International Criminal Record Question

[PNWpremed123]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I had a dual citizenship with another country besides the US and lived there when I was a kid, it has compulsory military service which I was unable to do. This was due to a lack of support in that country as I lacked a place to stay and the expenses to live there by myself was too much for me or my family, I was also disconnected with that country. How much of a concern would this be for medical school?

 

[Goro]

So what was the crime? Draft dodging?

 

[PNWpremed123]

So what was the crime? Draft dodging?

Yeah failure to show up for military service in another country.

 

[Goro]

Yeah failure to show up for military service in another country.

Nothingburger

 

[SpoiledMilk]

I can't help but feel that this should be a bigger deal. Shouldn't OP at least need to explain in their PS that they have a been charged with dodging the draft in the other country, what happened, and why? Someone enlighten me please.

 

[Goro]

I can't help but feel that this should be a bigger deal. Shouldn't OP at least need to explain in their PS that they have a been charged with dodging the draft in the other country, what happened, and why? Someone enlighten me please.

How would anyone here know about this????? Interpol?

The PS is also not the place for explaining such things

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Granted AMCAS says to report only if it may appear on your record:
Felonies and Misdemeanors: These sections of the application give you the opportunity to disclose and explain any felonies or misdemeanors that may appear on your record.

My concern is that OP is 2 years in and somehow Student Affairs finds out that they were convicted of a crime in another country.

TMDSAS apps does not appear to give a "may appear on your record" exception:

Don't know about AACOMAS...

 

[AvsPearTree]

Granted AMCAS says to report only if it may appear on your record:
Felonies and Misdemeanors: These sections of the application give you the opportunity to disclose and explain any felonies or misdemeanors that may appear on your record.

My concern is that OP is 2 years in and somehow Student Affairs finds out that they were convicted of a crime in another country.

TMDSAS apps does not appear to give a "may appear on your record" exception:

View attachment 350230

Don't know about AACOMAS...

Here is are the key words to take note of when you look at the AAMC Criminal Background Check Service, "national background check."
For certifi, "Criminal searches are performed directly through county courthouse records for both felonies and misdemeanors."

So the question to ask here is if whatever country the OP is from has an extradition treaty with the U.S. and if so, did they request a warrant be put out for OP to be extradited. At that point you'd probably have bigger things to worry about than applying to medical school.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Hence because of the uncertainty, I would try to get ahead of it and be open and honest with the school and let them decide one way or another. But I'm not an Adcom, so what do I know...

 

[PNWpremed123]

I have not received any info from the previous country so I do not know if I have been charged or not, there is no warrant or anything even similar to that. If asked, I will definitely come out with my reason and it was primarily down to family matters here in the US and the expense to do so, I don't think it was that malicious of a reason but it will be up to the school if they ask me.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Do you have relatives in the other country? If so can you possibly have them find out your status? I think it's better to know for certain your status before you apply so you can have peace of mind.

 

[PNWpremed123]

I am trying to contact the government and see what my status is but if not, I doubt it is a concern, LizzyM said in another thread that it is not an issue and both background checks use national records.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Ok. If Lizzy says it's fine. I was thinking beyond medschool, upon graduation and whether it might come up during state licensing...

 

[PNWpremed123]

I had a certiphi background check before as I volunteer at a hospital and no issues there, I can see if I can request it.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Sounds good. I just wanna make sure you have your ducks in a row...

 

[allseasons]

yea dude, idk how they would ever even find this out lol. Is the country a US ally, or at least in NATO, or nah. Not that it's likely to matter much, but if it's not even in those then I doubt there's any way of finding out.

 

[PNWpremed123]

It is a US ally but I doubt that it matters, it should be fine.

 

[wook]

I doubt it is going to be problematic.

My suggestion is to disclose and be transparent. If it looks like you are hiding something, or it is later found out you did not disclose, it could become problematic. As other posters have said, it's not likely to be a big deal.

Just to be clear, if you have never been charged, you don't have a criminal record.

Again, I suggest transparency anyways to avoid potential excitement down the road.


Thanks.


Wook

 

[allseasons]

I doubt it is going to be problematic.

My suggestion is to disclose and be transparent. If it looks like you are hiding something, or it is later found out you did not disclose, it could become problematic. As other posters have said, it's not likely to be a big deal.

Just to be clear, if you have never been charged, you don't have a criminal record.

Again, I suggest transparency anyways to avoid potential excitement down the road.


Thanks.


Wook

100% disagree with this advice for this situation lol. Def don’t report imo.

 

[SCallergydoc]

Why didn't you renounce your citizenship since it now would appear you will not be going back there. Additionally, the reason for not serving was that you had no place to stay and it would be expensive. Couldn't one say the same about medical school? I find your excuse to be weak and self serving.

 

[LizzyM]

Why didn't you renounce your citizenship since it now would appear you will not be going back there. Additionally, the reason for not serving was that you had no place to stay and it would be expensive. Couldn't one say the same about medical school? I find your excuse to be weak and self serving.

🙄
It takes some convoluted thinking to identify the ways in which mandatory conscription by a foreign government in a country where one is not living is similar to attending medical school in the US.

 

[carbonylcarbon]

This isn't advice one way or another but I thought I'd add that the certiphi background check process that some schools require ask for the last 25 years of your addresses and conducts international checks in countries where you've lived over that timespan--at least it did for me when I listed I lived in Canada years ago.

 

[PNWpremed123]

That is true, I have never been charged in the previous country but if it pops up, I will discuss it with the school and explain my reasoning for it. I think that is the best way to go about it. I also heard that I can't list my international addresses if I was there under 18 on the background check, that is what I heard but we will see.