Class C Misdemeanor in Texas

[Bliss26]

Hi guys.

This is my first post to SDN so I hope someone can help me out. I just found out that Texas classifies all speeding tickets as class c misdemeanors (correct me if I'm wrong). I got a speeding ticket about a year and a half ago going 12 mph over the speed limit. I'm not sure if this will come up in the background check or not? The TMDSAS says misdemeanors excluding minor traffic violations but the Certiphi background check does not. So should I list this on the Certiphi background check? Also, I'm not 100% sure this will come back on the background check at all...

Thanks for your help!

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[pre med 2014]

Hi guys.

This is my first post to SDN so I hope someone can help me out. I just found out that Texas classifies all speeding tickets as class c misdemeanors (correct me if I'm wrong). I got a speeding ticket about a year and a half ago going 12 mph over the speed limit. I'm not sure if this will come up in the background check or not? The TMDSAS says misdemeanors excluding minor traffic violations but the Certiphi background check does not. So should I list this on the Certiphi background check? Also, I'm not 100% sure this will come back on the background check at all...

Thanks for your help!

List it, but you are going to be o.k.!

 

[DrTroll]

My background check is done through a difffernt service other than certiphi, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I'd say no because none of my speeding tickets come back in the background check.

 

[pooker]

My background check is done through a difffernt service other than certiphi, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I'd say no because none of my speeding tickets come back in the background check.

Texas is one of those states that classifies it as a class c, and many people on her have reported that in Texas, there background checks have shown the speeding tickets. Bliss, Misdemeanors are usually filed through Municipal court, and most states have a free online system that you can use to see if it shows up there.

But I know more recently that Texas had a rule that class c's were up to the discretion of the governing body on whether to report them. Certiphi will search municipal courts for your record as well, so it really depends if its reported or not. It seems to be a crap-shoot, while some say nothing came back, and others say all of theirs came back.

Certiphi is more thorough than most background checks that I have seen. The best thing I have found in this situation is to call and ask, rather than asking on an online forum. If you feel comfortable in having me do it, I can use my beenverified account to see if it shows up there. They say they update quite regularly from all courts. I have found speeding tickets on other peoples reports. Once again though, certiphi tends to be more thorough, so take that for what its worth.

 

[NickNaylor]

Frankly no one is going to care about speeding tickets unless you have a ridiculous number of them. Disclosing a ticket likely isn't going to do anything to your application. Not disclosing a ticket, however, may come back to bite you - hard. Honesty is, you know, one of those important things those darn medical schools look for.

 

[Bliss26]

Thanks for all of the info guys! Do you think it would be best to call the municipal court and check with them? What about calling the school and explaining my situation?

 

[Isoprop]

I got a speeding ticket. It was classified as a misdem in my state (going 40 in a 25). Nobody cared.

 

[Bliss26]

Yeah but did you disclose the speeding ticket? I'm just worried if I don't disclose it and it comes back they will think I lied about it. Also, I've been accepted to some schools outside of Texas and on my AMCAS I didn't disclose it because I didn't realize it would be classified as a misdemeanor. The Texas schools are fine because TMDSAS explicitly states misdemeanors except minor traffic violations but AMCAS does not.

 

[NickNaylor]

Thanks for all of the info guys! Do you think it would be best to call the municipal court and check with them? What about calling the school and explaining my situation?

I would just send a quick e-mail saying that you forgot to include the ticket on your application. You could risk not saying anything, but that seems like a bad idea IMO.

 

[thestrokes14]

Med schools are only looking for misdemeanors and felonies, right? There is no reason to report a ticket unless it is classified as either or those two?

 

[pooker]

Traffic violations generally are citations. My school specifically states to list all class c misdemeanors, even if they are speeding tickets. In fact, they specifically state that it is your responsibility to find out. I have seen other schools state that a class a or b misdemeanor that is not reported will result in removal of your acceptance, with no mention about class c misdemeanors.

If you have already submitted your primary, you can pay for your background with Certiphi. They will give you a code and address to the website. You can see what all medical schools see by doing this.

 

[thestrokes14]

Traffic violations generally are citations. My school specifically states to list all class c misdemeanors, even if they are speeding tickets. In fact, they specifically state that it is your responsibility to find out. I have seen other schools state that a class a or b misdemeanor that is not reported will result in removal of your acceptance, with no mention about class c misdemeanors.

If you have already submitted your primary, you can pay for your background with Certiphi. They will give you a code and address to the website. You can see what all medical schools see by doing this.

What do you mean, your school asks you to do this? When?

 

[pooker]

What do you mean, your school asks you to do this? When?

Well were I live class c misdemeanors can be speeding tickets. The associate dean of the medical school made available an info packet for all potential applicants. In this packet, it is outlined in there.

 

[Isoprop]

Yeah but did you disclose the speeding ticket? I'm just worried if I don't disclose it and it comes back they will think I lied about it. Also, I've been accepted to some schools outside of Texas and on my AMCAS I didn't disclose it because I didn't realize it would be classified as a misdemeanor. The Texas schools are fine because TMDSAS explicitly states misdemeanors except minor traffic violations but AMCAS does not.

I didn't know it was a misdemeanor so I decided not to report. When I got my background check, I was surprised to see it pop up. I updated the schools via email. It really wasn't a big deal.

One school even told me it was a common occurrence and reassured me to not worry.

 

[Isoprop]

It's a little late for current applicants, but for future applicants, I would suggest getting a criminal background check done for yourself. Get it from every state you ever lived usually from the department of justice/state attorney's office. You might be surprised to find what's on there (I found a mistake in mine from 8 years ago!)

 

[pinipig523]

According to the Texas Jurisprudence, all felonies and class A, B, C misdemeanors w/ or w/o moral turpitude are to be reported to the board of medical physicians. You can deduce from this that you should report this to whatever governing body you're applying into.

UNLESS, it specifically says "except speeding or moving violations".

I would not hide anything.

 

[IMSingular]

You can probably go to www.texasonline.com and get your driving record. May be cost is about $10-$20 which you can pay by credit card.

 

[link2swim06]

I dont think I would be wrong by assuming the majority of med students have some sort of traffic ticket sometime in their lives.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Honestly, if you can't take things like traffic laws seriously, I'm not sure you're responsible enough to be a doctor =/




















OK, maybe I'm trolling But seriously, just disclose it. No one is going to care.

 

[mangoshakes]

hey guys, I got a speeding ticket back in january, but took defensive driving, so it was dismissed. I didn't put it in TMDSAS because it said to exclude "minor traffic violations", which it lists as "speeding". I didn't put it in TMDSAS because of that, but you guys are saying it's a misdeamenor here in texas.

uh, did I do wrong by not putting it?? should I be scrambling to contact schools.

 

[Life Sucks]

Oh noees, my doctor speeds. Oh noooes, the surgeon speeds, he might be faster then my heart beat.