Background Check--another paranoid premed

[premed1982]

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Thanks in advance for anyone that answers.......

When filling out my AMCAS, I checked no for misdemeanors and felonies, but my background check came back and showed 3 speeding tickets listed as misdemeanors.

The most recent was in 2004 and all show, that I paid the fine.

Should I be worried?

 

[yoz]

you're okay, speeding tickets are generally not considered

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Speeding tickets are generally listed as infractions and not misdemeanors. Perhaps you are failing to tell us something? How fast were you driving, and what was the speed limit?

 

[premed1982]

you're okay, speeding tickets are generally not considered

Yoz--thank you for your response.

Speeding tickets are generally listed as infractions and not misdemeanors. Perhaps you are failing to tell us something? How fast were you driving, and what was the speed limit?

TooMuchResearch--your right, what I forgot to tell you is I was speeding away from a bank, holding a 9mil to the bank managers head after my armed robbery!

Come on, Nancy Negative, are you sure you want to be a doctor with such fabulous faith in humanity. If I'm asking a question on an anonymous internet forum, why would I sugar-coat it?

Anyway, here's an what the background check says:

Offense / Filing Date:
XX/XX/2000
Charge:
Count 1: Speeding
Charge Type:
Misdemeanor
Disposition Date:
XX/XX/2000
Disposition Type:
Guilty
Disposition Details:
Guilty
Sentence:
Fine/costs $77.50 - paid
Comments:
Please note this case was verified by Name and Date of Birth.


Offense / Filing Date:
XX/XX/2004
Charge:
Count 1: Speeding, 10 miles per hour or less over the speed limit
Charge Type:
Misdemeanor
Disposition Date:
XX/XX/2004
Disposition Type:
Nolle prosequi
Disposition Details:
Nolle prosequi
Sentence:
Not applicable
Comments:
Please note this case was verified by Name and Date of Birth.

So, in other words, your assumptions of the worst are incorrect--no hardened criminal here. Even though there's no speed, if I remember correctly the first one was for 12 over--hence the $77.50 fine.

Does anyone think I need to worry?

 

[Marcus Brody]

Count 1: Speeding, 10 miles per hour or less over the speed limit
Sentence:
Fine/costs $77.50 - paid
Charge Type:
Misdemeanor

wow. just wow.

I am learning a lot about the American "Justice" System because of all these background checks.

 

[apumic]

Wait, 12 over is only $77.50 there?! I want to move there! Where do you live?! j/k (It's about twice that here...+ $20 cop donut fund fee + $20 processing fee + $20 sidewalk fee + $40 court fee.... ugh -- and you think I'm kidding!)
...But I guess your city must be less obsessed with making money off unnecessary traffic stops. Our cops are like little sharks. Just last night, I slowed down before my turn off a 45 mph road (going 45mph) and the cop sitting just before my intersection saw me slow from 45 mph to ~20mph (for the turn) and decided that was suspicious and followed me ~1 mi into my neighborhood! (WTH?!)

 

[yoz]

yeah you should be fine just to clarify most medical schools specifically on the primary state that you don't need to list speeding tickets because they are moving violations. The only school which asked for speeding tickets was university of Cincinnati medical school for me

 

[ftrflyr29]

'round these parts, we like to say the cops' motto is not "serve and protect" it's "serve and collect"

 

[apumic]

'round these parts, we like to say the cops' motto is not "serve and protect" it's "serve and collect"

Why the "serve" part? I have yet to see a cop actually "serve" anyone, except maybe when they "serve" a summons. (And I've worked EMS... they usually just make situations more volatile, not safer. Few have the conflict resolution skills to make things safe w/o threat of deadly force. Don't believe me? Take a cop's gun away and see just how effective he is. Most are very poor at conflict resolution from what I have seen.)

I'd go with "Prey and collect." It's much more accurate for the police behavior I have seen with my former patients. Some of those cops are lucky to be alive considering their lack of common sense and the resulting things they did or said to those pts.... (when the pts far outnumbered the cop and we lacked the resources to physically restrain every pt, so a violent uprising would actually have been a possibility and this wasn't exactly an isolated incident, either)

 

[ApoK]

Thanks in advance for anyone that answers.......

When filling out my AMCAS, I checked no for misdemeanors and felonies, but my background check came back and showed 3 speeding tickets listed as misdemeanors.

The most recent was in 2004 and all show, that I paid the fine.

Should I be worried?

Your post comforts me tremendously. I did the exact same thing except my ticket was for "window tint - too dark" and the amount of the fine I paid. It's a "petty misdemeanor," as are all traffic violations in MN so I had no idea that it would even show up. It shouldn't because it's a non-criminal offense, but Certiphi doesn't care at all. They are the worst service with their outward hostility to people contesting their reports.

Anyway, I spoke with a lawyer about it and he assured me that absolutely nothing will happen to me and that I don't need to do anything about it. Now, my only question is if I should call the schools or not. I'm not sure why I would, considering no one will even care.

 

[Bernoull]

Thanks in advance for anyone that answers.......

When filling out my AMCAS, I checked no for misdemeanors and felonies, but my background check came back and showed 3 speeding tickets listed as misdemeanors.

The most recent was in 2004 and all show, that I paid the fine.

Should I be worried?

What State you get these fines from???

I requested a personal background check last Fall from the AAMC service, and none of my speeding tickets showed up. The more i hear about these cases, the more I think that I should carefully consider what states have these crazy laws when selecting schools..

 

[The Poet Sings]

What State you get these fines from???

I requested a personal background check last Fall from the AAMC service, and none of my speeding tickets showed up. The more i hear about these cases, the more I think that I should carefully consider what states have these crazy laws when selecting schools..

i would imagine it's based on what the state you've gotten the speeding ticket in considers it, rather than what the state the school you're applying to is in considers speeding to be. like i have a speeding ticket that shows up on the county records as a traffic infraction, and that's in FL. if i applied to a school in XY that considered speeding to be a misdemeanor, i'd expect it to show up on their records as still a traffic infraction. i really doubt they do conversions for each county's/state's rules, which is sort of what your post led me to think you thought. but then again, i don't know this for sure, so i hope nobody holds me to it.

 

[futureNCmed]

I too have had (several 😳) speeding tickets (some over 10 mph over) and none of them showed up on my background check. You must live in a state that has different traffic laws then mine... here in NC speeding tickets aren't considered misdemeanors (thank god!).

But seriously, I HIGHLY doubt it will affect your admission to any medical school (regardless of the State they are in). I'm sure the admissions people know that each State has different laws and speeding tickets aren't that serious.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Yoz--thank you for your response.





TooMuchResearch--your right, what I forgot to tell you is I was speeding away from a bank, holding a 9mil to the bank managers head after my armed robbery!

Come on, Nancy Negative, are you sure you want to be a doctor with such fabulous faith in humanity. If I'm asking a question on an anonymous internet forum, why would I sugar-coat it?

Anyway, here's an what the background check says:

Offense / Filing Date:
XX/XX/2000
Charge:
Count 1: Speeding
Charge Type:
Misdemeanor
Disposition Date:
XX/XX/2000
Disposition Type:
Guilty
Disposition Details:
Guilty
Sentence:
Fine/costs $77.50 - paid
Comments:
Please note this case was verified by Name and Date of Birth.


Offense / Filing Date:
XX/XX/2004
Charge:
Count 1: Speeding, 10 miles per hour or less over the speed limit
Charge Type:
Misdemeanor
Disposition Date:
XX/XX/2004
Disposition Type:
Nolle prosequi
Disposition Details:
Nolle prosequi
Sentence:
Not applicable
Comments:
Please note this case was verified by Name and Date of Birth.

So, in other words, your assumptions of the worst are incorrect--no hardened criminal here. Even though there's no speed, if I remember correctly the first one was for 12 over--hence the $77.50 fine.

Does anyone think I need to worry?

That's Mr. Nancy Negative to you 😛 I would gladly take a misdemeanor for an armed bank robbery. ...$77.50 for a moving violation? Where do you live?

 

[Bernoull]

i would imagine it's based on what the state you've gotten the speeding ticket in considers it, rather than what the state the school you're applying to is in considers speeding to be. like i have a speeding ticket that shows up on the county records as a traffic infraction, and that's in FL. if i applied to a school in XY that considered speeding to be a misdemeanor, i'd expect it to show up on their records as still a traffic infraction. i really doubt they do conversions for each county's/state's rules, which is sort of what your post led me to think you thought. but then again, i don't know this for sure, so i hope nobody holds me to it.

U misread my post. I'm from FL too and speeding is definitely NOT a misdemeanor, except maybe reckless driving/excessive speeds. I'm asked about what state she got the fine from, bcos I want to avoid going to school in such states, in case I speed..... Seriously though, I'm curious to know and it may not be a bad idea to consider these crazy state laws and how a minor traffic offense (during med sch) may impact future residency matching and medical licensure..

 

[The Poet Sings]

U misread my post. I'm from FL too and speeding is definitely NOT a misdemeanor, except maybe reckless driving/excessive speeds. I'm asked about what state she got the fine from, bcos I want to avoid going to school in such states, in case I speed..... Seriously though, I'm curious to know and it may not be a bad idea to consider these crazy state laws and how a minor traffic offense (during med sch) may impact future residency matching and medical licensure..

I see what you meant now. Whoops! Maybe you should just stay in Florida haha. I might...

 

[premed1982]

So thanks everyone for the answers and I was feeling just fine about the whole mess, until I got home from work today and heard the message from a Certiphi agent needing to discuss my background check.

I've done a little digging on the internet and come to find out in the state of MS (where I lived at the time) any traffic ticket is considered a misdemeanor. I also found a brief from Ole Miss' Med School that actually discusses this fact.

Tomorrow, I will call the school I've been accepted to and am planning to attend and let them know I have the 2 traffic ticket misdemeanors and had no idea in MS it's a misdemeanor and had no intention of being misleading.

Uggghhhh, it makes me just sick to my stomach.

 

[The Poet Sings]

So thanks everyone for the answers and I was feeling just fine about the whole mess, until I got home from work today and heard the message from a Certiphi agent needing to discuss my background check.

I've done a little digging on the internet and come to find out in the state of MS (where I lived at the time) any traffic ticket is considered a misdemeanor. I also found a brief from Ole Miss' Med School that actually discusses this fact.

Tomorrow, I will call the school I've been accepted to and am planning to attend and let them know I have the 2 traffic ticket misdemeanors and had no idea in MS it's a misdemeanor and had no intention of being misleading.

Uggghhhh, it makes me just sick to my stomach.

i wish you the best in sorting out this mess. good luck

 

[Bernoull]

Now I know to route any cross-country roadtrips around MS & MN

 

[MedicalP]

Thanks in advance for anyone that answers.......

When filling out my AMCAS, I checked no for misdemeanors and felonies, but my background check came back and showed 3 speeding tickets listed as misdemeanors.

The most recent was in 2004 and all show, that I paid the fine.

Should I be worried?

No.

 

[himdoc]

ok so here is my situation, I've posted on a couple threads:

When I was 20 I got a really stupid MIP charge- for alcohol, I was almost 21, with people who were 21 and I wasnt even drinking but a park ranger- not a cop- gave me a ticket anyway. Lots of us were under 21 but she chose me as the lucky one. Anyway thats beside the point but I was NEVER informed that I was being charged with a MISDEMEANOR! My parents thought it was just a fine, so did I so we paid it and didn't argue.

Everyone I asked during the application process said this didn't need to be on my AAMC application, but thats probably because I was in NY when I applied and its not a misdemeanor here. I got a call from Certiphi to verify and I told them that yea this had happened but I had no idea it was a misdemeanor.

Here is the worst part, I got into my top choice school, canceled every other interview, I am about to buy a home there for goodness sake and now I could get kicked out before I even start

So far I have called the admissions office, they told me to email a letter to the director of admissions which I did last night, explaining in detail the circumstances and begging for forgiveness.

Does anyone know what could happen? basically, do you think they would rescind my admission???

This was such a minor thing, if I had been only a few months older it wouldn't have even mattered, I've work wayyyy to hard for this to keep me from going to med school.

 

[MegaProjectile]

ok so here is my situation, I've posted on a couple threads:

When I was 20 I got a really stupid MIP charge- for alcohol, I was almost 21, with people who were 21 and I wasnt even drinking but a park ranger- not a cop- gave me a ticket anyway. Lots of us were under 21 but she chose me as the lucky one. Anyway thats beside the point but I was NEVER informed that I was being charged with a MISDEMEANOR! My parents thought it was just a fine, so did I so we paid it and didn't argue.

Everyone I asked during the application process said this didn't need to be on my AAMC application, but thats probably because I was in NY when I applied and its not a misdemeanor here. I got a call from Certiphi to verify and I told them that yea this had happened but I had no idea it was a misdemeanor.

Here is the worst part, I got into my top choice school, canceled every other interview, I am about to buy a home there for goodness sake and now I could get kicked out before I even start

So far I have called the admissions office, they told me to email a letter to the director of admissions which I did last night, explaining in detail the circumstances and begging for forgiveness.

Does anyone know what could happen? basically, do you think they would rescind my admission???

This was such a minor thing, if I had been only a few months older it wouldn't have even mattered, I've work wayyyy to hard for this to keep me from going to med school.

You'll be fine.

 

[Untraditional]

I'm interested in this too. I have a speeding ticket from Ohio that I tried to challenge in court but later plead no contest to. The specific charge was "Speed exceeding 65 MPH on a Highway" which is a minor misdemeanor and carries a $150 fine.

Anyway, does this need to be disclosed?

 

[The Poet Sings]

I'm interested in this too. I have a speeding ticket from Ohio that I tried to challenge in court but later plead no contest to. The specific charge was "Speed exceeding 65 MPH on a Highway" which is a minor misdemeanor and carries a $150 fine.

Anyway, does this need to be disclosed?

I have no idea, but what was the speed limit? In Florida most of the real highways are 70 mph (but some go to like 55 if there is construction). And people routinely drive ~85. I think I would flip my lid if I had to be on a highway where driving over 65 would get me a ticket.

 

[Untraditional]

I have no idea, but what was the speed limit? In Florida most of the real highways are 70 mph (but some go to like 55 if there is construction). And people routinely drive ~85. I think I would flip my lid if I had to be on a highway where driving over 65 would get me a ticket.

I have no idea it was so long ago. 55 or 65. The point is have I just kicked myself out of medical school for clicking no to a misdemeanor for a speeding ticket when those actually count, and what the hell can I do about it? I tried calling the company that does the background checks but they're gone for the weekend.

 

[The Poet Sings]

I have no idea it was so long ago. 55 or 65. The point is have I just kicked myself out of medical school for clicking no to a misdemeanor for a speeding ticket when those actually count, and what the hell can I do about it? I tried calling the company that does the background checks but they're gone for the weekend.

Well, *I* have no idea, but other people on this thread seem to hold the belief that a speeding ticket misdemeanor isn't going to keep you out of med school. Once you find out what's on your background check, explain to the schools that you didn't know it was actually a misdemeanor. That seems to be the general consensus on here.

 

[Untraditional]

Well, *I* have no idea, but other people on this thread seem to hold the belief that a speeding ticket misdemeanor isn't going to keep you out of med school. Once you find out what's on your background check, explain to the schools that you didn't know it was actually a misdemeanor. That seems to be the general consensus on here.

I'm very concerned that I'll be accused of falsifying information. I didn't even think to consider that a simple speeding fine would result in a criminal record, and I know that the kind of people that work at these places really don't give a crap about your special circumstances.

 

[mvenus929]

What State you get these fines from???

I requested a personal background check last Fall from the AAMC service, and none of my speeding tickets showed up. The more i hear about these cases, the more I think that I should carefully consider what states have these crazy laws when selecting schools..

FWIW... I got a moving violation in SC; it was stupid... I let my foot off the brake too soon and rolled into the car in front of me, barely tapping her bumper, and her idiot boyfriend insisted that we needed a police report just in case either one of us had to file an insurance claim, so I got a ticket for being at fault. I was 17 and hadn't even had my license a year.

I also got a ticket for speeding in a construction zone (they didn't have the stupid speed limit posted anywhere, and the stupid MP was sitting there waiting for someone to speed) on a federal base in CO.

Neither showed up on my background check.

 

[The Poet Sings]

I'm very concerned that I'll be accused of falsifying information. I didn't even think to consider that a simple speeding fine would result in a criminal record, and I know that the kind of people that work at these places really don't give a crap about your special circumstances.

Well, if you genuinely didn't know, the only thing you can do is apologize for not disclosing it to begin with, and let the school know before the background check lets them know (which is what I meant with my last post but it wasn't that clear. It seems like it would be pointless to disclose something to the school if it won't show up on the background check. But if you know for a fact that is will, I would tell them ASAP). Maybe you can PM premed1982 since they're in a similar situation (see earlier in this thread if you haven't read it yet). The best advice I can give you is to consult someone who actually knows what they're talking about (maybe a lawyer or anonymously call the school). Sorry. Good luck.

 

[himdoc]

I have no idea it was so long ago. 55 or 65. The point is have I just kicked myself out of medical school for clicking no to a misdemeanor for a speeding ticket when those actually count, and what the hell can I do about it? I tried calling the company that does the background checks but they're gone for the weekend.

I wrote a letter of appolgy and explanation to the school I've been accepted to and basically begged for their consideration. A speeding ticket isn't a big offense, so I'm sure if you can explain how and why you checked no they'll be understanding. Good luck

 

[Untraditional]

For what its worth my background check came back clean so I guess misdemeanor traffic offenses that weren't in criminal court and didn't involve drugs or alcohol don't show up.

 

[BuckFMP]

It seems that one cannot easily access his Certiphi report. But, I would like to know what, if anything, is on mine. Is there anyway to go about this? If not, has anyone used any alternative web-based services?