You're kidding, right? If not, how do you think med schools would view any violation committed by a prospective student related to worst global public health crisis in the past century? This isn't an underaged beer, or a cat in a dorm. This is willfully violating a rule designed to control the spread of a deadly, highly contagious disease while allowing your school to stay open. At my school, you'd be removed, you'd forfeit the room and board, AND you'd have the formal disciplinary record. Schools are under all kinds of pressure to try to provide some sort of on-campus experience, and are dead serious about the rules.
Not telling you what to do, but I'd point out that AMCAS will expect you to disclose, whether or not it's on your record, so not disclosing will be lying when you sign the application, and later discovery would risk blowing up your career.
I would go a step further and ask the esteemed adcoms whether this would render an application DOA?
@LizzyM @gyngyn @gonnif?
I agree with the previous poster, this sounds like an $8000 mistake, if you can afford to lose that. Not sure which state you are in, but we are talking about $8000 or a disciplinary mark on your record. You should definitely consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state, try to mitigate your punishment or at the very least hammer our the details, and pay what needs to be paid.
I have to respectfully, from a legal standpoint disagree, in general, with those who are saying you must disclose discipline, EVEN if you fork over the $8000. My disagreement, is in general, your specific state laws rule the day. However, with the exception, possibly of only the state of Louisiana, the ONLY state in our country under Civil Code law, what I will say below, will be found to be true in most if not all jurisdictions. (states)
Almost every state allows a person, who is arrested for some minor offense, usually if they have no prior record, to have a chance to get the case dismissed and expunged, in exchange for community service, anger management where appropriate or other counseling, staying out of trouble for a period of time, etc.
And most states allow you to therefore, since you never were found guilty, maintain all your rights including innocence and wrongful arrest (though to expunge in some cases, you must waive the right to sue for such), you are legally allowed, after that expungement to say you have NEVER been arrested...and if such were brought up in a court of law, it could NOT BE lawfully used against you, nor can you be deemed to have been dishonest.
The same is true, LEGALLY, of all the various deferred adjudication among the ststes, where a person was charged, the person was on probation for a period of time and/or completed some condition, came back to court and had the guilty plea or verdict voided by the judge as a binding court order. Voided convictions and arrests, legally can NEVER be mentioned, are NOT even in the court system (but you MUST, IF arrested update The FBI, they will keep your finger prints on file, though, but then, a great many professionals and others voluntarily submitted such on file)
There are people in law enforcement right now, people who are judges, lawyers, and yes doctors, who broke no law, were NOT dishonest legally, which overcomes the administrative rules or rulings in universities, which of course are sometimes overruled and have judgments issued against them in the courts. (NOTE, again this is in general, certain high security positions, or those requiring certain security clearances, and some federal agencies, this may not, or will NOT be true, and NOT TRUE in terms of immigration, or on a gun carry application in some states)
A person buys a car, that says: "As Is, no Warranty, all sales are final" and they leave the car lot, and around the corner, the car dies. The dealership has its rules, and you are out of your money and get nothing, right? BUT WHAT does the law say?
The Uniform Commercial Code(as well as various state laws) imposes a duty, a warranty, in basic terms, that every car sold must be fit to be sold, or also if there was some latent, not reasonably discoverable defect, guess who wins? The consumer. Now, of course, too often, people do not know ALL their rights, and lose in the process.
My point is there is what the law requires, and what some form or application requires, businesss or university requires, USUALLY the law is the winner.(some exceptions noted)
Make sure your $8000 fee in the dorm, or whatever it is cut down to solves all the problems. (because, honestly, if that covers room and board till May...no way, I can see paying for what you used, and maybe a thousand or so more as a penalty, but that is just my view, talk to your lawyer, sounds like all things considered, even after a few hours of legal fees (all it should take) you may still have some of that $8000 in your pocket!)
I recommend legal counsel just to make sure this is legally enforceable arranged in such a way, that you admit to nothing, any there is no LEGALLY disclosable discipline.
I think you will be okay, aah, besides losing your room and board, and money. Yes you made a serious error in judgment and got caught. But, then, life should allow second chances. Best wishes to you.
