Drinking citations

[rockbalboa]

I live in Wisconsin where drinking tickets are not criminal and are only a civil ordinance. The thing is I have 2 of them one at 17 and one at 20 (in wisconsin 17 is an adult i guess). I also have an institutional action for drinking from freshman year. I was wondering if the drinking tickets will show up on the background check requiring me to report them as offenses on a few of my secondary applications. And if I do report them how will this effect me, I have a 3.72 GPA (3.8 science) and a 34 on the MCAT. Thanks for any input!!

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[StoicJosher]

I live in Wisconsin where drinking tickets are not criminal and are only a civil ordinance. The thing is I have 2 of them one at 17 and one at 20 (in wisconsin 17 is an adult i guess). I also have an institutional action for drinking from freshman year. I was wondering if the drinking tickets will show up on the background check requiring me to report them as offenses on a few of my secondary applications. And if I do report them how will this effect me, I have a 3.72 GPA (3.8 science) and a 34 on the MCAT. Thanks for any input!!

For one, I can tell you that they will definitely know you like to drink - and a lot. And that is, quite possibly, not a good thing especially considering the drinking age is 21 no matter what your state considers you to be. "The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 states that revenue will be withheld from states that allow the purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21. Prior to the effective date of that Act, the drinking age varied from state to state."

 

[deleted357625]

I live in Wisconsin where drinking tickets are not criminal and are only a civil ordinance. The thing is I have 2 of them one at 17 and one at 20 (in wisconsin 17 is an adult i guess). I also have an institutional action for drinking from freshman year. I was wondering if the drinking tickets will show up on the background check requiring me to report them as offenses on a few of my secondary applications. And if I do report them how will this effect me, I have a 3.72 GPA (3.8 science) and a 34 on the MCAT. Thanks for any input!!

if they do show up it might effect you compared to ppl with clean backgrounds. someone can chime in, there's many ppl on this forum who have had similar issues

 

[KLycos]

If you have to disclose them, it's going to make your app much much weaker, so if I were you I would look at the language on AMCAS VERY carefully and the language of your citations to make sure you are within your right to not disclose. Or what I would do is make a call to AMCAS anonymously and just see what they say?

 

[mauberley]

I live in Wisconsin where drinking tickets are not criminal and are only a civil ordinance. The thing is I have 2 of them one at 17 and one at 20 (in wisconsin 17 is an adult i guess). I also have an institutional action for drinking from freshman year. I was wondering if the drinking tickets will show up on the background check requiring me to report them as offenses on a few of my secondary applications. And if I do report them how will this effect me, I have a 3.72 GPA (3.8 science) and a 34 on the MCAT. Thanks for any input!!

Since they're not criminal, the tickets won't show up on your background check. You will have to report your IA, however. Presumably a drinking infraction is one of the more "forgivable" offenses based on past SDN threads, though.

 

[colberag]

I can not speak as an adcom member, but I would think that it would be worse to not mention it and they find out rather than just telling the truth. People on the adcoms are not squares. They know that even if they were never caught, many many of their applicants drank underage in college. It did not seem to affect your school habits judging from your grades and MCAT. The only real problem I see with you is the multiple occurrences could imply a lack of learning from the experiences. If you are worried, why dont you do a background check on yourself and see what comes up?

 

[rockbalboa]

Ya I will probably go ahead and get one of those done. Has anyone heard of anyone in my situation? perhaps people whom didn't get their application shredded due to the fact. I mean I have kept a 3.93 GPA since the first semester freshmen year that I was caught in the dorms, it was just bad luck that I got a civil ordinance for being in possession at age 20.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

Ya I will probably go ahead and get one of those done. Has anyone heard of anyone in my situation? perhaps people whom didn't get their application shredded due to the fact. I mean I have kept a 3.93 GPA since the first semester freshmen year that I was caught in the dorms, it was just bad luck that I got a civil ordinance for being in possession at age 20.

I think you'll be okay as long as you tell the truth. don't try to hide your past. The only thing that I could really see hurting you with some schools is that you are a 2 time offender, which is bad because its sorta like, well you didn't learn from the first time. Im not trying to judge you or anything, but I am sure that this is something that will come across an adcom's thoughts, because it shows a lack of maturity and an inability to learn from your mistakes. I hope it work out though and I think if you don't have anything else on your record you'll be fine, especially because of your stats.

 

[SeminoleVesicle]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=3619846&postcount=9

Most of the people here giving you advice have never had an IA and are inclined to tell you to report it. Use your head, and good luck.

 

[Darwinism]

I have 3 MIPs and a dissorderly person and I reported them on my AMCAS. Worked out for me.

 

[Kalamazoo]

Call the county court where you were when you got them. I have two minor in possession of alcohol charges (mine are misdemeanors though) when I was 19/20 that haven't shown up on any background check at any job I've had. And I'm 28. BUT, my county court still has them on my record. Doing this may help you make your decision. Good luck.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I believe AMCAS only requires you to report felonies and misdemeanors, not citations. I mean, a parking ticket is a citation. Call the county that issued your drinking tickets to find out whether yours are considered felonies or misdemeanors. If not, I don't think you have to report them to AMCAS. Some secondaries might ask about citations, though. And you definitely have to report the IA. But I think alcohol-related IAs are among the most common and won't keep you out, if you can explain how you learned from it and turned the situation into puppies and rainbows.

You might consider shelling out the cash to get your own Certiphi background check to see what shows up.

 

[TheGloaming]

I believe AMCAS only requires you to report felonies and misdemeanors, not citations. I mean, a parking ticket is a citation. Call the county that issued your drinking tickets to find out whether yours are considered felonies or misdemeanors. If not, I don't think you have to report them to AMCAS. Some secondaries might ask about citations, though. And you definitely have to report the IA. But I think alcohol-related IAs are among the most common and won't keep you out, if you can explain how you learned from it and turned the situation into puppies and rainbows.

You might consider shelling out the cash to get your own Certiphi background check to see what shows up.

"A citation, traffic violation ticket or notice to appear is a type of summons prepared and served at the scene of the occurrence by a law enforcement official, compelling the appearance of a defendant before the local magistrate within a certain period of time to answer for a minor traffic infraction or misdemeanor or other summary offence." (Taken from the always reliable Wikipedia) So a citation can clearly be a misdemeanor.

Furthermore, I have called Certiphi and they do not do personal background checks. (Not because of this post but for myself)

Sorry to have to disprove what you said but giving out false information on something as important as this could cause some problems for the dear fellow applicant.

 

[sector9]

Furthermore, I have called Certiphi and they do not do personal background checks. (Not because of this post but for myself)

Sorry to have to disprove what you said but giving out false information on something as important as this could cause some problems for the dear fellow applicant.

Sorry to correct you for your incorrect information, but AMCAS sends you an email telling you how to order your own Certiphi background check once you submit your primary app.

 

[mauberley]

"A citation, traffic violation ticket or notice to appear is a type of summons prepared and served at the scene of the occurrence by a law enforcement official, compelling the appearance of a defendant before the local magistrate within a certain period of time to answer for a minor traffic infraction or misdemeanor or other summary offence." (Taken from the always reliable Wikipedia) So a citation can clearly be a misdemeanor.

Furthermore, I have called Certiphi and they do not do personal background checks. (Not because of this post but for myself)

Sorry to have to disprove what you said but giving out false information on something as important as this could cause some problems for the dear fellow applicant.

It always depends on applicable laws. Arguing from Wikipedia is baseless. The OP needs to see if his citation counts as a misdemeanor or felony or not.

 

[TheGloaming]

Sorry to correct you for your incorrect information, but AMCAS sends you an email telling you how to order your own Certiphi background check once you submit your primary app.

What, no way. Beaten down, I was. I actually do remember reading something about a background check but I did not read to far into it and foolishly deleted it. Do you know how much it costed?

 

[TheGloaming]

It always depends on applicable laws. Arguing from Wikipedia is baseless. The OP needs to see if his citation counts as a misdemeanor or felony or not.

I never said his citation was a misdemeanor. I'm saying it's POSSIBLE. They key word in my above quote is a citation CAN be a misdemeanor. A citation is just a vague term and doesn't describe the level of the offense. But surely I agree the most important things is for the OP to find out what the level of the offense is.

 

[sector9]

What, no way. Beaten down, I was. I actually do remember reading something about a background check but I did not read to far into it and foolishly deleted it. Do you know how much it costed?

I don't think they'll tell you the exact cost until they're done with the background check. They'll tell you the maximum though. I don't know what it is because I wasn't interested, but I think it's around $100 based on anecdotal reports here on SDN

 

[rockbalboa]

In wisconsin drinking citations are not misdemeanors and there for not criminal, I have asked several lawyers about this one. I just hope they don't effect my chances to much

 

[TheGloaming]

In wisconsin drinking citations are not misdemeanors and there for not criminal, I have asked several lawyers about this one. I just hope they don't effect my chances to much

Aww good news and good luck.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

"A citation, traffic violation ticket or notice to appear is a type of summons prepared and served at the scene of the occurrence by a law enforcement official, compelling the appearance of a defendant before the local magistrate within a certain period of time to answer for a minor traffic infraction or misdemeanor or other summary offence." (Taken from the always reliable Wikipedia) So a citation can clearly be a misdemeanor.

Furthermore, I have called Certiphi and they do not do personal background checks. (Not because of this post but for myself)

Sorry to have to disprove what you said but giving out false information on something as important as this could cause some problems for the dear fellow applicant.

this is different if your school gave a citation to you--I think?

 

[Jarudy]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=3619846&postcount=9

Most of the people here giving you advice have never had an IA and are inclined to tell you to report it. Use your head, and good luck.

Read all the fine print and hope you have to waive nothing. The post linked gives good insight but isnt comprehensive. You don't have to remember anything if you tell the truth. And really, adcoms are made up of humans, not number cut offing robots. Minor alcohol tickets, IA, etc going to keep a good applicant out of med school? F*ck no, its only going to show as red flags if other red flags are present in the app. From N=1 worthless premed (but really use your brain).