Misdemeanor and med school entrance?

[ebaydan777]

ok so, I'll start by saying i have 2 counts of a misdemeanor (PC484G(B)-Theft by use of credit card) that occurred right after i turned 18 years old in 2006. So first I'll tell you the story then my punishment.

My ex-friend worked at Sam's Club in california and he happened to steal lost member/credit cards from the managers office. I looked up to this kid because i moved from a different school to this new high school and didnt have many friends, i trusted him and didnt think he would get me into trouble ever, boy was i nieve. Well he kind of got me into the game and one day we decided to use the cards, he told me that since he worked there he couldnt purchase things, i was a dumb*** and believed him, so he gave me the card and we walked in to purchase items and i signed the receipt. The first time worked no problem, so we tried to do it again later that day.....well we got caught. Later on I found out that this ex-friend had actually been doing this for a couple months as well as stole items during his shifts and walked out with them...we were both arrested that night and went to county jail till morning.

He ended up being booked with 3 felonies, i ended up being booked with the 2 counts of misdemeanor theft by credit card, i was sentenced to 13 days community service and 2 years probation (which i have 6 months left of and am then able to expunge it off my record). The judge basically said that he would normally wipe this sort of conviction off immediately but decided that I needed to learn who my friends were and set me on a 24 month summary probation. I have never gotten into trouble with the law and never plan to, im an excellent kid and have high morals, I did something stupid when I was younger and do not want it to jeopardize me getting into medical school or receiving my Doctor's License in California.

My question is, will this affect me, I know I will need to tell the truth to anyone that asks at the california medical board even if expunged, but will they certainly look down upon me, especially because right now im only 19 but when i enter medical school i will be 23 and medical license around 27 or 28, I know for a fact I will never get into any trouble like this again and I attend a lot of community and volunteering as it is on my own, I volunteered in an Emergency Room for 2 years 3-4 days a week.

Im a little scared at what medical schools will say at entrance or the medical board, but I am ready to tell the truth, i was used, i was stupid, i learned my lesson and always will be on an upward path, i made a mistake as a young stupid teenager and my morals are high, i just dont want such a thing affecting the career i have planned since i was in elementary school.....theft by a credit card can be a big deal i guess but ive never done drugs and definitely no DUI or violent crimes....any help?

P.s. Please dont make this demeaning for me I have REALLY learned my lesson and ive never even done anything wrong in my life either way, I just wish none of this ever happened but it did and I'm stepping up to it and expunging it for good behavior so dont make me feel bad I'm a really good person that screwed up once...thx

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[ghostfoot]

ok so, I'll start by saying i have 2 counts of a misdemeanor (PC484G(B)-Theft by use of credit card) that occurred right after i turned 18 years old in 2006. So first I'll tell you the story then my punishment.

My ex-friend worked at Sam's Club in california and he happened to steal lost member/credit cards from the managers office. I looked up to this kid because i moved from a different school to this new high school and didnt have many friends, i trusted him and didnt think he would get me into trouble ever, boy was i nieve. Well he kind of got me into the game and one day we decided to use the cards, he told me that since he worked there he couldnt purchase things, i was a dumb*** and believed him, so he gave me the card and we walked in to purchase items and i signed the receipt. The first time worked no problem, so we tried to do it again later that day.....well we got caught. Later on I found out that this ex-friend had actually been doing this for a couple months as well as stole items during his shifts and walked out with them...we were both arrested that night and went to county jail till morning.

He ended up being booked with 3 felonies, i ended up being booked with the 2 counts of misdemeanor theft by credit card, i was sentenced to 13 days community service and 2 years probation (which i have 6 months left of and am then able to expunge it off my record). The judge basically said that he would normally wipe this sort of conviction off immediately but decided that I needed to learn who my friends were and set me on a 24 month summary probation. I have never gotten into trouble with the law and never plan to, im an excellent kid and have high morals, I did something stupid when I was younger and do not want it to jeopardize me getting into medical school or receiving my Doctor's License in California.

My question is, will this affect me, I know I will need to tell the truth to anyone that asks at the california medical board even if expunged, but will they certainly look down upon me, especially because right now im only 19 but when i enter medical school i will be 23 and medical license around 27 or 28, I know for a fact I will never get into any trouble like this again and I attend a lot of community and volunteering as it is on my own, I volunteered in an Emergency Room for 2 years 3-4 days a week.

Im a little scared at what medical schools will say at entrance or the medical board, but I am ready to tell the truth, i was used, i was stupid, i learned my lesson and always will be on an upward path, i made a mistake as a young stupid teenager and my morals are high, i just dont want such a thing affecting the career i have planned since i was in elementary school.....theft by a credit card can be a big deal i guess but ive never done drugs and definitely no DUI or violent crimes....any help?

P.s. Please dont make this demeaning for me I have REALLY learned my lesson and ive never even done anything wrong in my life either way, I just wish none of this ever happened but it did and I'm stepping up to it and expunging it for good behavior so dont make me feel bad I'm a really good person that screwed up once...thx

Does getting it expunged mean it won't be on your record? If so, why are you worried.

I don't know how the expunging thing works. Will anyone even know what you did?

 

[ebaydan777]

in california, and most states actually, they will ask you if you've committed a crime even if it has been expunged, you have to say yes to anyone that gives out a license (like a medical license), usually i hear people say they only worry about violent crimes or drug usage, but this is minor theft and although i am young and have learned my lessons and basically was nieve and stupid enough to follow someone elses words, i got screwed and i dont want it to haunt me 7-8 years from now when its license time (since usually med schools only ask about felonies)


either way....an expungement does eliminate your conviction off your record, or in other words in allows you to plead "not guilty" and is wiped off your records, but to anyone giving you a law/medical/real estate license, you must come forth with the truth even if expunged =/


im really not too worried about it as i just turned 18 and never really knew the process of a credit card, when all this happened i thought it was his credit card i would be signing for, once again i was stupid i didnt pay attention i guess i tried to fit in with the wrong crowd and i didnt know, trust me if i would have known i would have never even started speaking to this kid

 

[brianmartin]

I am familiar with your situation, PM me if you want.

Basically, all you have to say is, "I did xyz when I was 18 and I learned my lesson." It won't affect you at all, unless of course you get in trouble with the law again. Play it straight from here on

 

[167649]

in california, and most states actually, they will ask you if you've committed a crime even if it has been expunged, you have to say yes to anyone that gives out a license (like a medical license), usually i hear people say they only worry about violent crimes or drug usage, but this is minor theft and although i am young and have learned my lessons and basically was nieve and stupid enough to follow someone elses words, i got screwed and i dont want it to haunt me 7-8 years from now when its license time (since usually med schools only ask about felonies)


either way....an expungement does eliminate your conviction off your record, or in other words in allows you to plead "not guilty" and is wiped off your records, but to anyone giving you a law/medical/real estate license, you must come forth with the truth even if expunged =/


im really not too worried about it as i just turned 18 and never really knew the process of a credit card, when all this happened i thought it was his credit card i would be signing for, once again i was stupid i didnt pay attention i guess i tried to fit in with the wrong crowd and i didnt know, trust me if i would have known i would have never even started speaking to this kid

You have been honest with yourself and responsible to come clean and admit you did something wrong. Many people cannot do this and is says a lot when you do so.

That being said, you are right about expungement in almost (all?) states, in that you have to declare it to the boards. The only time you do not have to declare is if you were found not-guilty, had an executive pardon, or had your case overturned in an appeals court. But you are very lucky this was not a felony-that would have practically ended your chances at liscensure (and therefore med school) in almost all (all?) states.

Since yours was a misdemeanor it may vary by state as to how that works. I would suggest, if you can afford it, sit down with an attorney or someone who knows about this and get his advice because very few of us premeds know anything about the implications of misdemeanors on your record. Since your only 19, you have time to figure it out.

If it does look like it will not disqualify you from liscensure, you must tell the schools and be as honest as you can. Criminal records can be the reddest of red flags for admission to a med school. Make sure to emphasize the positives, that you were a young kid who made a mistake and that you have grown up since then, and that you faced failure but stared it down etc.....

 

[FloridaSun]

Hey, I have no advice...but good luck. I wouldn't think that you'd have to report a misdemeanor on an application for medical school. But I have no idea.

Look at an application for medical school and perhaps call some schools (anonymously) to see if a misdemeanor is an automatic disqualification.

-V

 

[drizzt3117]

I think the OP was talking about board licensure rather than med school application. That said, some schools will require you to report misdemeanors (NU).

 

[ebaydan777]

ya i definitely dont think this will affect me getting into medical school to be honest, or even my license.....this was right when i turned 18 and ive never done anything wrong before and i dont plan on doing anything wrong in the future. Im a good student with high morals and it was a stupid mistake, it could have easily been underage drinking or drug related but i dont do that stuff, so instead i got caught with a petty crime....itll blow over especially when expunged

thanks guys

 

[Dienekes]

I found this on another thread. It is just too funny to pass up reposting here:

 

[cardboardearrin]

DUI is generally not a felony! K, thanks.

 

[ebaydan777]

lol ya dui's are never really felonies unless you like run from the police lol which isnt smart in any circumstance


and mine wasnt fraud nor was it a felony..just a petty theft, im not worried neither should DUI people lol unless ur doing it over and over, i completed my community service the first days it was available, i got right on it and completely it without any complaints

 

[BluePhoenix]

i find it a little sad and a little amusing that you claim to be a person with high morals and that you were just a young teenager that made a stupid mistakes. First off, 18 is an adult, 13 in a young teenager. 13 yr olds make that sort of lack of thinking stupid mistake without realizing the consequences. 18 yr olds are A) adults, B) should have at least a minimal conprehension of credit cards and that they are not the same as finding a lost dollar on the street, and C) aware that using a credit card that is not your own is ILLEGAL.

How can you say you are a high moral person and NOT have realized that this was illegal with absolutely NO gray area what-so-ever? By 18, you should know right and wrong.

 

[Dienekes]

DUI is generally not a felony! K, thanks.

Hey, I didn't make it.....but I can see the point that the other things listed ARE felonies. Also I believe having DUIs certainly could make things more difficult when it comes to interviews.

 

[mtn0417]

I agree. A DUI makes it much harder to get an interview and from personal experience I know this. I feel so long as your misdemeanor was isolated and occurred when you were younger it is forgivable i.e. not the year you are applying to medical school. Does having a misdemeanor mean a person is any less capable of coming a great physician? Does it diminish their passion toward the field? Certainly not. If it is a past mistake and unrepresentative of whom you are, do not beat yourself up over it. If committees or interviewers choose to focus on this and can’t see that what you did was a isolated mistake and can't look at your other qualities but focus on one slip up, well hope they didn't vote for Bush, otherwise they are hypocrites. He got a DUI, in the 70s!!! Best of luck and if your passion is medicine, do not let anything dishearten you!

 

[ebaydan777]

i find it a little sad and a little amusing that you claim to be a person with high morals and that you were just a young teenager that made a stupid mistakes. First off, 18 is an adult, 13 in a young teenager. 13 yr olds make that sort of lack of thinking stupid mistake without realizing the consequences. 18 yr olds are A) adults, B) should have at least a minimal conprehension of credit cards and that they are not the same as finding a lost dollar on the street, and C) aware that using a credit card that is not your own is ILLEGAL.

How can you say you are a high moral person and NOT have realized that this was illegal with absolutely NO gray area what-so-ever? By 18, you should know right and wrong.

ya good points....but it doesnt matter i dont think it will affect me, and ya i do think it was a stupid mistakes nor did i think about the consequences...everyone makes a mistake and mr bluephoenix you are not perfect whatsoever. I never used a credit card before and thats the truth ive never really been around people that even had a credit card because my parents never really used theirs, theyre family owned restuarant made them good money, and they are close-minded immigrants that are old fashioned with cash, thats all they used was cash pretty much....and this kid told me to sign the reciept because he walked away to "talk to a friend" so i did...stupid mistake i realize that. then later that night he told me what i did and we got away with it so we figured we'd try again for giggles...well it didnt turn out too funny, mind you this was 3 weeks after i turned 18..sooo yes i made a mistake i sucked it up and went to court i paid my debt to society and now im back on my feet trying to do something that i have been wanting since i was in grade school, to become a doctor. and this fire and passion in me isnt gonna let myself stop from doing that even if i have to leave the country....but i highly doubt a stupid misdemeanor is gonna stop any sort of this, i learned from it, ive never done anything wrong nor will do anything wrong again not even close, i dont even drink or anything...so ive paid my debt and am on higher ground..ill be fine

 

[SigurRos]

it's good that you are confident that you will reach your goals. however, it is unrealistic to believe that this won't affect your chances at all. yes, you might have learned from it, but a misdemeanor is a misdemeaner. Obviously, you made a 180, but you should plan on explaining your circumstances to admissions committees.

 

[MarySue99]

Sorry to be all nit- picky, but I am a little confused. You seemed to say that you did not know what you were doing and that you were just unfamiliar with credit cards. But, then you say that your friend told you what you had done and you decided to do it again, "for giggles." Were you still not understanding at that point?

 

[brianmartin]

To the people getting high and mighty...there are doctors out there in their 40's who are stealing meds to get high. Don't talk about how people should always know better when they are only 18. Not everyone has a sheltered childhood with no opportunity for getting into trouble. In fact many people get into some trouble around the ages of 18-19, because they are suddenly on their own and take things too far. The OP does not need a lecture.

 

[MarySue99]

I think that that is fair; I was not trying to get "high and mighty" but I really am curious. It's just an inconsistency that I was wondering about. I guess it's a little difficult to phrase it properly without being able to communicate tone.

 

[JaggerPlate]

deleted

 

[ebaydan777]

of course i realize it will come up, that i know 100% sure, what i'm not worried about is explaining myself, its true when teens turn 18 we feel like theres an urge to go and do something stupid thats the honest truth, but we do learn from it, and yes it will be expunged...amcas will prolly not need to know about it but my secondaries will ask i know this, my explanations will be good and im sure they will understand the situation as hey, i did something stupid i have made a 180 and will continue it without a hesitation!

thanks everyone

oh and to clarify ya pretty much the second time was for giggles...we bought fruit snacks =/ lol....

however once again i did learn that ex-friend stole about $15,000 in ipods/cameras/electronics etc on his own while he was at work, thats why he got 3 felonies for burgalry, embezzelment and credit card theft, they considered him the kingpin of everything or the mastermind behind it all, i was the kid being used, aka accessory =/

 

[luv2sd]

I don't really know what year you are but I suggest that you work your ass off in college. High GPA and MCAT score will be remedies for your misdemeanor without a doubt. It's not a felony don't stress too much.

 

[cardboardearrin]

To the people getting high and mighty...there are doctors out there in their 40's who are stealing meds to get high. Don't talk about how people should always know better when they are only 18. Not everyone has a sheltered childhood with no opportunity for getting into trouble. In fact many people get into some trouble around the ages of 18-19, because they are suddenly on their own and take things too far. The OP does not need a lecture.

I agree, and not only that, but you do not remain the same person your entire life. Life changes you, and just one stupid mistake can really turn you around the rest of your life. Also, life experiences change you. I am definitely not the same person now (at 23) that I was at 18.

I have a friend that tows cars, and you'd be surprised how many actual doctors and lawyers get DUI's. I'd rather make a mistake now and learn from it, then be an actual practicing doctor and be running around drunk driving! That said, that doctor has already been accepted into med school.

 

[BluePhoenix]

To the people getting high and mighty...there are doctors out there in their 40's who are stealing meds to get high. Don't talk about how people should always know better when they are only 18. Not everyone has a sheltered childhood with no opportunity for getting into trouble. In fact many people get into some trouble around the ages of 18-19, because they are suddenly on their own and take things too far. The OP does not need a lecture.

Just because there are doctors that are in their 40's are stealing med's doesn't mean they don't know it's wrong. By the time your 18, you know what's right and wrong. I didn't lead a sheltered childhood with no opportunity for trouble, but by the time I was able to drive I damn well knew what was right and what was wrong. Claiming you didn't know it wrong is just stupid. He knew it was wrong and did it anyway. If you're 18 and you didn't know or care that stealing was wrong, there's something wrong.

 

[ebaydan777]

ok whats your point blue??

i learned from my mistake and in actuallity i have made a 180 turn, actually to be honest like i said before ive never done anything wrong before this, most my friends go into stores steal packs of gum and belts etc, ive never even thought about it, this was one rebellion that screwed me over, and no matter what nothing like this would ever happen again whatsoever, ive learned from it and life goes on, the older i grow the more wise i am the least chances i have of screwing up...im not worried i just know that i need to keep up in school

currently i have a 3.4 overall and 3.55 in science, i jsut now started my second year of undergrad so i have room to improve even more...again im not worried, i know what ill have to explain and im very certain the med schools and med boards will understand