Can I still get into med school?

[RolloofWhatever]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I recently graduated from college with a degree in Computer Science. I'm thinking about going to med school, but the issue is when I was 20 years old I got arrested for a misdemeanor. Long story short I never got convicted and its now expunged. Can I still get into med school?

 

[HomeSkool]

Yes. If they expunged it already, it probably wasn't a really huge deal (correct me if I'm wrong). You'll have to disclose it on your application, and adcoms probably won't care.

If I'm mistaken and it is a relatively serious misdemeanor, you'll need to convince adcoms that you've done some reflection and growth. But like I said, I doubt that's going to be the case for you.

Out of curiosity, what were you accused of doing?

 

[RolloofWhatever]

Yes. If they expunged it already, it probably wasn't a really huge deal (correct me if I'm wrong). You'll have to disclose it on your application, and adcoms probably won't care.

If I'm mistaken and it is a relatively serious misdemeanor, you'll need to convince adcoms that you've done some reflection and growth. But like I said, I doubt that's going to be the case for you.

Out of curiosity, what were you accused of doing?

I rather not get into details due to what happen in the situation. All I can tell you is it didn't involve drugs and when I explained to the judge what truly happen he didn't convict me or anything. Truth of the matter is I just came here to ask what my options are as far as med school goes. I'm still deciding on whether I should get an advanced degree in CS, Physics, or Chem Engineering. Another thing is I still have depression over that situation even though the outcome of it was different than what I thought and thinking about putting off med school at the moment.

 

[HomeSkool]

I rather not get into details due to what happen in the situation. All I can tell you is it didn't involve drugs and when I explained to the judge what truly happen he didn't convict me or anything.

Sounds like it's just as I thought: you'll want to disclose that you were arrested and went to court, and you'll need to explain some specifics of the situation on your application. But it sounds like it shouldn't bother adcoms much, and it won't keep you out of med school if you have an otherwise strong application.

Another thing is I still have depression over that situation even though the outcome of it was different than what I thought and thinking about putting off med school at the moment.

I'm sorry to hear that. Med school can be done with depression, but only if it's managed well. As @Goro says, med school can break even healthy individuals if they don't take care of themselves. Take whatever time you need to get in a better space, figure out where you want to be long-term (medicine, CS, etc.), and then move forward. I wish you the best as you move forward with your career.

 

[soysizle]

From what i’ve read in other posts, you shouldn’t have a problem. If I were you I’d just get an advanced degree in CS and enter that field. The work demand outpaces the supply, you’d be making bank pretty early on. Unless you really want to pursue medicine.

 

[Goro]

I recently graduated from college with a degree in Computer Science. I'm thinking about going to med school, but the issue is when I was 20 years old I got arrested for a misdemeanor. Long story short I never got convicted and its now expunged. Can I still get into med school?

Yes

 

[Deleted member 750603]

You won’t have any problems. The law sees your past as one which the public and you would benefit from not having to disclose. Your record would not be expungeable if it was serious crime.

When you get certiphi prompt it will not ask you to disclose anything that is expunged.

Some schools don’t ask about criminal past in their secondaries, some schools do but tell you to not disclose if the record is expunged, some schools mention “EVEN IF” expunged to disclose and some just say “have you ever”.

Medical schools function within the law and if your record is expunged you don’t have to report it, and you are not in breach of any ethical concerns with a small caveat.

Disclose only if it explicitly states EVEN IF EXPUNGED. In this case if you don’t disclose you are lying. So mention it then. If it doesn’t mention it, you are legally protected and no one will have an issue with you going through legal routes and that which is well within your legal rights as a citizen of USA. Everybody gets one expungement a lifetime. You got yours.

Boards will ask to disclose everything and you must.

Two things going for you is that you were not convicted and the whole fiasco is expunged. You’re fine.

If you are uncertain and are worried, contact the admissions office of a specific school anonymously and ask.