How hard will it be to get accepted?

[docgats]

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Does anyone know how difficult it will be to get accepted into medical school (DO or MD) with a traffic violation - misdemeanor (excessive speeding). No drugs, no alcohol, just normal speeding while coming from VCOM open house and no prior criminal history. What a nightmare this has been. Any response would be greatly appreciated. 🙁

Thanks.

 

[Nanon]

Does anyone know how difficult it will be to get accepted into medical school (DO or MD) with a traffic violation - misdemeanor (excessive speeding). No drugs, no alcohol, just normal speeding while coming from VCOM open house and no prior criminal history. What a nightmare this has been. Any response would be greatly appreciated. 🙁

Thanks.

They didn't ask about misdemeanors on either the primary or the criminal background check. I had one, too, btw. Sorry to hear about it. Just do your traffic school time and be done with it!

 

[Caprica6]

The above is wrong, they now do ask about misdemeanors on the primary and you can include an explanation. I don't see why something like this will have any effect. Schools are much more concerned with things that have to do with violence, drug distribution, theft, etc.

 

[docgats]

Thank you Nanon for your kind words. I will try and put this past me and focus on the main task ahead...MCATs and application and just wait and see.

 

[docgats]

Thanks Caprica6 for your encouraging remarks. I will definitely be candid on the applications and see what happens. I don;t see it affecting me but you just never know.

 

[CogitoA1]

A traffic violation is not a misdemeanor. So no worries.

 

[Nanon]

The above is wrong, they now do ask about misdemeanors on the primary and you can include an explanation. I don't see why something like this will have any effect. Schools are much more concerned with things that have to do with violence, drug distribution, theft, etc.

My bad... I didn't remember any questions about misdemeanors on my application last year. Sorry for dispensing bad info! But ya, a traffic ticket for speeding is nothin. Cheers!

 

[BennieBlanco]

Does anyone know how difficult it will be to get accepted into medical school (DO or MD) with a traffic violation - misdemeanor (excessive speeding). No drugs, no alcohol, just normal speeding while coming from VCOM open house and no prior criminal history. What a nightmare this has been. Any response would be greatly appreciated. 🙁

Thanks.

Actually what they do is march you away to a maximum security prison during the interview, don't go because it will be a trap.

 

[COMBAT MEDIC172]

A non alcohol related traffic violation is not going to prevent you from matriculating into medical school.

 

[docgats]

Thank you to all!

Nanon: No worries!

BennieBlanco: You scared me to death lol! Good one!

 

[ChairmanMao]

Actually what they do is march you away to a maximum security prison during the interview, don't go because it will be a trap.

Yes, with your total disregard for human life by speeding, the medical schools will report you to Homeland Security. They will break down your door and detain you in the middle of the night and send you to Gitmo - where you will be waterboarded 🙂

 

[ChairmanMao]

Actually, no one cares. Unless you were caught speeding 200 mph in a 65 mph zone, medical schools are not going to reject you even if you do have a misdemeanor speeding charge.

 

[Micahfeld]

A traffic violation is not a misdemeanor. So no worries.

Bad advice. In my state, a traffic violation is a misdemeanor. When you pay the ticket, you are found guilty (pleading no contest I believe).

Full disclosure is required as you don't want something to come up on your background check that you haven't disclosed. There were actually two individuals at my state school that had their acceptances withdrawn after the CBC due to non-disclosed misdemeanors on their record.

Do your due diligence. The laws of each state are different, and you need to know your own situation and how the law applies.

 

[anon3]

Is it because they didn't disclose speeding tickets or is it because the misdemeanors they were hiding were drug and drug paraphenelia possession, public intoxication, driving under the influence, or misdemeanor assault?

 

[anon3]

Anyways you should disclose it because there's no reason to hide a speeding ticket from med schools (almost everyone has had a traffic violations of one sort or another) and lots of reasons why you shouldn't lie on your application.

 

[Micahfeld]

The dean of admissions did not give any details about the nature of the charges, but he did make it clear that the failure to disclose the misdemeanor was interpreted as falsification/misrepresentation by the application.

 

[CogitoA1]

Bad advice. In my state, a traffic violation is a misdemeanor. When you pay the ticket, you are found guilty (pleading no contest I believe).

Full disclosure is required as you don't want something to come up on your background check that you haven't disclosed. There were actually two individuals at my state school that had their acceptances withdrawn after the CBC due to non-disclosed misdemeanors on their record.

Do your due diligence. The laws of each state are different, and you need to know your own situation and how the law applies.

That you plead guilty does not make the infraction a misdemeanor. Obviously check your own state laws, but I'd be very surprised to find a speeding ticket considered a misdemeanor, and not a violation. It's certainly not in the state where I'm licensed to practice.

 

[Micahfeld]

It definitely depends on your state laws (or the laws of state where you got the speeding ticket).

 

[docgats]

ChairmanMao: Good response...lol!!!

Anon & Micahfeld:
Thank you for your responses and providing an example. The state of Virginia has very stringent laws for surpassing the speed limit by 20 or more MPH therefore if convicted, which I was, you get charged with a misdemeanor - excessive speeding charge. I will most definitely put this information on all my applications because candidness is key. I was merely trying to find out if anyone knew of any med. school applicants who had similar situations that precluded them from being admitted even after self-disclosure. Since I have no prior criminal history, I don't do drugs, don't drink any form of alcohol and I did not hit anyone or anything, I will just be cool about it and assume that everything is handled on a case by case basis 🙂.

 

[DocAndrew]

Hi, docgats,

I was accepted to allopathic medical school in December and begin in 3 weeks!

I have 3 speeding tickets, an underaged possession of alcohol charge, and was discharged under other than honorable circumstances (desertion) from the US Navy. My military discharge was a significant impediment to admission and I had to write a separate personal statement elaborating upon conditions surrounding it. Several medical schools explicitly said that my discharge prevented admission. No medical school ever mentioned my speeding tickets or my underaged possession charge. This does not mean it won't happen -- with so many applicants, everything is potentially grounds for rejection -- but it won't necessarily preclude your admission. Work hard and you'll get in!

Cheers!

 

[Micahfeld]

I was specifically addressing the comment that a speeding ticket was not a misdemeanor. I didn't want anyone to get nailed for not disclosing it on their application. 🙂

I wouldn't think that a minor offense would be any cause for concern. I have a few speeding violations over the years myself. 😀

ChairmanMao: Good response...lol!!!

Anon & Micahfeld:
Thank you for your responses and providing an example. The state of Virginia has very stringent laws for surpassing the speed limit by 20 or more MPH therefore if convicted, which I was, you get charged with a misdemeanor - excessive speeding charge. I will most definitely put this information on all my applications because candidness is key. I was merely trying to find out if anyone knew of any med. school applicants who had similar situations that precluded them from being admitted even after self-disclosure. Since I have no prior criminal history, I don't do drugs, don't drink any form of alcohol and I did not hit anyone or anything, I will just be cool about it and assume that everything is handled on a case by case basis 🙂.

 

[Excelsius]

Does anyone know how difficult it will be to get accepted into medical school (DO or MD) with a traffic violation - misdemeanor (excessive speeding). No drugs, no alcohol, just normal speeding while coming from VCOM open house and no prior criminal history. What a nightmare this has been. Any response would be greatly appreciated. 🙁

Thanks.

First of all, research the laws. Traffic violations are not misdemeanors usually. In CA, the only time you get a misdemeanor for speeding is when you are charged with Reckless Driving - which is 100mph+. These cases are still pretty easy to win as you can negotiate with the police/prosecutor for a downgrade to an infraction. This is done all the time.

It is important to be always aware what you are being charged with. You don't want to wait months or years after the possibility of your action expires to do damage control.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

That you plead guilty does not make the infraction a misdemeanor. Obviously check your own state laws, but I'd be very surprised to find a speeding ticket considered a misdemeanor, and not a violation. It's certainly not in the state where I'm licensed to practice.

Then, SURPRISE -- You're wrong!

In Texas, a traffic violation is a class C misdemeanor. This is why you can have a jury trial for a speeding ticket here.

But, I highly doubt that a speeding ticket will have any effect on one's chances on getting into a medical school.

 

[CogitoA1]

Then, SURPRISE -- You're wrong!

In Texas, a traffic violation is a class C misdemeanor. This is why you can have a jury trial for a speeding ticket here.

But, I highly doubt that a speeding ticket will have any effect on one's chances on getting into a medical school.

Not believing you I actually went and checked.

And I stand corrected--although this means that the applicant should also divulge each and every time he's been given a ticket for having a headlight out and such.

Therefore allow me to rephrase: in most states a traffic infraction is not a misdemeanor.

Sure, full disclosure. If you happen to forget about the tail-light from seven years ago, though, I don't see it causing any problems. Then again, I've obviously been wrong before!

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

When in doubt, always call the school you are applying to, to get clarification. Never assume anything.

 

[funklab]

Holy chit, I didn't even think of that.

A couple years ago I got a speed competition/wreckless/speeding all in one sitting. Something else for me to sweat I guess.

God I miss sport bikes.🙄

 

[Bernoull]

My driving record went from totally clean to 3 pages long within 2years. I was doing prescription deliveries as an undergrad!! In retrospect worst idea for job for ME!! Since quitting that job (4yrs ago), I had only 1 ticket.

Point is, I've had pretty much every violation beside vehicular manslaughter/homicide or DUI. Most of them were speeding, u-turns, red lights, 2 crashes, HOV etc. I went to court for all but 2 (got a lawyer for those) and pled "no contest", and adjudication was withheld. Before applying this summer, got my criminal history report from my State Law Enforcement Office and the 3 counties I lived in and it's squeaky clean!! zilch!!

What's important is the adjudication of the case, not the mere fact that you're charged with speeding. The exclusion for the criminal history section for AMCAS concerns case adjudication. Even if you were found guilty, I'm sure that's inconsequential (assuming it wasn't reckless driving also)..

It's advisable to get your criminal history report, ideally through the same service AMCAS uses. This way you see what schools see and you can correct any errors well in advance.