I made a really bad decision...any advice or experience appreciated...

[geekdoc0119]

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I am a fourth year undergraduate student at a pretty good college in the midwest. I am planning on applying to medical school this fall. I have a 32 composite MCAT score and a 3.85 science and cum gpa with lots of EC's. I made a really bad choice my freshman year of college though. I drank alcohol underage and got caught for it. I cannot believe that I could be this stupid to make such a dumb mistake. I have been wishing ever since that I could take it back, but I cant. I did not think this would affect my application that much, since it doesnt have to do with any institutional action and is not a felony. It is however a criminal misdemeanor, and I have noticed that I have to disclose it on most of my secondary applications. I was wondering if any one had any advice on this situation??? I have worked really reallly hard to get here and I would hate for one drinking incident my freshman year to take it all away from me. If anyone has heard of anything about criminal offenses (not felonies) and admissions, plssss let me know! Do I still have chances of getting in or will admissions committes automatically reject me.. THANKS in advance for any advice! 🙂 😍 😱 😕

 

[GBFKicks]

Yeah, better start looking for places in the Caribbeans.

No, seriously, you'll be fine. You'll get in places and the places you don't get in will probably be because of some other factor... it's the crapshoot business of med school admissions....

Good luck and you probably have lot of other stuff to get all worry about now... don't worry about this

 

[Vandyfox]

Yo,
If you have to disclose it, disclose it. How many people do we know didn't drink in college. . . . .um, not many. ADCOMS are people, were in college once, and probably tipped a few back when they were younger (maybe even still from time to time. . . . . .). Anyway, I wouldn't think this would keep you out of medschool. My best advice is to be honest about it when asked- confidence and honesty are important on ANY answer during the interview process. Hell, they might not ever ask you at all anyway.

Sorry I can't help with any specific historical experience here, but I just wanted to drop you an encouraging voice.
In fact, I'll throw one down tonight in your honor. It's 4:00, and I'm done with work, where's the cooler ?!
-Vandyfox

 

[Gut Shot]

Underage college kids drinking? Say it isn't so.

Seriously, calm down. One little college-aged drinking mishap isn't likely to affect anything. It might be a different matter if it were multiple convictions reflecting a pattern of alcohol abuse. A DUI or some associated factor (property damage, criminal endagerment, etc.) could also be more of a liability.

Just disclose it, put the best face on it that you can without being dishonest, and be prepared to laugh about it should an interviewer bring it up. Everyone has done stupid things, regardless of whether they got caught.

 

[sistahnik]

hey I would just inform them and make a correlation to the fact that I was all grown up and that I learned a valuable lesson from the incident! don't try to hid eanything just let them know that it happened that one time and you haven't been in any other trouble since(if this is true!).

 

[Bono]

I had a friend that was in a similar situation a few years ago. He called the schools he was applying too (ANONOMYOUSLY of course) and talked to the assistant dean to see how badly it would effect his application. I think he called 10 schools in all and 8 of them told them how it would affect his application. In his interviews, i think all the schools asked him about the incident and he simply explained to them what happend. It was not a serious incident, he was just having a beer with a few of his buddies....he wasnt getting totally drunk off of shots of tequila and running around the dorm naked or anything (get my drift). Remember if you call, make sure you DO NOT GIVE YOUR NAME OUT!!! Hell, if they ask for it...hang up.

That was a few years ago and now my friends a third year at UCSF.

-Bono 😀

 

[geekdoc0119]

I have encountered some secondary applications which do not ask me about any criminal offenses, they simply ask about felonies. Should I disclose the underage drinking offense on these applications as well, or do I not have to. Do medical schools conduct a background check of each applicant either way? Because then I think I better tell them about it even if they do not ask... let me know what any of you think...thanks for the advice!! 🙂

 

[Vandyfox]

sniff. . . .sniff. . . .

while you last post smells a little trollish, I'll answer anyway.
If it's not a felony. . . .don't write about it under the felony question.

analogy:
"Hey, dude, what was Canada like last week?"
correct answer: "I didn't go to Canada last week."
wrong answer: "Well, last week down the street at my buddy's house here in Kentucky, we played basketball. And it was really cool."

if you haven't committed any felonies, don't admit to any.
and if they want to know about your misdemeanor past, they will ask about it like other schools did (so, no the private eye probably won't get your case).
-Vandyfox

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

yo, how did you get a misdemeanor for drinking?? who was your attorney, lionel hutz?

 

[Zweihander]

*feeds the troll*

 

[vandypatty]

Vandyfox-

My ass you don't have any personal experience. If I had a penny for everytime you got caught boozing when you should've been studying, I'd be a rich man. I'd like to forget how many times I pulled you out of the bars when you should've been studying for the MCATs.