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ogdoc321

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thanks for the help

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Don't be a scumbag. You might have a legal problem, do the right thing & notify the school of the pending charge.
 
Because there are people in line who followed the law and are more than happy to take your place in that medical school class.

When you make a choice, you gotta be ready to live with the consequences. Whatever lead to your arrest, you made choices leading up to that. Even if it was a bong that was in someone else's car that you happened to be in, whatever. You weren't thinking/naive and made a mistake, if that's the case...

BUT, and this is why it DOES indeed matter: You're about to enter a profession built on integrity in which the public will place its trust in YOU. This is why ethics are important. How you begin this journey matters kid. The public places its trust in our profession, and we NEED to live up to those standards.

What does not telling the school say about you? When it comes to clinical mistakes that you'll make? Not doing the right thing in telling the school indicates very clearly that you will ALSO withhold important information when it matters and people's well beings and outcomes are at stake. If you withhold this, and you let the dean know about it once you start, I can almost guarantee that they are going to kick you out.
 
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Hi Guys!

I was recently pulled off the waitlist at a medical school that uses pre-check for background checks. When I submitted my AACOMAS application I had no pending charges and a spot-free record, but I was recently given a citation for drug paraphernalia when a cop found a pipe in my car. I am going to do my best to get the charges dropped (hired a good lawyer) and my trial date is not until July. My question is will this class C misdemeanor show up on the pre-check background check even if the case is still pending and I have not been charged with anything (the school is going to run a background check in May)? I plan on going into the dean's office and having a conversation with him about the situation once school starts but I don't want these to screw my acceptance when I haven't even been convicted yet. Any advice/help will be appreciated, thanks in advance.
Don't listen to the negativity. Granted we don't know the details but you're innocent until proven guilty. Act with integrity and tell the school about your situation and try your best to dissuade any feelings of contempt they may have towards you. Or, you can gamble and see if it shows up on the background check. I wouldn't advise this because if it does show on the background check and they have no prior updates from you, then the school will surely have a negative view towards you. But if you tell the ahead of time and it shows up on the background check, at least they know you acted with integrity and informed them about your situation. Just my .02.
 
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Ask your lawyer, from what I know (from experience), a charge means nothing, conviction you must report. Of course, read the matriculation agreement of the school, if it explicitly states REPORT EVERYTHING EVEN IF ITS PENDING, then of course that's self explanatory and you must or else your really risking if it shows up.


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Even if the charges are dropped, you need to report it. I think you'll be okay - unless it's LUCOM or Campbell, in which case you're gonna need to find somewhere else to go.

There's a good chance that even if the charges are dropped it will come up on a background check, so you need to report it.
 
Also, why would a pipe be illegal? Did it contain marijuana or something? If not, just say you smoke tobacco out of it. Seems like there is information that you are not sharing, why would a cop pull you over and have probable cause to search your vehicle? If he asked to search your vehicle, and you said yes, then your an idiot.


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Ask your lawyer, from what I know (from experience), a charge means nothing, conviction you must report. Of course, read the matriculation agreement of the school, if it explicitly states REPORT EVERYTHING EVEN IF ITS PENDING, then of course that's self explanatory and you must or else your really risking if it shows up.


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I agree with this. Read the matriculation agreement and you have your answer.
 
All legality questions aside....how can you be dumb enough to be driving around with drug stuff at this stage? It's just crappy decision making.
 
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Also, myself and a lot of other people I know had a similar issue... although not immediately before going into medical school. I had a misdemeanor from a decade back, and I had a friend with a DUI from the previous year. We had to report it. I wasn't even convicted, and I was a juvenile, but CertiPhi very possibly will find these things out. Good thing I reported it!
 
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Also, contact a licensing attorney and ask if a potential conviction would inhibit you from obtaining potential licensure to practice. Go read to blind children and get that charge dropped to a infraction haha.


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Also, why would a pipe be illegal? Did it contain marijuana or something? If not, just say you smoke tobacco out of it. Seems like there is information that you are not sharing, why would a cop pull you over and have probable cause to search your vehicle? If he asked to search your vehicle, and you said yes, then your an idiot.


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My guess is OP lives in a very red state where they take any HINT of the devil's lettuce very seriously.

I know why OP is conflicted. On one hand, if he reports, they'll find out, and he's at the mercy of a med school admissions dean. On the other hand, if he doesn't report, they might not find out, and if he's not convicted, he might be able to say that he didn't know he had to report a charge. It's a prisoner's dillema.

I'm telling OP what the answer is, though. The answer is YOU MUST REPORT.

Also, in no state will a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession conviction preclude licensure. It may create a pain in the ass for him, though.
 
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I wonder if anyone in the 20s got their medschool career wrecked cus a cop found them in possession of an empty moonshine bottle
 
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All legality questions aside....how can you be dumb enough to be driving around with drug stuff at this stage? It's just crappy decision making.
"drug stuff" :claps:

OP, talk to the lawyer and take his/her advice on the matter.
 
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You are going to want to report it.. suppose your school's background check doesn't flag it, and then you get convicted while in school. I believe this will screw you for licensure later down the line anyways because you WILL be background checked again later in your career, most likely an FBI/Fingerprint background check that has a higher level of clearance than your standard background check. By that time you will have already taken loans and completed schooling for a career that you won't be able to pursue - This ends up being a huge waste of both the school's and your time and resources.
 
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I have thought about that, in the applications, they all asked if you have been convicted. As of right now, I have not been convicted of anything. In the event that I am convicted it would have occurred after I submitted my application and after I was already accepted, so I don't think telling them after the conviction is wrong. I am not lying about anything.

I don't know how severe your conviction might be, but one of the reason they ask you the question, "have you ever been convicted of a crime" is to also protect you. In some cases, depending on what your conviction is, you may never be able to get a medical license, which means you just wasted $200k on a worthless education. I'm not saying that your case will prevent you from getting a license, but that is something to consider.

Anyway, you should always be honest. You'll get in a lot of trouble if you're ever caught in a lie, especially if you lie to a medical board. Physicians are normal people who make mistakes. There are plenty of physicians with criminal records. Having a minor offense is not a death sentence for your career; being dishonest will.

By the way, schools run background checks maybe a month or two before you start school, and some hospitals, especially pediatric hospitals will run background checks before rotations. If you say you weren't convicted now, get accepted in a few months, get convicted a few months after being accepted, and your schhol runs a background check a few months before starting...well, that might not go well for you.
 
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You are going to want to report it.. suppose your school's background check doesn't flag it, and then you get convicted while in school. I believe this will screw you for licensure later down the line anyways because you WILL be background checked again later in your career, most likely an FBI/Fingerprint background check that has a higher level of clearance than your standard background check. By that time you will have already taken loans and completed schooling for a career that you won't be able to pursue - This ends up being a huge waste of both the school's and your time and resources.

I don't disagree with what you're saying. I just want it to be clear that you can get a medical license with a criminal record.
 
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Thanks for the input guys. I want to make it clear that I do plan on telling my school about my citation. I am just waiting to actually know what is going to end up happening before saying anything. If I get convicted I will tell them and if the charges get differed I will STILL tell them! I just don't Know what's going to end up happening and I won't until after my court date. My dilemma here is will a charge that I haven't been convicted off or been to trial for show up on a pre-check background check. I guess no one knows because it hasn't been addressed, people are more concerned about me being honest which I plan on doing ANYWAYS.

Being charged with a crime will show up on a background check even if the verdict is pending. If you are found "not guilty" it will still show up unless you have it expunged. Sometimes people are arrested/detained without charges being filed. I don't think that will show up on a background check. Some states have free online court databases. You can search your name. If your name pops up you'll know you have some sort of record.
 
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I have a few MIPs and if you explain yourself in your application, it shouldn't even be a problem. It was never brought up during my interview.
 
Okay good to know so my school plans to run a background check on me within the next week, do you think I should call the dean and explain the situation before the background check. The school is OOS so I can't just drive up there and talk. Also do you think they will be mad if a charge shows up but I haven't been convicted of anything ?

And your court date isn't anytime soon? I agree that it would be nice to know the outcome of your court date before calling/emailing the dean. I'm not sure how admissions will react. I seriously doubt this offense will impact your ability to get a license. I guess I would do whatever Goro suggests since he/she participates in the admission process. I personally would write a short email briefly explaining the situation. Is that the right answer? I do not know.
 
You should tell them. I would hire an attorney and consult with them also, but all the above posters are correct; If this thing ends up not going your way and you failed to tell them about it you could be done for med school for good.

I get that it was just a pipe in your car.. but the cop gave you a citation for it for a reason.. wouldn't have happened if it had been for tobacco only.

If you get convicted of this charge, your misdemeanor WILL show up when residency comes into play. So no, there isn't a way for you to dance around this.. I would speak to an attorney asap
 
I think the best course of action is to report it. They WILL find out eventually...it's better you mention it yourself, as even if you're found not-guilty the arrest will still appear on your record.

Just an anecdote, but my mom (as a nurse) got a DUI, neglected to report it to her DON and was fired for not reporting it.

It's best to be upfront about it and explain the situation and where it stands as of now.
 
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