Convicted Felon - Is Medical School Realistic?

[nothing gold can stay]

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Hello. I'll get right to the point. You might find my story interesting!

When I was 17, I started a fire (arson) in my family's home which didn't exactly "burn it down," but the smoke/mold damage was enough to make it necessary to demolish it. Nobody was home except me and my dog who I carried out - I never wanted to hurt a soul. When the police found me and my dog, I admitted to it right away.

Why did I do it? Parents divorcing. Anger toward both of them for complicated reasons (dad used to lock my mom inside rooms of the house, for example). Loneliness, depression, suicidal ideation. Long story short, the fire was my way of begging the world to give a crap about me; it was my cry for help.

I was charged as an adult. I spent half a year in jail and was sentenced to 7 years probation by the state (my parents never wanted to press charges against me). I have since made up with my family and in fact live with them currently, since my record makes it difficult to rent elsewhere or get a job but also because it's convenient. Home insurance covered my family very well after the fire.

I got out of jail (which was awful, by the way), went back to high school, got the diploma. I'm now 22, a junior in biochemistry, and have a 3.95 cGPA 3.89 sGPA. Done with all premed course prereqs already except the recommended psychology/sociology which I'll do before I take the 2015 MCAT.

Ignoring the fact that I have a crippling lack of extracurriculars due to my criminal record barring me from any hospital/clinic volunteering/internships or even regular old-fashioned volunteering, let's suppose I am able to convince a judge that in order to get into medical school, I need to have my felony record expunged and he obliges. Assuming I am able to get into med school (after a gap year or two in which I get as much medical volunteering and other extracurriculars in as possible), would even an expunged arson felony prevent me from ever being granted a medical license by a licensing board? Note that the crime was neither sexual nor legally dangerous and no weapon was used besides a match.

I strongly feel that the nature and motivation of my crime has little to do with my capabilities and qualities as a potential doctor, and the fact that I am on good terms with my family now only reveals that the state was legally required to charge me for setting fire to my own home (well, my parents' home, but you get the point).

I really want to be a doctor. I don't want to do anything else, but I'd settle for PA or pharmacy if I had to (and was able to). Should I reconsider my career goal? Will my desperate act as a 17 year old really hold me back for the rest of my life?

Thank you for your honest input.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Umm, you have a good GPA.

I wonder what @Goro and @gyngyn would say about this situation.

 

[graybrij]

I don't know a lot about legality issues like this. But I hope that a mistake made before you were even able to vote won't stop you from becoming a doctor. It seems to me that you're realistic about the set backs you will face. I think that if you are able to discuss and explain this event when you submit your application you may have a good shot.

I know that's not super helpful but I thought this post was interesting and I wish you the best.

Stay golden pony boy.

 

[Mr Roboto]

How do you know you want to be a doctor, without clinical exposure?

Excellent GPA, congrats.

Curious to see what adcoms say.

 

[Bovary]

At 17 you horrifically torched your own family's home to the ground.
You should never be a physician or caregivers to anyone. Sorry bud. This is so much more than a youthful mistake.

 

[Mr Roboto]

+1

This is so much more than a youthful mistake.

Describing this as not being "legally dangerous" seems like an immature perspective. Firefighters had to enter the house, putting themselves in danger. The fire could've spread, assuming you had neighbors or lived near a field/woods, and caused more damage. It was definitely "legally dangerous." Many teenagers have parents who get divorced; very few set fire to their houses.

 

[taniaekal]

Contact a lawyer who knows about licensing requirements in your state, and see the court in regards to potential expungement.

Wish you the best OP! We all make mistakes or bad decisions at some point. Keep your head up and do whatever it takes to move forward.

 

[junebug947]

For the sake of anonymity, I'm using a throwaway account.

My situation isn't exactly like yours, OP, but similar in some ways. When I was the same age as you (17), I made some stupid mistakes. I plead guilty to six felonies. However, I was offered a diversion program and asked to complete community service. After completing the community service, the felony charges were dropped. I think this was key for me, because I was able to answer to 'no' to any questions about both whether I had been convicted of felonies, but also whether I'd been charged. I had my record expunged as well. Now I'm in medical school. I agree with above poster, you should contact a lawyer and talk to them about what your options are.

It saddens me that other posters on here think that one mistake made at the age of 17 should define the direction your life takes. Good people can do stupid things sometimes, and that doesn't make them a bad person.

 

[familyaerospace]

I don't know the answer to your question and I really don't want to venture a guess as I'm far from being a lawyer (I don't even play one on TV), but IF you get into medical school and become a successful physician, I think you should write a book because if you turned your life around in that way you would be a great inspiration for others.

 

[487806]

For the sake of anonymity, I'm using a throwaway account.

My situation isn't exactly like yours, OP, but similar in some ways. When I was the same age as you (17), I made some stupid mistakes. I plead guilty to six felonies. However, I was offered a diversion program and asked to complete community service. After completing the community service, the felony charges were dropped. I think this was key for me, because I was able to answer to 'no' to any questions about both whether I had been convicted of felonies, but also whether I'd been charged. I had my record expunged as well. Now I'm in medical school. I agree with above poster, you should contact a lawyer and talk to them about what your options are.

It saddens me that other posters on here think that one mistake made at the age of 17 should define the direction your life takes. Good people can do stupid things sometimes, and that doesn't make them a bad person.

Maybe your felonies were minor enough to warrant an expunge? Arson isn't exactly the felony that'll be removed so easily. I'll defer this case to @Law2Doc along with @LizzyM and @Catalystik since they're far more experienced with this

 

[touchpause13]

Talk to a lawyer

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Go for it OP! Prove your maturity/commitment through community involvement and try to find some clinics to work with. You will have to prove it more than a traditional applicant. You might have more luck with community based clinics and ones that work specifically with homeless populations and prior offenders (simply because of the nature of the people you are serving). I work with clinics serving these populations and we definitely have some staff who are former offenders and it's actually a great way to engage our patients. Definitely figure out the legal issues and contact your pre med adviser and look into speaking with an admissions person at a local medical school if possible.

Going through 3rd/4th year and residency might cause some problems with a criminal record. But you served your time and are now rocking your courses. Hopefully you can work it out!!!

Good luck!

 

[Goro]

There are too many things here that only a lawyer can answer, but to me, you appear to have redeemed yourself. The key thing is convincing others that the you of now is not the you of then. IF you can get the ECs in, and show exemplary behavior, then I don't see the doors to medical school being closed. Good luck!

Hello. I'll get right to the point. You might find my story interesting!

When I was 17, I started a fire (arson) in my family's home which didn't exactly "burn it down," but the smoke/mold damage was enough to make it necessary to demolish it. Nobody was home except me and my dog who I carried out - I never wanted to hurt a soul. When the police found me and my dog, I admitted to it right away.

Why did I do it? Parents divorcing. Anger toward both of them for complicated reasons (dad used to lock my mom inside rooms of the house, for example). Loneliness, depression, suicidal ideation. Long story short, the fire was my way of begging the world to give a crap about me; it was my cry for help.

I was charged as an adult. I spent half a year in jail and was sentenced to 7 years probation by the state (my parents never wanted to press charges against me). I have since made up with my family and in fact live with them currently, since my record makes it difficult to rent elsewhere or get a job but also because it's convenient. Home insurance covered my family very well after the fire.

I got out of jail (which was awful, by the way), went back to high school, got the diploma. I'm now 22, a junior in biochemistry, and have a 3.95 cGPA 3.89 sGPA. Done with all premed course prereqs already except the recommended psychology/sociology which I'll do before I take the 2015 MCAT.

Ignoring the fact that I have a crippling lack of extracurriculars due to my criminal record barring me from any hospital/clinic volunteering/internships or even regular old-fashioned volunteering, let's suppose I am able to convince a judge that in order to get into medical school, I need to have my felony record expunged and he obliges. Assuming I am able to get into med school (after a gap year or two in which I get as much medical volunteering and other extracurriculars in as possible), would even an expunged arson felony prevent me from ever being granted a medical license by a licensing board? Note that the crime was neither sexual nor legally dangerous and no weapon was used besides a match.

I strongly feel that the nature and motivation of my crime has little to do with my capabilities and qualities as a potential doctor, and the fact that I am on good terms with my family now only reveals that the state was legally required to charge me for setting fire to my own home (well, my parents' home, but you get the point).

I really want to be a doctor. I don't want to do anything else, but I'd settle for PA or pharmacy if I had to (and was able to). Should I reconsider my career goal? Will my desperate act as a 17 year old really hold me back for the rest of my life?

Thank you for your honest input.

 

[jfirefox]

How did you go to college? Since getting a felony bans you from receiving federal loans?

 

[Mad Jack]

How did you go to college? Since getting a felony bans you from receiving federal loans?

If my memory serves me correctly, only felonies involving drugs that occur while you are currently receiving student aid prevent you from receiving further aid.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

You should never be a physician or caregivers to anyone.

I would hope a future physician would show some empathy and realize people can change and give back. It's great that the OP learned from his mistake and is now working hard to be successful. Overcoming a felony is hard for anyone, particularly because there are so many misinformed people (apparently like you) and barriers in our society, that make a conviction a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. You will come across prior and current offenders of all sorts as a physician and you better make sure your bedside manner and empathy skills are in order when you have to provide care to them. Just because you are a felon does not mean you cannot give back to the community or care for other people.

OP is definitely in a tight spot and needs to work this out with a lawyer, but if it's possible, it seems reasonable that the OP can try to earn a spot in medical school.

Here is one in a bunch of instances of an ex felon giving back to the community. Inform yourself.

https://magazine.wustl.edu/2012/august/Pages/ClarkPorter.aspx

 

[chickenpox]

At 17 you horrifically torched your own family's home to the ground.
You should never be a physician or caregivers to anyone. Sorry bud. This is so much more than a youthful mistake.

This is an awfully unforgiving and close-minded post... Although I agree that it was a dangerous act, I don't think a mistake at 17 should define him for the rest of his life. The OP obviously has turned his life around since then and that alone, shows a lot of maturity.

 

[fayevalentine]

Hi OP, I think the most important thing you need to do is make such your felony will not prevent you from obtaining a medical license after you go through med school. I believe schools are usually most concerned with whether or not a crime will impact your ability to be licensed. (Edit: I just realized in your post you already addressed this as a concern - I would try anonymously calling or emailing licensing boards directly in the states you wish to practice in.)

As far as acceptance into med school, there are of course going to be adcoms that take one look at your application and throw it in the trash. However, if you are honest and discuss how you have learned from your mistake, and how it helped you to grow and change as a person, I think there are those out there who would be willing to give you a chance. Apply broadly! You have great stats, btw!

Best of luck. I hope you get in somewhere. I disagree with anyone who says you do not deserve to practice medicine. You have obviously grown up since the incident. Some people need to get down from their high horses and realize most kids make stupid mistakes. Can you really say setting a fire to a home is worse than, say, drunk driving? The OP knew that nobody was home when they did it. Drunk drivers are putting everyone on the road in danger. I'm not trying to justify the OP's actions by saying I agree with what they did - just that one stupid mistake doesn't make them a horrible person, or unfit to practice medicine.

Sorry, /rant!

 

[gyngyn]

From a medical school perspective, the OP presents several types of liability. The fact that he will be unable to get a badge in any hospital where we train students means he cannot receive an equivalent education to his peers. If we accept him knowing that, we are open to suit from him. Even "expunged" records show up in searches initiated by government facilities (including hospitals operated by or affiliated with local, state and federal government). One can never really remove a felony conviction from the public record.

Even if we somehow overcame this, the odds of him getting a license is remote, at best. Since we also know this at the outset, we would have knowingly cost him time and money in a way far more disingenuous than the law schools currently being sued by unemployed former students.

Last, and most obvious, any subsequent bad acts will appear to have been predictable.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I thought that felonies couldn't be expunged, and could only be pardoned by the governor. Well if I'm wrong, then I highly suggest finding a good lawyer, and getting them expunged. Sweeping it under the rug is far easier than being open about it. But if you can't get it expunged, I would see if it's possible to receive a pardon from the governor. I heard this is very difficult to do though.

If expungement or pardon are not possible, you must contact the licensing boards and find out if you can even become a physician. It would suck to be accepted to medical school, and then never be able to practice after all these years. I've heard of people being licensed after committing felonies, so it is possible.

After doing these two aforementioned things as soon as possible, I would then work on your ECs. First the basics. I don't think you need anything formal in order to shadow a physician. I would shadow as soon as possible. Unlike volunteering, there are no background checks or anything of the like. I could be wrong, but I never had to sign any formalities when I shadowed.

After getting that done, I would do some "redemption" ECs. The first thing I would do is talk to youth about the dangers of starting fires. I know that when I was in grade school, there were a few of the bad kids in my class that my mom would never let me play with. I knew that these kids would light small fires for fun. None of them grew up to be arsonists, but hey, anything is possible. Speaking to these kids would probably look good to ADCOMs.

Finally, the last thing I would do would require quite a bit of effort, but it would serve two great purposes for yourself. I would try to start a non-profit helping burn victims of arson. This would look great to ADCOMs, and definitely help with the redemption perspective of your application. Also, if medical school doesn't pan out, you would still be the head of a non-profit organization. Non-profits are actually good ways of making a living, and you can also spend a long time making a difference in peoples' lives, which you would have been doing as a physician. 🙂 Otherwise, I could imagine that it would be difficult getting hired for a good job as an ex-felon. I know a lot of (big) companies hire ex-felons, but I can't imagine that it's for top positions that are sought after by clean-record college graduates.

Follow these suggested steps, and hopefully you can find some success. I wish you the best of luck. I have great respect for people that turn their lives around, and I wish you all the best!

 

[hushcom]

Assuming I am able to get into med school (after a gap year or two in which I get as much medical volunteering and other extracurriculars in as possible), would even an expunged arson felony prevent me from ever being granted a medical license by a licensing board?

Some state medical boards allow you to not disclose expunged convictions, even felony ones. Others want to know everything bad thing you've ever done (including that time you punched your sister when you were six).

If you can get your record expunged then you should be able to get your foot in the door. Otherwise it is a dead issue.

 

[nothing gold can stay]

Thanks everybody for levelling with me. I'm particularly happy that two adcoms have said I have a fighting chance if I am able to expunge my record. I've been trying to contact my probation officer to discuss an early termination of probation (they told me years ago it's highly unlikely to last the full 7 years as a first time offender), and if/when that works out I'll seek out an expungement and find a lawyer who has experience with professional licensure.

@familyaerospace , I'll keep that in mind. I'd probably have to hire someone to ask me questions and write it for me, though, haha. I have terrible memory.

@lalalaaaaaa , unfortunately I already spoke to a premed advisor about my situation and she basically suggested I give up and go to grad school. I asked her if she knew of any volunteering I could do with a felony record, and the only thing she gave me was a Christian neighborhood clinic an hour's drive away from me. However, I'm submitting several applications to other clinic volunteer websites, and maybe they'll look past my background check and I can finally get started this summer.

And yes, it is frustrating and saddening how unforgiving society can be toward one-time offenders. But I understand that in the majority of cases the past is a good predictor of future behavior, and so in a statistical sense it is rational to prevent ex-felons from becoming doctors or lawyers or police officers. I have to prove that I'm an outlier - it's a burden I have to bear, and there's no use being bitter about it (even if I am a little bitter).

@junebug947 , wow, six felonies and they dropped them all for you?! That's awesome man, I'm glad you made it.

@jfirefox , I received a full ride tuition scholarship at my state university. My parents pay for my food and textbooks and other minor expenses. My university didn't do a background check on me, so my record never entered the equation.

@fayevalentine , I hadn't considered emailing licensing boards, thank you for the suggestion. I will contact them after I graduate and if I get my record expunged. I will apply very broadly - I want to go into primary care, so I will apply to mostly DO schools. Thank you for your kind words, I assure you that I have indeed grown up. I'm much more grounded in life now, I could never do something that selfish again.

Also, you say that drunk drivers endanger everyone on the road. To be fair, the fire could have spread to one of my neighbor's homes. But thankfully, in reality it wasn't even close to doing so - firefighters are very good at what they do. Nevertheless, it is definitely something I should have thought of at the time, as it is the only aspect of my crime that could have endangered anyone (much less so than drunk driving, though!).

@gyngyn , very interesting information. I did know that my expunged felony would always show up in government background checks, but I didn't know I'd not be able to get a badge in hospitals where students are trained. I'm not entirely sure what this means (I don't know what the badge is for/represents), though.

@Planes2Doc , I already have some shadowing experiences because like you said, it's the one thing I can do just as easily as anyone else. I'm not sure how I would go about starting any redemption ECs or a non profit. I feel like talking to kids about the dangers of fire is a little superficial - of course it's dangerous and of course you should never play with it. There isn't much to "talk" about regarding it, idk. Interesting ideas though, I will keep them in mind for my gap years and look out for similar opportunities! Thank you for the encouragement.

Lastly, wow hushcom, I did NOT know there were medical boards that allowed that. That would be extremely favorable in my case. I will look into this more - I have bookmarked this thread and will come back to it over the years! Thanks again everyone for the wisdom, knowledge, advice, and brutal honesty.

 

[mrh125]

At 17 you horrifically torched your own family's home to the ground.
You should never be a physician or caregivers to anyone. Sorry bud. This is so much more than a youthful mistake.

people change though and we all may mistakes. to say someone can't learn from their mistakes no matter how extreme they are is just unduly harsh. Until you've been through that individual's circumstances you have no right to condemn them honestly (this is obviously excluding mass murder).

 

[deleted407021]

people change though and we all may mistakes. to say someone can't learn from their mistakes no matter how extreme they are is just unduly harsh. Until you've been through that individual's circumstances you have no right to condemn them honestly (this is obviously excluding mass murder).

I'm no kind of professional, but it's safe to say that his actions far exceed the "mischief" many teens find themselves in. What he did is not something most people would even entertain, much less actually perpetrate. As, Dr. gyngyn has stated, he would be too much of a gamble, as far as he is concerned.

It doesn't sound like OP harbors ill will toward anyone. There was clearly some build up to the event. I really wish him the best of luck and I think he has come a long way from that point.

 

[mrh125]

I'm no kind of professional, but it's safe to say that his actions far exceed the "mischief" many teens find themselves in. What he did is not something most people would even entertain, much less actually perpetrate. As, Dr. gyngyn has stated, he would be too much of a gamble, as far as he is concerned.

It doesn't sound like OP harbors ill will toward anyone. There was clearly some build up to the event. I really wish him the best of luck and I think he has come a long way from that point.

If his goal is medicine though and he has learned from his experiences, he should still pursue his goal and not be discouraged from it unless he faces a guaranteed rejection. Life's a gamble.

 

[Bovary]

This is an awfully unforgiving and close-minded post... Although I agree that it was a dangerous act, I don't think a mistake at 17 should define him for the rest of his life. The OP obviously has turned his life around since then and that alone, shows a lot of maturity.

people change though and we all may mistakes. to say someone can't learn from their mistakes no matter how extreme they are is just unduly harsh. Until you've been through that individual's circumstances you have no right to condemn them honestly (this is obviously excluding mass murder).

A tendency towards violent antisocial behavior is a personality trait. This person was obviously in an unhappy stage of their life, and they reaction towards that stress by burning his family home down. Medical students and doctors are also going to be under huge stress, and they're going to feel unappreciated and lonely. There are good ways to deal with these emotions, yet OP has a proven track record of violence as a way of coping. Yes I'm being harsh, but you wouldn't let the convicted arsonist house-sit your house. You wouldn't let the convicted arsonist babysit your kids. Sure they could be "reformed" but no **** everyone's going to say that. Everyone put in jail for committing a violent crime comes out saying they are "reformed" and "won't do it again, I totally swear guys!" but guess what, statistically speaking they're the ones who do "do it again", because they're exactly the type of people who might commit a violent crime on a given day.

edit: regarding the phrase "learn from one's mistakes": When you don't study enough for a chemistry exam and do badly, you can learn from that mistake and study harder next quarter. When you leave a candle burning when you leave the house and it causes a fire, you can learn from that mistake and never do that again. But when you purposefully burn a house down, that's not a "mistake".

 

[mrh125]

A tendency towards violent antisocial behavior is a personality trait. This person was obviously in an unhappy stage of their life, and they reaction towards that stress by burning his family home down. Medical students and doctors are also going to be under huge stress, and they're going to feel unappreciated and lonely. There are good ways to deal with these emotions, yet OP has a proven track record of violence as a way of coping. Yes I'm being harsh, but you wouldn't let the convicted arsonist house-sit your house. You wouldn't let the convicted arsonist babysit your kids. Sure they could be "reformed" but no **** everyone's going to say that. Everyone put in jail for committing a violent crime comes out saying they are "reformed" and "won't do it again, I totally swear guys!" but guess what, statistically speaking they're the ones who do "do it again", because they're exactly the type of people who might commit a violent crime on a given day.

People are capable of changing, and we are all products of our circumstances. I firmly believe that if you put each one of us in a very specific difficult situation the same result may be catalyzed. Who is to say that he has not learned how to accommodate stress better? If you are to play the role of a skeptic perhaps if he could directly demonstrate that he can handle stress better that would prove far more. actions do speak louder than words.

 

[deleted407021]

@nothing gold can stay Have you had any mental evaluation, at all? Has a psychologist or psychiatrist made an assessment about your state of health? One of these professionals would be able to work through your motivations and actions to determine if you are a potential danger to yourself and others. If you haven't, please see your school's psychologist to get started. Having such clearance may make a difference on achieving your goals.

 

[gyngyn]

A badge is what allows a student to learn in a hospital alongside house officers and faculty. Without one, there are only standardized patients. No LCME accredited medical school can train students with only simulators and standardized patients. Many hospitals affiliated with medical schools have an additional layer of security that would not permit a badge to a convicted felon.

 

[nothing gold can stay]

@nothing gold can stay Have you had any mental evaluation, at all? Has a psychologist or psychiatrist made an assessment about your state of health? One of these professionals would be able to work through your motivations and actions to determine if you are a potential danger to yourself and others. If you haven't, please see your school's psychologist to get started. Having such clearance may make a difference on achieving your goals.

Yeah, I've seen a few psychologists, both before and after the incident (see below for why before). At the beginning of probation, mental health treatment was mandated, and I was diagnosed with major depression and took antidepressants for a while. I've since come off the pills, as I feel I don't need them anymore. I never felt comfortable with the subtle ways they can change a person's personality, anyway. I'm no longer depressed, and I haven't seen any psychologists or anything for 3 years. My original psychologist agreed that the further mental health evaluation/treatment was unnecessary.

@Bovary , I had attempted suicide shortly before the fire, and my life did not change at all afterward. The fire was not my first response to my situation.

I see about the badge thing. That is disheartening - but as long as it's just many, not all, I think I could work around it.

 

[mrh125]

Yeah, I've seen a few psychologists, both before and after the incident (see below for why before). At the beginning of probation, mental health treatment was mandated, and I was diagnosed with major depression and took antidepressants for a while. I've since come off the pills, as I feel I don't need them anymore. I never felt comfortable with the subtle ways they can change a person's personality, anyway. I'm no longer depressed, and I haven't seen any psychologists or anything for 3 years. My original psychologist agreed that the further mental health evaluation/treatment was unnecessary.

@Bovary , I had attempted suicide shortly before the fire, and my life did not change at all afterward. The fire was not my first response to my situation.

I can totally relate to dealing with major depression, apply and give things your best shot if medicine is your passion 🙂. Write about how you changed and cultivated your goals if you want for a PS or not. It's all up to you, don't let your circumstances define you is my tip.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Eh boys will be boys. That said, your only hope is an expunged record. There are plenty of places that take doctors with recent records.

 

[mrh125]

My other tip is don't take people who toss labels at you like an antisocial personality extremely seriously. They're not trained mental health experts, and taking that with a grain of salt is very important.

 

[Bovary]

@nothing gold can stay
I wish you all the luck. I hope you make it and you would probably make an excellent doctor. I think my arguments are along the lines of what someone might say who would vote to not accept you to medical school, though I apologize for being impolite. As others have said, taking you would be a "gamble" and you would do well to have something tangible on your record that demonstrates forgiveness and that demonstrates stress-coping mechanisms. Good luck!

 

[noleknight16]

Sounds "expungable". What's your state? Look up their expungement statute and find out.

 

[worfndata]

Make sure you continue to be 100% honest about everything. A tiny slip up no matter how small will certainly disqualify you from becoming any type of healthcare provider.

 

[nothing gold can stay]

@noleknight16 , I have looked into my state's policy on expungement and arson is not one of the crimes that's always ineligible for expungement, thankfully. Those would be murder, crimes of a sexual nature, and crimes of a violent nature (in my state, violent crimes are legally labelled as such upon conviction, mine was not).

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

Here's some good news and bad, but it totally depends on whether the state charged you or the federal govt. If you were convicted by your state, the expungement process isn't easy but can happen, maybe. Depends on your record, age at arrest, crime, time since this occurred, etc. If this is a Federal crime, only the US President can pardon you and that's a pardon not necessarily an expungement.

 

[DermViser]

Yeah, I've seen a few psychologists, both before and after the incident (see below for why before). At the beginning of probation, mental health treatment was mandated, and I was diagnosed with major depression and took antidepressants for a while. I've since come off the pills, as I feel I don't need them anymore. I never felt comfortable with the subtle ways they can change a person's personality, anyway. I'm no longer depressed, and I haven't seen any psychologists or anything for 3 years. My original psychologist agreed that the further mental health evaluation/treatment was unnecessary.

Just curious, what changes in personality are you talking about?

 

[gonnif]

Contact a lawyer who knows about licensing requirements in your state, and see the court in regards to potential expungement.

Wish you the best OP! We all make mistakes or bad decisions at some point. Keep your head up and do whatever it takes to move forward.

Here is a licensing summary /overview from AMA newsletter about 2 years ago

http://www.amednews.com/article/20120402/profession/304029953/4/

 

[chenzt]

I'm not sure how I would go about starting any redemption ECs or a non profit. I feel like talking to kids about the dangers of fire is a little superficial - of course it's dangerous and of course you should never play with it. There isn't much to "talk" about regarding it, idk. Interesting ideas though, I will keep them in mind for my gap years and look out for similar opportunities! Thank you for the encouragement.

Perhaps you can go to high schools and speak to at-risk youth about the importance of having strong support group in life, having the right friends, overcoming obstacles, achieving your goal (you did get a full-ride to your state school after all) to inspire others. I think the story will resonate with at least a few. Just throwing some ideas out there.

 

[LostinLift]

Best of luck mate

 

[JBOB]

.

 

[bakedbeans18]

People are capable of changing, and we are all products of our circumstances. I firmly believe that if you put each one of us in a very specific difficult situation the same result may be catalyzed. Who is to say that he has not learned how to accommodate stress better? If you are to play the role of a skeptic perhaps if he could directly demonstrate that he can handle stress better that would prove far more. actions do speak louder than words.

Bullsh*t. I grew up in a home where my older brother got all of the attention, even in the face of my parents divorce, as well as after one of those parents died. I moved to my town later in grade school, so it was very hard for me to make friends and get included into social circles until I was able to drive and go to other towns and hang out with people that I didn't go to school with. You know what I never did despite feeling underappreciated, attention-starved, and lonely? I didn't burn down my parents house. Why? Because I'm a morally and emotionally stable enough person to know at the age of 17 that it's a terrible thing to do, despite the reasons for doing it. You should not (and probably will not) become a physician - just because you have the grades, OP, doesn't mean you have the level-head necessary to become a physician. I understand that you were just 'a kid' but at the age of 17 better judgement would still be expected, and as someone here has said, it is a personality trait - when you're in medical school and feel constantly defeated by your classmates and underappreciated by the patients you are working with and the resident on your 3rd year rotation, what are you going to do? Shoot up the hospital? You are far too great of a liability for any medical school to take you on. I realize I am being ruthless here, but we don't live in a world where things like this are simply just 'forgiven and forgotten.'

Go get a PhD, work in industry, make damn sure your kids get the attention you feel you didn't, and make damn sure they don't make the same mistakes that cost you the opportunity to pursue your dreams.

Stay thirsty my friends.

 

[nothing gold can stay]

The state charged me, @ThisCouldBeYou .

@DermViser , it's the same deal with birth control. There are lots of studies out there documenting personality changes on birth control. It can change how you respond to not only particular scenarios but your entire life. I hated feeling like I wasn't a "natural" person. Being psychoactive drug free is kind of like freedom to be yourself, imo. Of course, there are exceptions.

@bakedbeans18 , I'm going to prove you wrong. By the way, very smooth of you to compare me to the likes of school shooters. I hope your superciliousness doesn't enter into your conduct with patients, particularly other 17 year olds who got into physical altercations with their fathers. Try not to be so quick to judge the actions of people whose circumstances you know almost nothing of. The world isn't so black and white as the criminal "justice" system would have you believe.

But thank you for the honesty. I just can't accept you telling me what I am and am not capable of for the rest of my life, or that you expect me to be content living vicariously through my children, which I do plan on having with my fiancé.

 

[noleknight16]

@noleknight16 , I have looked into my state's policy on expungement and arson is not one of the crimes that's always ineligible for expungement, thankfully. Those would be murder, crimes of a sexual nature, and crimes of a violent nature (in my state, violent crimes are legally labelled as such upon conviction, mine was not).

Get it done. Get your lawyer to do it so its done properly. Ensure it is completed afterwards. Do background checks to see.

 

[V5RED]

A tendency towards violent antisocial behavior is a personality trait. This person was obviously in an unhappy stage of their life, and they reaction towards that stress by burning his family home down. Medical students and doctors are also going to be under huge stress, and they're going to feel unappreciated and lonely. There are good ways to deal with these emotions, yet OP has a proven track record of violence as a way of coping. Yes I'm being harsh, but you wouldn't let the convicted arsonist house-sit your house. You wouldn't let the convicted arsonist babysit your kids. Sure they could be "reformed" but no **** everyone's going to say that. Everyone put in jail for committing a violent crime comes out saying they are "reformed" and "won't do it again, I totally swear guys!" but guess what, statistically speaking they're the ones who do "do it again", because they're exactly the type of people who might commit a violent crime on a given day.

edit: regarding the phrase "learn from one's mistakes": When you don't study enough for a chemistry exam and do badly, you can learn from that mistake and study harder next quarter. When you leave a candle burning when you leave the house and it causes a fire, you can learn from that mistake and never do that again. But when you purposefully burn a house down, that's not a "mistake".

Those statistics would be a lot more meaningful if going to jail for a serious crime didn't make it so ridiculously difficult to get your life back on track afterward. Even if the person wants to reform and has had sufficient therapy to do so, when he tries to get a job (or move into a neighborhood in some cases) he will often find that he is barred from doing so. That can lead to hopelessness for the future which will make it far more likely for the person to commit another crime.

 

[bakedbeans18]

The state charged me, @ThisCouldBeYou .

@DermViser , it's the same deal with birth control. There are lots of studies out there documenting personality changes on birth control. It can change how you respond to not only particular scenarios but your entire life. I hated feeling like I wasn't a "natural" person. Being psychoactive drug free is kind of like freedom to be yourself, imo. Of course, there are exceptions.

@bakedbeans18 , I'm going to prove you wrong. By the way, very smooth of you to compare me to the likes of school shooters. I hope your superciliousness doesn't enter into your conduct with patients, particularly other 17 year olds who got into physical altercations with their fathers. Try not to be so quick to judge the actions of people whose circumstances you know almost nothing of. The world isn't so black and white as the criminal "justice" system would have you believe.

But thank you for the honesty. I just can't accept you telling me what I am and am not capable of for the rest of my life, or that you expect me to be content living vicariously through my children, which I do plan on having with my fiancé.

Individual: Is the purposeful burning of a house down socially appropriate or acceptable by any individual?
Society: No way, jose.
Individual: YOU'RE WRONG. THE WORLD ISN'T SO BLACK AND WHITE!!!! THERE IS A GRAY AREA FOR ARSON.

This is what you sound like to me, and chances are, to everyone else.

Also for the record, I've never done anything so wildly and societally out-of-line like burn my house down, so I don't particularly feel like being judged over what kind of physician I will become or how I will interact with my patients.

 

[Reckoner]

You should not (and probably will not) become a physician

Who knew being an average 17 year old qualifies you to pass judgment on who deserves to enter the profession you're not a part of yet.

If you want to give OP honest advice, fine. Spare the rest of us this supercilious garbage, please. The hubris in this post is nauseating.

 

[bakedbeans18]

Those statistics would be a lot more meaningful if going to jail for a serious crime didn't make it so ridiculously difficult to get your life back on track afterward. Even if the person wants to reform and has had sufficient therapy to do so, when he tries to get a job (or move into a neighborhood in some cases) he will often find that he is barred from doing so. That can lead to hopelessness for the future which will make it far more likely for the person to commit another crime.

The thing is, when you do something so terrible that you deserve to go to jail/prison (as deemed by a consensus of society, so lets not have a discussion of what is and what is 'terrible') even if you've done your 'time', afterwards, society doesn't owe you a god damned thing. If I'm living in a nice area, and my children are getting a great education in our public school system, I would hope that a realtor would not even bring the threat into my neighborhood of a convicted arsonist. I don't care how marginalized the sect of society you were born into is, commiting a crime is usually a conscious decision. I didn't have the most fantastic life growing up, but I made damn sure not to do anything stupid that would make it hard for me to get a job later in life....turns out that worked out for me, because I was able to go to great colleges and now medical school, and I've never had a problem getting a volunteer opportunity or a job or a position in a hospital.

Society owes you nothing once you are a felon. You know what you get from society? Food - our taxes pay for you to eat while you're in prison. You're welcome.