Background check: Will a summary offense prevent me from going to med school??

[BelaMedicine]

Hi everyone,

I'm applying to med school right now and have been realizing as I fill out more secondaries that a lot of schools do background checks after an acceptance. I have a summary offense on my record (a stupid stupid mistake) and now am so scared that my dreams of becoming a doctor will be thrown away because of this. Furthermore, since all of this background check business occurs after an acceptance, i really have lost motivation towards filling out my secondaries🙁

Does anyone have any information about this?

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[Depakote]

Hi everyone,

I'm applying to med school right now and have been realizing as I fill out more secondaries that a lot of schools do background checks after an acceptance. I have a summary offense on my record (a stupid stupid mistake) and now am so scared that my dreams of becoming a doctor will be thrown away because of this. Furthermore, since all of this background check business occurs after an acceptance, i really have lost motivation towards filling out my secondaries🙁

Does anyone have any information about this?

I recall someone talking about this earlier.

If I recall correctly... summary offenses are lower than misdemenors. They don't show up on a lot of things, most applicaitons don't require you to report them, and most medical schools won't care about them even if they find out (as long as you don't lie).

 

[Depakote]

Found the thread I was thinking of...

 

[BelaMedicine]

I mean I know that if you are arrested for anything it will show up in a criminal background check. I really dont know what to do at this point-even if i get in, theres a possibility of getting kicked out later before first year? or even before ms3?

 

[blackluke]

I mean I know that if you are arrested for anything it will show up in a criminal background check. I really dont know what to do at this point-even if i get in, theres a possibility of getting kicked out later before first year? or even before ms3?

Only convictions matter. Theuy can't hold an arrest against you.

 

[BelaMedicine]

Only convictions matter. Theuy can't hold an arrest against you.

yeah i pleaded guilty by paying off a small fine. I really dont know what to do at this point..the only career i have ever considered is medicine and now i feel as though its slowly slipping away from me...

 

[zimmie256]

Hi everyone,

I'm applying to med school right now and have been realizing as I fill out more secondaries that a lot of schools do background checks after an acceptance. I have a summary offense on my record (a stupid stupid mistake) and now am so scared that my dreams of becoming a doctor will be thrown away because of this. Furthermore, since all of this background check business occurs after an acceptance, i really have lost motivation towards filling out my secondaries🙁

Does anyone have any information about this?

What is a summary offense?
(sorry if that's a stupid question)

 

[dsh]

You could try getting a background check done on yourself and see what comes up.

 

[swim2md]

Yes, a summary offense will more than likely show up on a criminal backround check if there was a conviction (ie, plead guilty, found guilty, paid a fine, etc.).

It would not come up if someone was arrested and no charges were ever filed.

When authorized agencies get criminal history information for the purpose of employment/medical school background checks, they can only be given convictions, not simply arrests or detentions.

However, even if it does show up, I don't think your dream of becoming a doctor is necessarily crushed. Most employers/schools won't necessarily disqualify a candidate because of just any conviction (such as drunk in public), but rather those with a subject matter affecting moral turpitude (fraud, theft, forgery, sex crimes-- most of which woulndn't be filed as summary offenses anyway).

Hope this helps.

Oh, and if AMCAS or any secondary applications ask you for this information voluntarily, MAKE SURE you tell the truth and explain what happened. Getting drunk underage won't likely dissuade an admissions committee, but lying about it will.

 

[Depakote]

Yes, a summary offense will more than likely show up on a criminal backround check if there was a conviction (ie, plead guilty, found guilty, paid a fine, etc.).

It would not come up if someone was arrested and no charges were ever filed.

When authorized agencies get criminal history information for the purpose of employment/medical school background checks, they can only be given convictions, not simply arrests or detentions.

However, even if it does show up, I don't think your dream of becoming a doctor is necessarily crushed. Most employers/schools won't necessarily disqualify a candidate because of just any conviction (such as drunk in public), but rather those with a subject matter affecting moral turpitude (fraud, theft, forgery, sex crimes-- most of which woulndn't be filed as summary offenses anyway).

Hope this helps.

Oh, and if AMCAS or any secondary applications ask you for this information voluntarily, MAKE SURE you tell the truth and explain what happened. Getting drunk underage won't likely dissuade an admissions committee, but lying about it will.

methinks the OP was holding.

Anyway, if you were only given a summary offense, then you probably weren't doing anything that would get you kicked from med school... (even if illicits were involved)

 

[swim2md]

methinks the OP was holding.

What do you mean?

 

[Depakote]

What do you mean?

caught in posession of marijuana.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

they only ask about misdemeanors and felonies. a summary is a lesser offense and is not included.

 

[RDood]

Hi everyone,

I'm applying to med school right now and have been realizing as I fill out more secondaries that a lot of schools do background checks after an acceptance. I have a summary offense on my record (a stupid stupid mistake) and now am so scared that my dreams of becoming a doctor will be thrown away because of this. Furthermore, since all of this background check business occurs after an acceptance, i really have lost motivation towards filling out my secondaries🙁

Does anyone have any information about this?

Idiots... This is not the first thread I've seen about people with something on their record that they failed to report on their applications and then start freaking out about the background check. When are people going to realize that you can't LIE ON YOUR APP. They'll find out. That and most schools want HONEST doctors...

 

[Dr. Breyean]

I had no idea until reading this thread that medical schools even cared about misdemeanors. I figured it was just felonies that they were concerned about. Can being convicted of a misdemeanor actually affect a whether a medical school accepts a person? I was convicted of a misdemeaner just this year so I'm sure its still on my record and everything.

 

[RDood]

I had no idea until reading this thread that medical schools even cared about misdemeanors. I figured it was just felonies that they were concerned about. Can being convicted of a misdemeanor actually affect a whether a medical school accepts a person? I was convicted of a misdemeaner just this year so I'm sure its still on my record and everything.

Read the freaking applications. They ask if you've ever been convicted of an offense, or misdemeanor (many times the only excpetion is a traffic offense). Honesty is the best policy guys...

 

[Dr. Breyean]

Read the freaking applications. They ask if you've ever been convicted of an offense, or misdemeanor (many times the only excpetion is a traffic offense). Honesty is the best policy guys...

I havn't started applying yet

 

[RDood]

I havn't started applying yet

Alright, sorry I just keep seeing these people lying on applications. Yeah, they'll ask about misdemeanors (including MIPs, DUIs), and even "Institutional actions." Just be prepared to write a one page summary explanation about them (ie, a sob story and what lessons you learned). And I'd avoid any of the above in the future...

 

[Dr. Breyean]

Alright, sorry I just keep seeing these people lying on applications. Yeah, they'll ask about misdemeanors (including MIPs, DUIs), and even "Institutional actions." Just be prepared to write a one page summary explanation about them (ie, a sob story and what lessons you learned). And I'd avoid any of the above in the future...

What do you think of criminal trespassing? Is that something that medical schools would see as a big deal?

 

[RDood]

What do you think of criminal trespassing? Is that something that medical schools would see as a big deal?

Who knows? If given the choice between two identical applicants, they'll obviously take the one without a criminal offense. But, like I said, just don't try to hide it, or worse, lie about it. You'll want to be able to give context and absolutely tell about what you learned. When secondaries come around, talk to your pre-med advisor about writing these supplemental explanatory essays.

 

[acrobat]

What the hell is a summary offense? I havea civil foreighture for underage drinking. I tried a background check and it shows up no where at all.

Lucky that in my state it wasn't a misdemeanor

also in some states DUI's aren't misdeamnors, which is a little scary.

 

[agr285]

What the hell is a summary offense? I havea civil foreighture for underage drinking. I tried a background check and it shows up no where at all.

Lucky that in my state it wasn't a misdemeanor

also in some states DUI's aren't misdeamnors, which is a little scary.

Actually, I think a DUI is a misdemeanor at a mininmum in every state. However, most people don't get convicted if its a first time offense. They get court supervision instead.

 

[MaximusD]

Alright, sorry I just keep seeing these people lying on applications. Yeah, they'll ask about misdemeanors (including MIPs, DUIs), and even "Institutional actions." Just be prepared to write a one page summary explanation about them (ie, a sob story and what lessons you learned). And I'd avoid any of the above in the future...

Stop being so ****ing self-righteous. I'm sure you've messed up somewhere along the line. Get a grip. We are all young; we make mistakes. I'm sure you drank underage or tried pot once or twice. BFD is all I have to say. some people get caught and then they're screwed just because they got caught. How many people never get caught and never have to deal with this?

Look at the 60s... all of the hippies (druggies) comprise the professional world today...doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, teachers... etc.

 

[Andre04]

Stop being so ****ing self-righteous. I'm sure you've messed up somewhere along the line. Get a grip. We are all young; we make mistakes. I'm sure you drank underage or tried pot once or twice. BFD is all I have to say. some people get caught and then they're screwed just because they got caught. How many people never get caught and never have to deal with this?

Look at the 60s... all of the hippies (druggies) comprise the professional world today...doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, teachers... etc.

Yea, and nowhere did the OP say he was lying on applications. But facts never stopped the premed police.

 

[notdeadyet]

Stop being so ****ing self-righteous.

I sympathize with those people who have charges they have to fess up to on their apps (the only thing that separates me from them is the location of the nearest cop for ages 16-24). But I agree with RDood in having limited patience for those who lie on their primary and then realize they may have to have a background check and freak out.

Not saying that the OP did this but I too have limited patience for those who try to lie and not admit to something they've done then backpeddle once they find out they might get caught in the lie.

Personally, if I were an adcom, I wouldn't put too much weight on someone who had a tag on their app for underage drinking or a college prank. But I would come down very hard on someone who tried to cover it up. Stupidity comes with youth; dishonesty doesn't.

 

[jmarti05]

I was convicted for a Class A Miss. Possession of Controlled Substance "Testosterone Enanthate" and a class C Felony for "Drug Para" .. I got screwed b/c my I recieved a Felony for a syringe. I was stupid and was into bodybuilding "even more stupid", which was about 6 years ago. I was not going to college at the time. Since then I have enrolled in college, 1 year for graduating and have a 3.89 GPA and scored PS 11 BS 11 VR 10. The question about admitting about it is this ... I have ALREADY BEEN PARDONED BY THE GOVERNOR LAST YEAR !!! which I was told by my lawyer and a few other people completely erases it !!! Is this true ?? is it completely gone ??? I had it expunged and then pardoned .... and my lawyer told me that I can legally "AND SHOULD" put no on the application....... WHAT SHOULD I DO ???

p.s. I tried to start my own thread but it would not let me b/c I am new I guess 🙁.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Stop being so ****ing self-righteous. I'm sure you've messed up somewhere along the line. Get a grip. We are all young; we make mistakes. I'm sure you drank underage or tried pot once or twice. BFD is all I have to say. some people get caught and then they're screwed just because they got caught. How many people never get caught and never have to deal with this?

Look at the 60s... all of the hippies (druggies) comprise the professional world today...doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, teachers... etc.

👍

seriously, chilax peeps

 

[RDood]

Stop being so ****ing self-righteous. I'm sure you've messed up somewhere along the line. Get a grip. We are all young; we make mistakes. I'm sure you drank underage or tried pot once or twice. BFD is all I have to say. some people get caught and then they're screwed just because they got caught. How many people never get caught and never have to deal with this?

Look at the 60s... all of the hippies (druggies) comprise the professional world today...doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, teachers... etc.

I enjoy that you responded to a post in which I *apologized* if I sounded too harsh, by you responding with profanity - classy I must say. Anyway, no, I didn't drink underage, and I still have never tried pot - yes, there are some people out there who don't do these things or get caught, and therefore do not have a "record."

Yes, many people do and many people have MIPs on their records. I didn't say it's going to keep anyone out of medical school, I was just reporting the sorry truth that, given all things equal, an adcom is of course going to take the applicant without a record versus the one with a record.

And I'm just trying to remind people about the disclaimers that many schools have on their secondaries when you sign the ability for them to do a background check, and also signing that you understand they can rescind an acceptance if they find out you lied. Aside from wishing all are truthful on med school aps, I also want to save someone the hurt of being kicked out of their dream school a week before classes start becuause they were disingenuous.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

I enjoy that you responded to a post in which I *apologized* if I sounded too harsh, by you responding with profanity - classy I must say. Anyway, no, I didn't drink underage, and I still have never tried pot - yes, there are some people out there who don't do these things or get caught, and therefore do not have a "record."

Yes, many people do and many people have MIPs on their records. I didn't say it's going to keep anyone out of medical school, I was just reporting the sorry truth that, given all things equal, an adcom is of course going to take the applicant without a record versus the one with a record.

And I'm just trying to remind people about the disclaimers that many schools have on their secondaries when you sign the ability for them to do a background check, and also signing that you understand they can rescind an acceptance if they find out you lied. Aside from wishing all are truthful on med school aps, I also want to save someone the hurt of being kicked out of their dream school a week before classes start becuause they were disingenuous.

You can be helpful without calling people idiots (your first post in the thread)

In general, coming into a thread with a snotty, goody goody attitude while calling people idiots gets those kind of responses, just in case you were confused about why you got it 🙂

 

[Andre04]

I enjoy that you responded to a post in which I *apologized* if I sounded too harsh, by you responding with profanity - classy I must say.

Nice! A sorry excuses anything. Let me try this:

Anyway, no, I didn't drink underage, and I still have never tried pot - yes, there are some people out there who don't do these things or get caught, and therefore do not have a "record."

You never drank underage? Excuse me for being honest, but you're a complete and total loser. Sorry you suck so much, must be tough. 🙁

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

I enjoy that you responded to a post in which I *apologized* if I sounded too harsh, by you responding with profanity - classy I must say. Anyway, no, I didn't drink underage, and I still have never tried pot - yes, there are some people out there who don't do these things or get caught, and therefore do not have a "record."

Yes, many people do and many people have MIPs on their records. I didn't say it's going to keep anyone out of medical school, I was just reporting the sorry truth that, given all things equal, an adcom is of course going to take the applicant without a record versus the one with a record.

And I'm just trying to remind people about the disclaimers that many schools have on their secondaries when you sign the ability for them to do a background check, and also signing that you understand they can rescind an acceptance if they find out you lied. Aside from wishing all are truthful on med school aps, I also want to save someone the hurt of being kicked out of their dream school a week before classes start becuause they were disingenuous.

I doubt you'd get kicked out for having an MIP on your record unless you blatantly tried to hide it... I think they're looking for people were involved in misdemeanor assault, drugs, etc. A can of beer does not a bad person make.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

I was convicted for a Class A Miss. Possession of Controlled Substance "Testosterone Enanthate" and a class C Felony for "Drug Para" .. I got screwed b/c my I recieved a Felony for a syringe. I was stupid and was into bodybuilding "even more stupid", which was about 6 years ago. I was not going to college at the time. Since then I have enrolled in college, 1 year for graduating and have a 3.89 GPA and scored PS 11 BS 11 VR 10. The question about admitting about it is this ... I have ALREADY BEEN PARDONED BY THE GOVERNOR LAST YEAR !!! which I was told by my lawyer and a few other people completely erases it !!! Is this true ?? is it completely gone ??? I had it expunged and then pardoned .... and my lawyer told me that I can legally "AND SHOULD" put no on the application....... WHAT SHOULD I DO ???

p.s. I tried to start my own thread but it would not let me b/c I am new I guess 🙁.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

there's no record of it now so definately put NO! your lawyer is right. 👍 you're good to go