LP1CW said:
I don't have anything of real value to add other than that I hope things work out for you. The one idiot on this post that believes that a person should be condemned for the rest of their lives for actions they did years ago, is a jerk, naive and young. Must be nice to live such a sheltered life. Who would I want as my physician, a person that has had some honest, real and hard life experiences or an idiot that has the shelter of his mother's skirt?
To the OP, good luck. I hope you find the answers that you are looking for.
LP1CW and adamj61,
I don't understand why you people are calling me names just because I have a different opinion. just because I disagree that meakes me an idiot, a jerk, young (I am 28 and married), and I have the shelter of my mother's skirt(I work full time to put myself through college, my mother's skirt does not shelter me much. To me, name calling is immature. I appreciate your opinions, and I can even see the point you are making. I still disagree, but I do not think you guys are idiots or jerks because you have a different opinion. However, when you start name calling, then I begin to think you may me immature idiots or jerks. Dissent from the majority is important for diversity and you should not attempt to intimidate dissenters with name calling so they will shut up. Oh, and by the way, a felony conviction does not equal "honest, real, and hard life experience". Give me a break, a felonious crime is not sometyhing to look at positivly, and it DEFINATLY is NOT honest!! Should I go commit a felony so I can get some honest, real, and hard life experience? I don't think so. Adam, I don't really know why you think smoking pot is healthier than drinking, but you cannot excuse one bad act by pointing to another. I agree that someone who smoked some pot in their past is probably not going to be affected, and will be a fine physician, However, i certainly don't think a practicing physician should smoke pot, it is illegal, dangerous, and it DOES affect your brain regardless of what you think. BTW, I am not going to go smoke a bowl, I don't smoke pot. You disagree with my opinion and think I am an idiot, and your advice to correct my ignorance is to go smoke a bowl of weed? If I listened to that advice, I would truly be an idiot. Regardless of what you think about the weed debate, nobody can deny that smoking pot is very detrimental to your lungs, and for that reason if no other it is better for you to not smoke weed than it is to smoke, just the same as with tobacco. If you are a pot smoker, I urge you to quit for the sake of your own future. You will be a healthier person mentally and definatly physically, if you are clean.
IndyZX, velocypedalist
Although getting an F and committing a felony are very different, I can see your point. I guess the best policy for state licensing would probably be to evaluate those with a felony on a case by case basis via a review board.
DocWannaBe85,
Although I concede somewhat in my opinion as I stated above, I have to totally disagree with your statement. I don't think that a felony conviction=life experience valuable to practicing medicine. At best, a felony is a HUGE MISTAKE that, I now concede, may be forvgivable later in life, but it is far from what I would describe as "life experience". Life experience involves working, volunteering, community service, social interactions, wiseness that comes with age, and societal experiences, NOT committing a crime. I don't think anybody would say to an adcom or state licensing board " I have life experience because when I was younger I committed a felony and was convicted of it in a court of law." A felony is a very negative life experience, and part of reform is learning about the mistake and having real positive life experience.
Psycho Doctor,
I see your point too. However, I still think it makes an even better person (in the eyes of society) to never have committed a crime. To put it in terms of grades like IndyZX did, If I have some F's because I partied early in college, but totally turned my grades around with a positive trend and got my gpa up to say...3.4, and you got straight A's all through college and got say....3.9, than although my record will be looked upon favorable by an adcom, you record will be looked upon even more favorable. Basically, I did very good by correcting my mistake, but you did even better by studying instead of irresponsibly partying.
OnMyWayThere,
See, now that is a pretty serious offense, and if I were on a licensing board, I would definatly have reservations about the applicant's moral character, trustworthiness, and future access to drugs as a physician. However, like I said before, you guys have convinced me that these situations should at least be given a fair consideration on a case by case basis, because I understand that there are many circumstances in life that contribute to a person making a mistake, and correcting bad behavior and morals.
Well guys, I have to admit, people seldom get me to budge on my opinions, but I always listen to the opposition with an alalytical, but fair ear, and you guys have convinced me that my blanket statements may not apply in all cases, all people, or all offenses. licensing should be done case by case and the applicant should be carefully scrutinized and screened (kind of like a parole board works), but given a fair chance to plead their case and prove they have reformed (maybe some sort of probationary license that is supervised more by thae state for a certain period of time...sort of like a medical license pariole officer?). OP, contact the licensing departments of the states you think you might practice in and ask them about the process. I am sure they would be helpful. Best of luck, and congrats of reforming your poor judgements from the past.
🙂
.. but i got away with a ticket.. 
