Lied on my application, what to do?

[superdoc2.0]

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[Ismet]

You should be fine. You were charged/ticketed/whatever in Washington, thus your background check would not show them as misdemeanors even if other states consider them misdemeanors. You still have to disclose these things on secondaries that ask, and that is why some schools ask in secondaries, because different states have different rules about these things.

 

[Lawpy]

No way. A premed that actually lied on their application?! @Planes2Doc signal! 😱

In all seriousness i agree with @Ismet. You should be fine but better to report it in secondaries

 

[superdoc2.0]

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[mehc012]

I am worried that I didn't answer correctly on some secondaries as well. What started this whole thing was my U of Wisconsin secondary where they specifically asked for anything greater than a parking ticket. I have completed a bunch of secondaries and I am worried that I didn't catch my mistake earlier and now I can't look at the secondaries anymore.

Even if you had disclosed, schools don't care about speeding tickets...if somehow they see it and don't think "lol this student didn't realize speeding violations are misdemeanors most places", you can explain it quite easily given your state's policies.
Freaking out about it will do far more harm than the 'mistake' (not a mistake because you are being accurate) will.

 

[rodmichael82]

In Washington State traffic violations are civil infractions and not misdemeanors. Thus when AMCAS asked me if I had any misdemeanors I said no. But, I do have negligent driving in the 2nd degree (the most serious traffic violation that is not a misdemeanor), as well as other tickets like talking on cell phone, failure to yield, speeding. I though I was answering my application honestly, I wasn't trying to hide anything. But with some research it seems like Washington State is unique in that traffic violations are not misdemeanors. I think that medical schools did want to know about those issues on my application and will think I am a liar when they do my background check.

The University of Washington states in their FAQ webpage that they want to know about anything above a parking ticket.

What should I do now? I did not mean to withhold information (I thought they only wanted to know about misdemeanors) and I am scared medical schools will rescind any offers I get once they get my background check back.

You did not lie. Relax and enjoy the application cycle.

 

[Fargofargo]

Ya agree with above. Don't over think it.

 

[hoihaie]

dam you got alot of driving tickets dude....

 

[Fargofargo]

dam you got alot of driving tickets dude....

Washington cops are cray cray

 

[kyamh]

dam you got alot of driving tickets dude....

Very many...I wouldn't be too comfortable with casually disclosing all of them if I were you. Sure, a speeding ticket etc happens to all of us, but so many tickets for so many different offenses (all of which include negligence, direct rule violation, and/or carelessness) doesn't say anything positive about your maturity/judgement. If you do disclose these tickets, I would have a short statement prepared about how you have learned from your experiences and are taking steps to learning to drive more responsibly. For the sake of everyone on the roads, especially those not in cars, shape up!

 

[Mad Jack]

I'd look very carefully at an applicant with a pile of traffic violations that large. The negligent driving, in particular, would give me pause if recent. If you're this sloppy on the road, where there are legal and financial consequences, how do you act behind closed doors? As others have said, be ready to answer questions.

 

[Time Table]

I got a failure to report a motor vehicle accident in my state, and we don't have misdemeanors. I also got a parking ticket for parking during street cleaning, but once again not a misdemeanor, so no point in reporting it to schools.

 

[Ismet]

I also got a parking ticket for parking during street cleaning, but once again not a misdemeanor, so no point in reporting it to schools.

Those are the worst. They don't even clean the streets in my city! But no one (including me once) looks at those signs and the parking authority makes bank on those days. That would suck if it were considered a misdemeanor, even though it really wouldn't matter in terms of med school.

 

[superdoc2.0]

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[Time Table]

Those are the worst. They don't even clean the streets in my city! But no one (including me once) looks at those signs and the parking authority makes bank on those days. That would suck if it were considered a misdemeanor, even though it really wouldn't matter in terms of med school.

It wasn't even my home city, I was in a neighboring city doing volunteering! It's annoying that this is my "reward" for being selfless.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

Clarification

The Negligent Driving ticket was ten years ago when I was 17. The other tickets were over a span of 6 years or so, with the last ticket being 4 years ago. I have served 8 years in the military, with deployments to the Middle East.

Here's a positive: you were out of the country for 8 years, so maybe not much time to get more tickets? Negligent driving in the 2nd degree, talking on the phone, failure to yield, speeding….. that's a lot.

 

[Lamel]

I think most secondaries only ask for misdemeanors and above; only a few ask for traffic violations as well.

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but whether something is a misdemeanor or simply a traffic violation depends on the state the violation occurred in, correct?

 

[Ismet]

I think most secondaries only ask for misdemeanors and above; only a few ask for traffic violations as well.

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but whether something is a misdemeanor or simply a traffic violation depends on the state the violation occurred in, correct?

Yes.

 

[Lamel]

Yes.

Okay cool, just making sure.

Some states are super strict about even minor things, like speeding a bit (in TX this would be a misdemeanor). On the other hand, some states are super lax; in NJ a DWI isn't even a misdemeanor.

 

[Ismet]

Okay cool, just making sure.

Some states are super strict about even minor things, like speeding a bit (in TX this would be a misdemeanor). On the other hand, some states are super lax; in NJ a DWI isn't even a misdemeanor.

Yup. I believe VA is notorious for the whole misdemeanor thing. It sucks to have that on your record, but a clarification of the issue on AMCAS or secondaries resolves it rather quickly. You're not being held to a different standard based on what your state does with the same offense.

 

[Omppu27]

Not a big deal. Disclose it on secondaries if there is space to do so. If you've already submitted some secondaries, or there isn't space to disclose it, email the schools. This is what i've been doing with a public urination that was a minor misdemeanor. I've already had schools email me saying it's nothing to worry about.