How closely do medical schools look at past applications

[Catman21]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[Goro]

The wise @gyngyn has reported here that his school keeps old apps on file.

You're obligated to report IAs, whether they're expunged or not. This risk is, and I have seen this happen, some letter writer may inadvertently let slip something about the IA. "Catman21 has grown so much since the cheating incident..."

And the screens go "WHAT cheating incident?????"

 

[gyngyn]

In my experience AMCAS has a "once an IA, always an IA" policy.
In other words, a disappearing IA in a subsequent application initiates an automatic investigation.
I do not know if TMDSAS uses the same software, but you would be well-advised to inquire regarding this as AMCAS does not recognize IA expungement:
"You must answer Yes to this question if you were ever the recipient of any institutional action resulting from unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. You must answer Yes even if the action does not appear on or has been deleted from your official transcripts due to institutional policy or personal petition."

 

[Catman21]

.

 

[gyngyn]

Im guessing in a sense, morals aside, I have shot myself in the foot regarding future applications, and will have to proceed trying every cycle with a disclosed AI?

🙁

Failing to report the IA would be the real "shot in the foot."

 

[Imperius]

From the AMCAS rules: "You must answer YES to this question (IA) if you were ever the recipient of Institutional Action, even if the action does not appear or has been deleted or expunged." "Failure to report will result in an investigation."

For future questions:
https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...6a2-49cefdb39bc9/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf

 

[Goro]

What was the IA? Pot possession or underage alcohol are common and trivial. Cheating is a whole different story.

 

[bojanglestheIII]

Piggybacking on a couple months old thread here- with a similar issue I'm hoping someone might have some insight in. On a past app I reported a misdemeanor (for public open container violation) which I've since found out wasn't a misdemeanor but rather a civil infraction in the New York county my record is in. Stupid mistake to not have checked my record in the first place i know. Anyways now I'm wondering if my leaving an empty space in the misdemeanor section of my current app will look sketchy if/when adcoms compare current to past apps. Or maybe they don't compare apps with that much detail??

 

[bojanglestheIII]

Thanks for the advice gonnif. Yea I think I'm going to go ahead and mark no for the misdemeanors question because that is the truth and also because for those schools which I didn't apply to before, saying anything else or giving some kind of explanation will be confusing and may do more harm than good. For those schools I'm reapplying to who will see the old and the new, hopefully they won't jump to the conclusion that I'm suddenly covering it up, but thats a risk I think I'm going to have to take.