Background Checks

[sfgiantsfan]

In 2008 I was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors. These charges were dismissed before anything went to trial. This has never been an issue (other than a very stressful couple of weeks there...) but now that I am wanting to apply to medical schools, I am wondering if the arrest record will look bad. Anyone know anything about this?

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[NickNaylor]

Well arrests certainly aren't going to make schools swoon over you.

 

[Mr Hippopotamus]

Arrests don't look good. But they weren't felonies, and they got dismissed. Were you under 18? Because if so you should be able to get them off your record.

 

[gravitywave]

i don't remember the standard background check screening for arrests, just convictions. there might be some secondaries that ask about it, but if all you've got is an arrest record, i don't think it's an issue. adcoms are willing to consider the possibility that the justice system actually works

 

[the duck]

i don't remember the standard background check screening for arrests, just convictions. there might be some secondaries that ask about it, but if all you've got is an arrest record, i don't think it's an issue. adcoms are willing to consider the possibility that the justice system actually works

I hope this is how it works, it seem stupid that background checks would screen for arrests. What happened to "innocent until proven guilty" ?

 

[jungleland]

Hey, I asked a question about this about a month ago. I am in the same situation, and I'm applying now. I ran a certiphi background check on myself, and the dismissed misdemeanors did NOT show up. The wording of AMCAS also explicitly excludes misdemeanors that have been dismissed. If there are any secondaries that ask you about ARRESTS, or PLEADING, however, it may be a different story. No school will know about your arrests on their own from any type of check, so don't listen to that BS advice up above.

 

[sfgiantsfan]

Great feedback guys. Thanks. An arrest and dismissal of charges is in a different ballpark than conviction or something. My hope is that if it does come up, it will be approached intelligently. I can't help but be a little paranoid though. My inclination is to start contacting people to get the arrest off my record. Running the check on yourself was smart. How much did that cost you?

 

[Bernoull]

u have nothing to worry about. For the secondaries that ask for arrest, just be forthright, it will not be held against u. The worst thing u can do is to be dishonest, as the saying goes the coverup's usually worse than the crime.

Get it expunged/sealed if u can.

gdluck

 

[BlackPanties]

If they were dismissed I wouldn't be overly worried about them. I would absolutely run a Certiphi background check on myself just to put my mind at ease and see what AMCAS is going to be seeing about you.