Can I get into Med School if I got a DWAI?

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wantingtobeadoc

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I made a huge mistake when I was 20 years old and got a DWAI, my BAC was .07 and because I was under 21 I pled guilty to a DWAI. Will I be able to get into Medical School even though i had this huge screw up? I have trully regretted it and I hope it doesn't ruin my chances but I was wondering what people thought...Do i still stand a chance of being accepted even though I got a DWAI?? please help, thank you

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In order to judge how much of an impact it will have, it would be useful to know how old you are now (how much time has elapsed). An older offense doesn't look as bad as one that's recent, especially if it was an isolated incident.
 
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i agree with you, but it is important to note that i did not get a DUI, i got a DWAI (driving while ability impaired) the cop who pulled me over for having a tail light out even told me after the portable breathylyzer that I would have been allowed to drive home had I been 21 but that since i was 20 he had no choice but to give me a DWAI
 
DUI/DWAI - either way not good.

You can be accepted provided you have no other red flags but if you had a low GPA or low MCAT or poor ECs than this might be the final nail in the coffin
 
well i agree with you there, but then again with a low gpa, no EC's, low MCAT, anyone would have a hard time...I simply meant if I get good grades, a solid MCAT, good LOR's, and have everything else, would I still be able to get in
 
well i agree with you there, but then again with a low gpa, no EC's, low MCAT, anyone would have a hard time...I simply meant if I get good grades, a solid MCAT, good LOR's, and have everything else, would I still be able to get in

Again, yes you can get accepted...but getting whatever you want to call it and try to spin it is not good.

You will have a hard hill to climb.....period.
 
An older offense doesn't look as bad as one that's recent, especially if it was an isolated incident.
I agree with this. I recommend you you don't apply at the traditional time. I think letting another 2-3 years go by with a clean record is your best redemption. Maybe plan to get a traditional masters, work for a few years in a clinical environment, build strength with a job in research, take on a strong leadership role, and/or generally build a perfect application in other respects.
 
would you reccommend i try to do a post-bac then? by the time i apply for med schools it will already be two yrs later, so i was wondering if maybe I should go for a post-bacc and then apply, making it 4 years later...what do you think?
 
Depends where you are on the GPA spectrum as to what the right course is.

A post-bac is traditionally for career-changers or people with low GPAs.

If you have an ok GPA, you could try doing something like an MPH to make yourself stand out. Or go do something interesting for a good EC or experience.

If its a little on the low-side, an SMP might not be a terrible idea.
 
i took a year off before I began college and I am currently a 2nd semester sophomore. My gpa is a 3.3 but after this semester it should be closer to a 3.4, and I plan to get straight for the rest of college. I have a great internship lined up with one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country and I do have other extra curriculars..what do MPH and SMP stand for??
 
MPH=master of public health. SMP=special masters program. Postbac can mean a formal (expensive) undergrad program, informal undergrad program that you design yourself for after you get your undergrad degree, or it can refer to an SMP (possibly because this program doesn't typically lead to a degree in anything, but it does help redeem a low GPA). It does not refer to a traditional masters, like an MPH. A traditional masters does not redeem a low GPA at most med schools, and for those where it does, the masters needs to be in a hard science (physiology, anatomy, microbiology, etc)

I assume you meant to say that you plan on straight As for the rest of college. Better to get your GPA into a competitive realm (3.65 ish) with the typical 4 years of college than to be obliged to pay big bucks for repair work postbac or SMP ($40K).

Ideally, you'd eventually shadow at least 2-3 types of specialty, of which at least one is in primary care.
 
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I am in a similar boat. I know it hurts medical school applications, but I was wondering how a DUI would affect acceptance into an SMP program.
 
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