Hi everyone. I’ve been combing through all the wonderful advice on this site for a while now, but this is my first post.
I’m an early 30s non-trad, applying to MD and DO programs in the 2022 cycle. Here’s the dilemma:
After 5 years with my now-husband, we decided to get married. Shortly after being married, he was arrested, put on house arrest, and ended up serving a year-long federal prison sentence. He is a very kind-hearted person with good intentions who made a very serious mistake that I don’t condone in any way. We’re talking about a non-contact sex offense here. He is now on the registry for at least 20 years, plus supervised released for a few more years.
For me, being the main source of emotional support and dealing with the house arrest, legal process, and imprisonment was the most intense, life-changing, and maturing experience I’ve ever been through as an adult. It’s not something I talk about openly with most people, and I wouldn’t even consider mentioning it in my personal statement, which is a shame after the situation's profound effect on my life. In no way am I implicated in his offense, but I do worry that if an admissions board uncovered it, this could be the red flag that disqualifies me.
In an admissions background check, would spouse information come up? We are both willing to get a divorce if that has any positive effect on my admissions chances, and to be honest, I’ve been considering a “friendly” divorce for a long time anyway. The romance died when the the legal problems began, and I’ve mostly been sticking around to help with his mental health problems and to help with the extremely difficult task of getting his life back on track.
Thanks for reading with an open mind. Any advice?
I’m an early 30s non-trad, applying to MD and DO programs in the 2022 cycle. Here’s the dilemma:
After 5 years with my now-husband, we decided to get married. Shortly after being married, he was arrested, put on house arrest, and ended up serving a year-long federal prison sentence. He is a very kind-hearted person with good intentions who made a very serious mistake that I don’t condone in any way. We’re talking about a non-contact sex offense here. He is now on the registry for at least 20 years, plus supervised released for a few more years.
For me, being the main source of emotional support and dealing with the house arrest, legal process, and imprisonment was the most intense, life-changing, and maturing experience I’ve ever been through as an adult. It’s not something I talk about openly with most people, and I wouldn’t even consider mentioning it in my personal statement, which is a shame after the situation's profound effect on my life. In no way am I implicated in his offense, but I do worry that if an admissions board uncovered it, this could be the red flag that disqualifies me.
In an admissions background check, would spouse information come up? We are both willing to get a divorce if that has any positive effect on my admissions chances, and to be honest, I’ve been considering a “friendly” divorce for a long time anyway. The romance died when the the legal problems began, and I’ve mostly been sticking around to help with his mental health problems and to help with the extremely difficult task of getting his life back on track.
Thanks for reading with an open mind. Any advice?
