ultimately, he would be forgiven and his spot retained. In the second scenario I would tell the student, "why am I finding out about this from x? Are you kidding me? I am sorry, we are pulling our offer. We value integrity and honesty in our program, and now feel you are not a good fit for the school. I have several hundred candidates with similar numbers who I feel would have handled this situation appropriately. Good luck next cycle."

I am not on an ethical high horse. I have had nearly 13 years of professional experience where ethics are a driving principle. I have made plenty of mistakes. Ones which were discovered by sources other than me were painful experiences, and those were I turned myself in were respected and appreciated.

Don't play the game of waiting for the law to decide your fate and thinking this will swept under the rug. Be accountable for your own actions. At the end of the day, you will be able to rest easy knowing your instincts and morals were not compromised. Mistakes are the greatest learning tool ever devised. It is far easier to learn from times when you messed up than when you succeeded.
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This seems ridiculous the kid could be innocent under the law why would this have anything to do with ethics. Did you curse at someone under your breath while driving well if you have you committed verbal assault you should call your school and tell them what you did like WTF
 
biorenaissance said:
This seems ridiculous the kid could be innocent under the law why would this have anything to do with ethics. Did you curse at someone under your breath while driving well if you have you committed verbal assault you should call your school and tell them what you did like WTF
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You have your opinion, and I have mine. I value and understand your position on the matter; however, it is not what I would do. The issue is not a matter of innocence and guilt, it is a matter of being arrested. Letting the school know what happened, presenting the facts and keeping them abreast of how the legal situation develops is the right thing to do.
 
biorenaissance said:
You do not have to report anything you are not convicted of this is still America and you are innocent until proven guilty.
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True, but an open case pending adjudication can still be looked upon unfavorably by the dental school.

EDIT to add that I believe the applications ask you to disclose all infractions whether or not a sentence has been handed down.
 
As far as licensing goes, they will not keep from giving u a license for a pub intox...
 
It's always easy to tell someone what the right thing to do is when you are outside looking in; when it is not your life that could drastically be affected. Whether you tell the administration ahead of time, or they find out after you have been convicted and it's on your record, the repercussions will be the same. Just let the process play out and don't rush to inform the school. It's a public intoxication citation and it happens to college students all the time.
 
tinman831 said:
True, but an open case pending adjudication can still be looked upon unfavorably by the dental school.

EDIT to add that I believe the applications ask you to disclose all infractions whether or not a sentence has been handed down.
Click to expand...


I believe that it asks regarding convictions, not charges

I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time, more than once, all cases were nolled. No dental school has required me to answer any question that would involve me disclosing those charges, although it may come up in a background check if records were not expunged.

The OP was arrested and processed, thus making this a slightly bigger deal than just having been charged, or maybe not, either way i feel that it is too risky not to say anything. yes you may get off and word may never get back, but if it does, i cant imagine things going your way. Too many variables. If you disclose the charge now, adcoms should understand that you are innocent until proven guilty, but who knows really.

I feel if you are honest now, regardless of how things turn out with the charge, you should be ok, but again, things can go either way in this world, with or without reason
 
dude

first off you havent been convicted. dont say ****

second off its not a criminal offense. again, none of their business

third, if they were going to do a backgroundcheck, they did it before they accepted you.

You are fine bro dont lose sleep over it.
 
Lethstang said:
dude

first off you havent been convicted. dont say ****

second off its not a criminal offense. again, none of their business

third, if they were going to do a backgroundcheck, they did it before they accepted you.

You are fine bro dont lose sleep over it.
Click to expand...

false. its very expensive to do checks, the school i will be attending, and i assume most others, do the check after they accept you. they give u a "prvisional" acceptance based on the passing a back check, not failing ur final semester, etc.
 
StirrinIt said:
false. its very expensive to do checks, the school i will be attending, and i assume most others, do the check after they accept you. they give u a "prvisional" acceptance based on the passing a back check, not failing ur final semester, etc.
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+1.

The school I got accepted to performed that backround check after acceptance also. I had to sign a paper that allowed them to do so.
 
you have to sign your consent for background checks and the paper asks you if you have ever been convicted of a crime. as long as you're honest in this portion, you aren't lying or deceiving anyone! for peace of mind right now, however, i'd probably talk to a dean of the school so you can send your deposit somewhere else if need be. i'm sure you'll be fine though! people get in with silly offenses like this all the time.
 
A PI is a class C misdemeanor, not a big deal. I had a Minor in Consumption and Minor Misrepresents Age (both class C) on my record, fully disclosed in my applications, and I got in. After 6 interviews, there has never been any mention of the tickets. Be honest, and you have nothing to worry about. If you lie or keep something from schools, that may well be a bigger issue than the ticket itself.
 
I think if you got arrested on campus is a bigger mistake than getting in trouble off campus. Most schools require the Dean of Student Affairs to write anything you did bad on campus. I don't think any schools care what you do now if you were accepted. As long as you don't commit GTA or something lol.


Anybody else know?
 
skifastrokclimb said:
A PI is a class C misdemeanor, not a big deal. I had a Minor in Consumption and Minor Misrepresents Age (both class C) on my record, fully disclosed in my applications, and I got in. After 6 interviews, there has never been any mention of the tickets. Be honest, and you have nothing to worry about. If you lie or keep something from schools, that may well be a bigger issue than the ticket itself.
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I am just curious...
you got PI, Minor Misrepresents Age, etc... but the cops wrote you a ticket right. Did they ever arrest you for it?
I am not sure how different the OPs situation is... whether there were other reasons to why he was arrested as well -- and how that might worsen the situation, in terms of admissions and all?
fyi, not attacking the op... just curious
 
I would seek proper legal advice from a lawyer before saying anything to the dental school.
 
Relax, its a misdemeanor, like a speeding ticket - not a criminal offense!
 
They're screening for felonies, not misdemeanors. You're safe. No need to tell the school because they don't care and didn't ask for it. No need for hired representation, although many'll gladly take your money. Take the one you're given for free. Admit to it, then have it expunged from your record. In a few months, it's like it never happened.
 
I WOULD DROP the dough on a lawyer. I had 2 felonies on my belt that got dismissed. Spending the cash is worth it
 
I would check with the school. From UTDB's website:

"All students enrolled in the Dental Branch are required to disclose to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, within 30 days of occurrence, any arrest for any misdemeanor or felony offense (excluding Class C misdemeanor traffic violations), and are required to disclose any conviction, including any deferrals of adjudication, including probation or “community supervision” (other than Class C misdemeanor traffic violations) for any misdemeanor or felony offense. Non-disclosure or falsification of information may be grounds for dismissal from the School. The Associate Dean of Admission will then determine whether any arrest, and/or conviction or deferral of adjudication is grounds for any action. Any dismissal or other action may be appealed to the Dean of the Dental Branch in writing within seven working days of the receipt of the decision by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs"

So no, it's not like a speeding ticket as others have said. And yes, you could be in trouble by not quickly disclosing it to some schools.
 
icedspice said:
I am just curious...
you got PI, Minor Misrepresents Age, etc... but the cops wrote you a ticket right. Did they ever arrest you for it?
I am not sure how different the OPs situation is... whether there were other reasons to why he was arrested as well -- and how that might worsen the situation, in terms of admissions and all?
fyi, not attacking the op... just curious
Click to expand...

I got tickets, which resulted in Deferred Adjudication Probation. I completed the terms of the probation, and the charges were thus dismissed, but the TMDSAS still requires you to disclose deferred adjudications, so I wrote about it. I'm not sure if having the cops write tickets counts as "arrested;" I think it does. At least, I answered yes to the have you been arrested questions on background checks, just to be safe.

alanan84 said:
I would check with the school. From UTDB's website:

"All students enrolled in the Dental Branch are required to disclose to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, within 30 days of occurrence, any arrest for any misdemeanor or felony offense (excluding Class C misdemeanor traffic violations), and are required to disclose any conviction, including any deferrals of adjudication, including probation or “community supervision” (other than Class C misdemeanor traffic violations) for any misdemeanor or felony offense. Non-disclosure or falsification of information may be grounds for dismissal from the School. The Associate Dean of Admission will then determine whether any arrest, and/or conviction or deferral of adjudication is grounds for any action. Any dismissal or other action may be appealed to the Dean of the Dental Branch in writing within seven working days of the receipt of the decision by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs"

So no, it's not like a speeding ticket as others have said. And yes, you could be in trouble by not quickly disclosing it to some schools.
Click to expand...

I disclosed it to UTDB, I got into UTDB...
 
i brought him some soup in the state pen last weekend. hes adjusting well, hes found a friend in gumbo jim.
 
when i had an interview at mich i discussed my two drinking infractions at my school and what i've learned from them etc. he enjoyed a good story and said nobodys perfect and we all make mistakes, its how we bounce back is what counts..

so you are fine.. public intox isnt even bad
 
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