Marijuana Arrest & Dental School

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braces or nah

braces or nah

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Hey I'm a pre-dental student and I messed up at probably the worst of the times. I just wanted some advice about how I should handle things and anything else you recommend.

I'm currently in a 7-year accelerated dental program in which I still need to technically apply to the school and perform well on my DATs. Late last year I was arrested for possession of marijuana & paraphernalia (I know I was stupid, but I've been trying to make things right & I've been clean since). I was never charged with anything because I entered a conditional discharge program where the charges were dismissed after I completed a Conditional Discharge Program. The thing is even though the charge is gone I still have the arrest on my record and basically an expungement won't occur until next year. I'm applying and taking my DATs this year meaning the arrest will be on my record.

Overall I have decent statistics for my school but nothing grate, cGPA & sGPA 3.70-3.8, DAT 20AA/23PAT, 400+ hrs shadowing, 200+ hours volunteering, good ECs, etc.

My question is should I mention it to the dental school during my interview and will it cause the dental school to rescind their acceptance even though I meet the terms of my program? I'm scared I won't be able to become a dentists one day and I'm freaking out. I really don't know what to do and if anyone could help or give me some advice it would greatly be appreciated. Thanks in advance
 
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As far as I know, you don't voluntarily give up this information during an interview. They're the ones that ask you the questions, it's not a confession booth.
You're going to have to report this on any application (surely they are going to ask if you have ever been convicted of a crime or misdemeanor, etc.), and schools run background checks on all individuals that are accepted. So it's best to be honest about it (if you manage to slip through the cracks and get accepted, your offer will get rescinded for not being honest). Don't hide it and own up to it. If you're lucky to get an interview with this disclosure, they may or may not ask you about it. Up to the interviewer and how thoroughly they looked through your application.

Even though you weren't convicted, being arrested is a pretty big deal.
 
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How is getting arrested a pretty big deal? Someone could accuse you of anything and you can get arrested for it, and if you don't get charged then hey guess what, it could be a wrong place wrong time type of situation. I'd say don't worry about it because you were never charged with anything. I agree that they ask you if you have been convicted but they haven't, never even got charged with it. I guess if I was in that situation I wouldn't mention it unless the rare chance they ask about only an arrest and I would just say "wrong place wrong time, I didn't do anything wrong"
 
truthmaster said:
How is getting arrested a pretty big deal? Someone could accuse you of anything and you can get arrested for it, and if you don't get charged then hey guess what, it could be a wrong place wrong time type of situation. I'd say don't worry about it because you were never charged with anything. I agree that they ask you if you have been convicted but they haven't, never even got charged with it. I guess if I was in that situation I wouldn't mention it unless the rare chance they ask about only an arrest and I would just say "wrong place wrong time, I didn't do anything wrong"
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Except that this isn't a "wrong place wrong time" situation. OP says he was holding and that's what he was arrested for. Your attitude about this suggests that you don't understand the seriousness of the matter when someone else will look into OP's background. It would a lot worse for ADCOMs to find out about this later and make their own assumptions. Even if OP wasn't charged, the record is still there and ADCOMs will still wonder. It's significantly better to be up front, address any questions/concerns and save his/her integrity. OP could've been charged but went through the conditional program, and he/she should explain what was learned from the entire process if ADCOMs bring it up... not say "I didn't do anything wrong". But thanks for your input, "truthmaster".
 
Disclose on the application that you were arrested and explain exactly what happened with the charge. Then explain that you learned from it and have buckled down and not done anything bad since that arrest. In the interview, there is no reason to talk about it unless they ask. In some of my interviews, the interviewer didn't even have a copy of my app, so just try to make a good impression in the interviews you get
 
Alright.. so the charge IS on there, it is listed as Dismissed (by DA or Upon Completion of..).. This won't affect your DAT. When do you plan to apply? This cycle? If not, wait until it has been a year since the occurrence (or however long you have to wait until you can apply for expungement). Get it expunged and then when you apply to Dental School you will be good. Honestly, you will probably be OK even with it on there.. Just be ready to talk about it..
If you have something EXPUNGED you do not need to disclose it.
If it is DISMISSED and a question asks about CONVICTIONS - you have no CONVICTIONS.
If it asks about ARRESTS - you HAVE been ARRESTED....
 
kayden28 said:
Except that this isn't a "wrong place wrong time" situation. OP says he was holding and that's what he was arrested for. Your attitude about this suggests that you don't understand the seriousness of the matter when someone else will look into OP's background. It would a lot worse for ADCOMs to find out about this later and make their own assumptions. Even if OP wasn't charged, the record is still there and ADCOMs will still wonder. It's significantly better to be up front, address any questions/concerns and save his/her integrity. OP could've been charged but went through the conditional program, and he/she should explain what was learned from the entire process if ADCOMs bring it up... not say "I didn't do anything wrong". But thanks for your input, "truthmaster".
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Bottom line if you have a layer ask them, they will know for sure. And nice attitude kayden28.
 
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truthmaster said:
Bottom line if you have a layer ask them, they will know for sure. And nice attitude kayden28.
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Oh, did you think I meant to give off attitude? You're mistaken. I merely thought it was ironic that your name was truthmaster but you were suggesting that OP dodge the truth.
 
Talk to a lawyer

Call Ada

Be careful

A dentist will be required to get a DEA license to prescribe medication.

Any doubts on a students behavior towards drugs, could become problematic....

This is my opinion, I am not a lawyer, but I am a human being, and if two papers were in front of me
Person A with an arrest due to a drug

Person B with an arrest due to alcohol


I would like to meet the alcoholic first....
 
First off guys thanks for the responses it really means a lot.
Just to clear up some confusion, basically I wasn't convicted due to the program. I was still arrested, got a mug shot, had to go to court, and now since I've completed the program there's no conviction (no guilty/not guilty) since I went through the conditional discharge program. Sadly, I can't get it expunged until another 6 months/1 year.

As for my application I'm applying this cycle (I know the time sucks). Also, due to my program my school hasn't even seen my application yet and basically my interview would probably be the only time to bring this up and talk about it or I can wait until my school gets my application in the coming months.

Also my interview isn't like most interviews, it's more like "Hey are you doing good in school? Good." It's very lax from what I've heard from other students and not really like a typical dental school interview. I meet all the requirements for my program and my grades/ECs are good so I don't think my application has any downsides besides this arrest.

So in your opinion would it be better for me to mention this during my interview, or should I simply just post it on my application and explain it there.
I'm thinking about bringing it up during the interview so my school just knows about it and this way I can explain how I made a mistake and what I've learned, but I don't know how exactly the interviewer would view this. The tide is turning on marijuana usage, but still I made a mistake and I don't want it to ruin my lifelong dream of being a dentist.
 
Expungement doesn't change the fact that you were arrested. Moreover, expungements are still visible to certification boards.

It really depends upon the question the school asks.

Have you ever been arrested? Yes
Have you ever been convicted? No, sort of.

Schools like UNC ask if you have ever plead in abeyance, entered a plea of nolo contendere, etc. Your deferment program counts as a plea in abeyance. That said, I have only seen one school ask whether you have ever plead in abeyance to a charge and it was UNC. The fact that you have a charge which will show up if you apply this cycle is probably not good though.

You could order a Certiphi background check on yourself and see what comes back. I know others have done that on these forums before.
 
Cello said:
Expungement doesn't change the fact that you were arrested. Moreover, expungements are still visible to certification boards.

It really depends upon the question the school asks.

Have you ever been arrested? Yes
Have you ever been convicted? No, sort of.

Schools like UNC ask if you have ever plead in abeyance, entered a plea of nolo contendere, etc. Your deferment program counts as a plea in abeyance. That said, I have only seen one school ask whether you have ever plead in abeyance to a charge and it was UNC. The fact that you have a charge which will show up if you apply this cycle is probably not good though.

You could order a Certiphi background check on yourself and see what comes back. I know others have done that on these forums before.
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Some states actually do allow you to expunge arrests from your record, so in that case you are not obligated to report an arrest - an expungement (at least in my state, I'm sure it varies) allows you to answer no to arrests, charges, convictions, and so forth.

You are right that licensing boards do still have access to expunged convictions, though. These boards tend to ask directly about expunged convictions, so it is less of a grey area there.
 
PlasmaMembrane said:
Some states actually do allow you to expunge arrests from your record, so in that case you are not obligated to report an arrest - an expungement (at least in my state, I'm sure it varies) allows you to answer no to arrests, charges, convictions, and so forth.

You are right that licensing boards do still have access to expunged convictions, though. These boards tend to ask directly about expunged convictions, so it is less of a grey area there.
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Sure, but a plea in abeyance is not the same thing as a dismissal. It will show as 'dismissed with prejudice' though it was technically a dismissal upon condition of doing x, y, or z. I don't really know how that affects the way you can answer the arrest question, but I would advise OP to speak with an attorney.
 
Cello said:
Sure, but a plea in abeyance is not the same thing as a dismissal. It will show as 'dismissed with prejudice' though it was technically a dismissal upon condition of doing x, y, or z. I don't really know how that affects the way you can answer the arrest question, but I would advise OP to speak with an attorney.
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I fully agree, plea in abeyance will likely need to be disclosed. In fact some schools will directly ask about such pleas, nolo contendere, etc.
 
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pulltheleverkronk said:
Personally I'd perceive my dentist as significantly more chill if he did
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That, and also the problems with marijuana stem from its illegality, but with current reforms if it is legal to possess then why would it matter if your dentist uses marijuana? It is only an issue if they are using it before work/during work because what they do on their own time is their own business. The same thing with alcohol.
 
I've spoken to my lawyer and he's told me what to say/which questions I can answer no to, but he doesn't really know what to do when it comes specifically to dental schools.
So thats why I wanted to find out what you guys think about bringing it up myself during the interview and explaining what happened or just simply stating it in my application hoping it won't cause any other problems. What do you guys think would be the better thing to do?
 
I think that if you are applying this cycle before expungement you don't have a good option. Given the two choices, I think you should give the full disclosure knowing that Certiphi is almost certainly going to see the charge.

A rejection is better than having an offer rescinded.

You said that your "charge was gone" but I'm not sure I understand what that means. Charges don't just disappear. The charge will always exist, it will just show as "dismissed with prejudice" or something to that effect. You don't really want that to show up on your background check either quite frankly.

You have to look at this from the perspective of adcoms. They have hundreds, even thousands of applicants to choose from. Sometimes the differences between candidates can be like splitting hairs. They will use things like disciplinary actions and a your legal history as a way to separate the wheat from the chaff. You may still get into some schools this cycle, but I have one big reservation. If you don't get into any schools this cycle and have to reapply next year, the schools you applied to will have your history and will know that you were rejected because of your charge EVEN if you get it expunged.

You are in a really difficult position, but that is the consequence of getting caught breaking the law unfortunately. At least you have a chance at redemption, I recommend that you play it safe.


EDIT: I just remembered that you are on the 7-year accelerated program. I suppose that in that case it wouldn't be the end of the world to apply to that ONE school. Then at least you could apply next year to other schools with an expunged charge. I would still disclose the charge in your application and own up to it. Make no excuses, take full responsibility, and show that you've learned your lesson. That is probably the best hope you have.
 
You're human. Admission committees are human. They do understand that we're not all perfect and do make mistakes.

Like everyone has said, be honest and disclose it. If your lawyer can get it expunged for you, don't disclose it until licensing (I know dentists that have been given licenses recently for much worse so you should be fine when it comes to that.)

You're a strong applicant otherwise so best of luck.
 
tooth knockn said:
Talk to a lawyer

This is my opinion, I am not a lawyer, but I am a human being, and if two papers were in front of me
Person A with an arrest due to a drug

Person B with an arrest due to alcohol


I would like to meet the alcoholic first....
Click to expand...

You do realize that alcohol is a deadly drug as well, right ? Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's not dangerous or that it can't disable one's abilities and cause them to make terrible decisions.

In fact, being an alcoholic is much worse than using other types of drugs: http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20101101/alcohol-more-harmful-than-crack-or-heroin
 
Thanks for all the responses guys by the way.

So when disclosing it should I simply state it on my application or mention it during my interview (which will happen before they get my application, the program makes things weird)
 
braces or nah said:
Thanks for all the responses guys by the way.

So when disclosing it should I simply state it on my application or mention it during my interview (which will happen before they get my application, the program makes things weird)
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You will want to state it on the application because it asks for convictions. In the box following the yes or no, explain the situation and how it was dismissed.

Only talk about in your interview if you are asked about it.
 
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My childhood orthodontist was arrested for giving ecstasy to several his patients' mothers. He was the nicest guy and a great dentist, I was completely blindsided when his mugshot appeared in the local newspaper.

He is practicing again after doing some jail time and temporarily losing his license last I heard.
 
Cello said:
My childhood orthodontist was arrested for giving ecstasy to several his patients' mothers. He was the nicest guy and a great dentist, I was completely blindsided when his mugshot appeared in the local newspaper.

He is practicing again after doing some jail time and temporarily losing his license last I heard.
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this is so baller
 
Cello said:
My childhood orthodontist was arrested for giving ecstasy to several his patients' mothers. He was the nicest guy and a great dentist, I was completely blindsided when his mugshot appeared in the local newspaper.

He is practicing again after doing some jail time and temporarily losing his license last I heard.
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strep mutans said:
...Did they know he was giving them ecstasy?! Was it in a Bill Cosby way?

Ecstasy is terrible for the teeth and jaw. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/03.23.00/ecstasy1-0012.html
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Maybe this is analogous to planet fitness giving its members pizza? (i.e. to ensure repeat business)
 
If I'm not mistaken he had some weird sex romp with the women... Yes, it was Bill Cosby style as I recall. One woman woke up at his house after he gave her some "medicine" and had no idea how she got there. Blood tests showed ecstasy in her system. That's when the feds investigated and he admitted to a bunch of stuff after they found a bunch of ecstasy in his home. The whole situation was pretty strange to say the least.

He was also arrested at one point for creating a fake business in another state and then charging it a lot of money in consulting fees. He is one of those guys you would never suspect of being so crooked just by meeting him though.
 
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Cello said:
If I'm not mistaken he had some weird sex romp with the women... Yes, it was Bill Cosby style as I recall. One woman woke up at his house after he gave her some "medicine" and had no idea how she got there. Blood tests showed ecstasy in her system. That's when the feds investigated and he admitted to a bunch of stuff after they found a bunch of ecstasy in his home. The whole situation was pretty strange to say the least.

He was also arrested at one point for creating a fake business in another state and then charging it a lot of money in consulting fees. He is one of those guys you would never suspect of being so crooked just by meeting him though.
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He should have permanently lost his license to practice if he preyed on patients or their families.
 
Cello said:
If I'm not mistaken he had some weird sex romp with the women... Yes, it was Bill Cosby style as I recall. One woman woke up at his house after he gave her some "medicine" and had no idea how she got there. Blood tests showed ecstasy in her system. That's when the feds investigated and he admitted to a bunch of stuff after they found a bunch of ecstasy in his home. The whole situation was pretty strange to say the least.

He was also arrested at one point for creating a fake business in another state and then charging it a lot of money in consulting fees. He is one of those guys you would never suspect of being so crooked just by meeting him though.
Click to expand...

Oh gosh... I just assumed he was selling. That's even worse.
 
One dentist even came to our school to give us a lecture on how to get away with stuff like that. He actually killed a person driving drunk and did not seem to have any remorse, other then the loss of money and the inconvenience of not being able to drive
 
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