Licensing issues due to misdemeanor possession

[SmilesDMD]

Hello fellow dentists,

I have a very very sticky situation and was wondering if anyone knows of anything similar happening or has any input for me.

TL;DR if I get the misdemeanor charge dropped, and I have a clean criminal record but have an arrest for misdemeanor possession of MDMA will I not be able to get my license to practice?

I was accepted to dental school in December with a fairly good application. I was one of the first rounds of interviews and was also accepted in the first round of applicants as well.

I was recently charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (2 pressed MDMA that was given to me at coachella from a camping neighbor). I understand how stupid I sound, and how irresponsible I was but coachella was supposed to be the last "fun" thing I did before graduating in May and taking the last of my pre-Reqs all summer.

I've already passed all preliminary background checks and have all of my deposits paid for. The faculty really likes me and I'm in consideration for a scholarship. My attorney believes he can get my case resolved with no conviction within three months and there will be no criminal record on my behalf since there were so many arrests that weekend. With bulk filings he can get a good deal (state charging is
CA).

Should I still go into dental school? There is no policy that states we must disclose arrests at our school, and I don't remember anything in the secondary stating things about arrests, only convictions, and I know people personally in the program who have been arrested but not convicted of any crimes. I Just don't want to go through 4 years of vigorous schooling and debt and be denied a license and have no options. Are there probationary terms or other ways to get a license even of the worse case scenario happens where I am convicted of this misdemeanor?

I've worked very hard to be where I am at today and I know it's the beginning of the journey, but was this mistake too large to fix?

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[tooth knockn]

Hello fellow dentists,

I have a very very sticky situation and was wondering if anyone knows of anything similar happening or has any input for me.

TL;DR if I get the misdemeanor charge dropped, and I have a clean criminal record but have an arrest for misdemeanor possession of MDMA will I not be able to get my license to practice?

I was accepted to dental school in December with a fairly good application. I was one of the first rounds of interviews and was also accepted in the first round of applicants as well.

I was recently charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (2 pressed MDMA that was given to me at coachella from a camping neighbor). I understand how stupid I sound, and how irresponsible I was but coachella was supposed to be the last "fun" thing I did before graduating in May and taking the last of my pre-Reqs all summer.

I've already passed all preliminary background checks and have all of my deposits paid for. The faculty really likes me and I'm in consideration for a scholarship. My attorney believes he can get my case resolved with no conviction within three months and there will be no criminal record on my behalf since there were so many arrests that weekend. With bulk filings he can get a good deal (state charging is
CA).

Should I still go into dental school? There is no policy that states we must disclose arrests at our school, and I don't remember anything in the secondary stating things about arrests, only convictions, and I know people personally in the program who have been arrested but not convicted of any crimes. I Just don't want to go through 4 years of vigorous schooling and debt and be denied a license and have no options. Are there probationary terms or other ways to get a license even of the worse case scenario happens where I am convicted of this misdemeanor?

I've worked very hard to be where I am at today and I know it's the beginning of the journey, but was this mistake too large to fix?

Tricky....
I'm not a lawyer nor do I have any of those legal troubles....

But

I do know any conviction of a drug substance may severely hurt your chances of smoothly getting a DEA # to prescribe drugs to patients...

If I were you and you think/know you will be able to get that tossed then go on to dental school.....
But....

But

But....

If you get the conviction..... Get ready for some serious debt or a lifelong uphill battle of trying to get a DEA# and always having to explain your conviction for every gov't or federal application you do....

With that being said


You will probably have trouble getting loans...


Stay away from drugs.... Tell those who do drugs around you to go fuq themselves some where else.

 

[CMistry]

I do know any conviction of a drug substance may severely hurt your chances of smoothly getting a DEA # to prescribe drugs to patients...

This. I'm sure it will end well but you'll have more of a struggle than the rest of us. Lots of dentists have had various misdemeanors, you are far from the only one. But those dentists are probably not going to be posting on this forum.

Good luck.

P.S. It's always better to avoid giving an excuse; you're implying that it was acceptable because it was your "last hoorah"... the dental board or DEA will not see it like that.

 

[tooth knockn]

This. I'm sure it will end well but you'll have more of a struggle than the rest of us. Lots of dentists have had various misdemeanors, you are far from the only one. But those dentists are probably not going to be posting on this forum.

Good luck.

P.S. it's always better to avoid giving an excuse; you're imply that it was acceptable because it was your "last hoorah"... the dental board or DEA will not see it like that.

Cmistry

How about an acd type case?

What do you know about those ?

 

[CMistry]

Cmistry

How about an acd type case?

What do you know about those ?

Nothing.

 

[tooth knockn]

Nothing.

Ok

 

[SmilesDMD]

This. I'm sure it will end well but you'll have more of a struggle than the rest of us. Lots of dentists have had various misdemeanors, you are far from the only one. But those dentists are probably not going to be posting on this forum.

Good luck.

P.S. It's always better to avoid giving an excuse; you're implying that it was acceptable because it was your "last hoorah"... the dental board or DEA will not see it like that.

I understand that. I know it was a bonehead mistake. I know FOR A FACT I will never do anything or even put myself in a situation to be around that again. I am prepared to do any court mandated program and will hold myself completely accountable for anything that is to come.

The way im looking at it though, if I were to go through dental school and and make professional relationships with my professors and faculty, I truly believe 5 years from now when I am getting my license with one hiccup they will look past it. I feel there has to be some kind of probationary term I can get a license to prove to them that I will make an ethical, practicing doctor that has learned and matured from his prior mistake if a worst case scenario occurs.

Thank you so much for your input. Everyone has their journey to becoming a doctor. Some harder than others, but this is my passion and having my future in limbo made me realize how important it is to me.

 

[setdoc7]

See after your case is dismissed if you can have the entire case expunged, which will cost you more money, but once done you can go along as if it never happened. Once you are in the system though, the record of arrest will never go away. Anything on the internet is forever. Check the CA court web. If you are on it, it's done. You will have to answer for the arrest when asked on any application, as all of the record checking agencies already have it in their data base and they rarely update these. My son is an attorney, and he handles these types of things (different state).

 

[tooth knockn]

See after your case is dismissed if you can have the entire case expunged, which will cost you more money, but once done you can go along as if it never happened. Once you are in the system though, the record of arrest will never go away. Anything on the internet is forever. Check the CA court web. If you are on it, it's done. You will have to answer for the arrest when asked on any application, as all of the record checking agencies already have it in their data base and they rarely update these. My son is an attorney, and he handles these types of things (different state).

Which state?

 

[Sublimazing]

 

[Muggsy Bogues]

There are, you know, state dental boards for questions like this.

 

[setdoc7]

The dental school has little to do with your ability to be licensed other than grant you a diploma. The license comes from the state, and the state dental board is not necessarily the issuing agency. In NY the Office of the Professions and the State Dental Board are different. My son practices in OR.

 

[InspiredDDS]

If it is your first offense you probably won't get convicted and can eventually get it expunged depending on the policies in your state.

 

[Localnative]

You have to divulge everything in your licensing application.

If you fail to cite any of this information, it will catch up to you in the end. Whether its 6 months or 5 years in.

You should have behaved. Poor choices my friend. Tsk tsk.

 

[bsp1013]

Bet you wish you had eaten those rolls...

If u can get it expunged, you never even have to disclose it. If you plea and do community service, etc even tho u don't have a conviction you'll have to disclose. The licensing question will ask "have you ever been arrested, convicted, entered an Alford plea, etc for any crime other than traffic ticket". If it was expunged there is literally no evidence of any arrest as far as background checks go.

If you have to explain it down the road, I'd have a lawyer buddy write the little paragraph for you. They make it sound fancy and like it was no big deal, plus they'll ask for court case #. "On date so and so, I was charged with X (no pun intended). After accepting a plea deal with DA I completed com service and resolved the case. Records can be found in CR 4123, coachella county."

 

[setdoc7]

Although having a case expunged allows you to act as if nothing happened, the private background agencies will have the record of the arrest in their files, and as I have said, they rarely update anything. When that hit comes up, even with the expungement, there may be some explaining to do, if only to submit the record of expungement.

 

[daisy25]

I would continue to pursue your dental career if that's what you want to do. Every state has different licensing requirements. Just be honest and truthful with your responses, you may have to have a hearing with the state board to get approval for your license. Also, you can try to work in an under served area where there is a shortage of dentist. I have heard that some states allow you to have a dental license if you have a supervising dentist to work under at all times. So just look into what states you are interested in working in and see their rules and regulations regarding obtaining a dental license.

 

[smileafficianado]

You will be ok my friend. You aren't the first this has happened to and won't be the last. It would be wise to have completed some type of diversion or program that you can use to say you have rehabilitated yourself. I'm not saying you have a problem, but it may be necessary from a state board perspective. Continue to pursue your dream and don't give up - it makes it that much sweeter in the end. By the time you apply for a state license it may not be an issue anymore, or it may be - who knows. If it is, its likely they'll ask you to get screened and if they feel you have a problem - its diversion for a number of years, if not, you're in the clear. Good luck my friend.