Criminal record, can I get in?

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mikjones

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Hello every,

I'll keep it short. I was convicted of misdemeanor terroristic threats- reckless disregard in 2006. I got into a confrontation with another individual where threats were exchanged. I was released early from probation due to good behavior. Currently, I graduated with my B.S. in chemistry and will have my masters next year. I have worked at Procter and Gamble for over 2 years. I would like to apply to medical school, but I'm afraid my background will prevent me from getting in and practicing.

Do you think I can get into medical school and be licensed by any state with this on my criminal record?

This will help me decide if I should continue with a PhD after graduation.
 
Terroistics threats- Reckless disregard

(1) "A person is guilty of a crime if he threatens to commit any crime of violence with the purpose to terrorize another or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror."

(2) "A person commits a crime if he threatens to commit a crime of violence with the purpose to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly or facility of public transportation or otherwise to cause serious public inconvenience or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such evacuation or inconvenience.

That's almost like an Al-Qaida member asking to work for TSA or be commercial pilots. I'm sure you know what the government would say to that.
 
Maybe check with the advisor at whichever med school you may be applying to. Have a back up plan (PhD track)
 
This is one of the crazy things about our country. They make up these horrible crime names for stuff that's not really as bad. I think you need to work to get it expunged so you don't have to declare it. Otherwise, it sounds like uphill.
 
Concur with Triage...I have a feeling my fellow AdComs and I would really hesitate to accept someone with this in their background.

Suggest contacting some Admissions deans and see what they say. Discuss with every pre-professional advisor as well as clinicians.

You're going to need to show the AdComs that the you of 2006, and the you of right now are two very different people.

TriagePreMed said:
I think you need to work to get it expunged so you don't have to declare it. Otherwise, it sounds like uphill.
Click to expand...
 
mikjones said:
Hello every,

I'll keep it short. I was convicted of misdemeanor terroristic threats- reckless disregard in 2006. I got into a confrontation with another individual where threats were exchanged. I was released early from probation due to good behavior. Currently, I graduated with my B.S. in chemistry and will have my masters next year. I have worked at Procter and Gamble for over 2 years. I would like to apply to medical school, but I'm afraid my background will prevent me from getting in and practicing.

Do you think I can get into medical school and be licensed by any state with this on my criminal record?

This will help me decide if I should continue with a PhD after graduation.
Click to expand...
Not a chance.
 
dfib slim said:
But is any charge truly expunged? Depending who runs the background check it may or may not show up. If the military runs the check an expungement will still show up. It won't show up on any run of the mill pre employment check. I don't know what processes med schools use so I declared my misdemeanor even though I had it expunged. Still got an acceptance though.
Click to expand...
Expunged allows you to say "no" to conviction. If it shows up later, it would be seen as "dismissed" or "expunged," so schools can't reject you based on that. Military, licensing, etc. is a totally different ball game.
 
Forget the naysayers.

Start working at making connections and networking with people who are connected to med schools in some way...that obviously is much easier said than done, but someone of influence who can vouch for you is worth more than outstanding stats in a circumstance like yours. Start working to create a public record that shows you've outgrown the conviction - perhaps it will take time. I've got underage alcohol charges on my public record from many years ago, but I've since served in the military, earned a stack of decorations and a meritorious promotion during combat, and maintained a flawless record as civilian; I have no doubts that I will get into med school. It's all about who you are now.

This forum is not the place you want to be - many pre-med and med students here think they owe everyone "beneath" them a degrading reality check; people who are giving you quick answers have no idea who you are in the present - to be fair to them though that is how adcoms will see you too, unless you give them a good reason to talk with you about your application. Build an outstanding record, make connections, outshine your past mistakes, apply everywhere when the time comes, and above all have patience.
 
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If you work hard enough you can do it for sure! Just make sure your MCAT/GPA are competitive and rack up the EC's. Def still possible though. When something bad is on your record you have to show how you overcame it and made you a stronger person. That is what adcoms will want to see out of you.
 
mikjones said:
Hello every,

I'll keep it short. I was convicted of misdemeanor terroristic threats- reckless disregard in 2006. I got into a confrontation with another individual where threats were exchanged. I was released early from probation due to good behavior. Currently, I graduated with my B.S. in chemistry and will have my masters next year. I have worked at Procter and Gamble for over 2 years. I would like to apply to medical school, but I'm afraid my background will prevent me from getting in and practicing.

Do you think I can get into medical school and be licensed by any state with this on my criminal record?

This will help me decide if I should continue with a PhD after graduation.
Click to expand...

if threats were "exchanged", then the other dude threatened you just as much as you threatened him. of course this isn't something you want on your record, but i am assuming you didn't just walk up to a hapless individual and make a threat; you were caught up in a confrontation and said a few things that you shouldn't have said. i think whether or not this will keep you out depends on how you describe the situation.

i am going to be a bit optimistic and say that this shouldn't hurt you that bad. my main reason is that this occurred back in 2006, over SEVEN years ago. add to it that this is a misdemeanor and the possibilities of having it expunged completely, i won't worry too much about it. certainly dont give up on medicine just because of this one incident.
 
cm7sus4 said:
Forget the naysayers.

Start working at making connections and networking with people who are connected to med schools in some way...that obviously is much easier said than done, but someone of influence who can vouch for you is worth more than outstanding stats in a circumstance like yours. Start working to create a public record that shows you've outgrown the conviction - perhaps it will take time. I've got underage alcohol charges on my public record from many years ago, but I've since served in the military, earned a stack of decorations and a meritorious promotion during combat, and maintained a flawless record as civilian; I have no doubts that I will get into med school. It's all about who you are now.

This forum is not the place you want to be - many pre-med and med students here think they owe everyone "beneath" them a degrading reality check; people who are giving you quick answers have no idea who you are in the present - to be fair to them though that is how adcoms will see you too, unless you give them a good reason to talk with you about your application. Build an outstanding record, make connections, outshine your past mistakes, apply everywhere when the time comes, and above all have patience.
Click to expand...

Aw, everyone is a special snowflake and can get into medical school! /sarcasm

If you don't get it expunged, you have absolutely no chance. In the end, there are far more applicants to medical school than there are seats: if you have something like "terroristic threats" on your record, it's just a very easy way for admissions committees to throw away your file, regardless of what some of the bleeding hearts of SDN will tell you.
 
CrimsonKing said:
if you have something like "terroristic threats" on your record, it's just a very easy way for admissions committees to throw away your file, regardless of what some of the bleeding hearts of SDN will tell you.
Click to expand...

Clearly an uphill battle. If possible to get it expunged, certainly do so, but I assume you already know that. I think you would be surprised how many applicants have some skeletons in the closet. Everyone does stupid things when they are young its just a matter of who gets caught. You have to question some of the people who say the haven't.

In the end, do you want to go to med school or not? If you do, apply, all you have to lose is time and money and those are trivial compared to the doubts you may have for the rest of your life if you never try.

Survivor DO
 
why would they accept you when there are so many other equally qualified applicants without such baggage?
 
i wonder if the OP can give us an update about his current situation.

my gut tells me that he's already in med school...
 
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