Opinion - what do you think of drug laws across states as it applies to records?

[TheBiologist]

So this is a pretty random question, but what is your opinion - and what do you think med school's opinion is regarding the fact that different states have different recreational drug laws

for instance, being caught with less than an Oz. of marijuana in more liberal states like massachusetts and cali could land you merely a 25-100$ infraction, no more harmful to your record than a parking ticket

but get caught with ANY mari in south carolina and face misdemeanor or even felony jail time

then in colorado and washington you can buy and sell it if you're 21 with no penalty

yet the same students from different states all apply to the same med schools; a person from washington could smoke pot everyday and not have a record but a school would ask the applicant from "Wisconsin" to explain why they have a misdemeanor drug charge, potentially hurting his/her application

for the record, I'm not saying I have a charge against me (I live in cali anyway lol), but we were talking about something similar in my polisci class and it got me thinking about this

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[bananafish94]

My understanding is that it's still against federal law. Legality notwithstanding, a lot of it also comes down to the school's individual policy. Some hospitals might not let any of their employees smoke or use any kind of drugs, which would cause issues if you are supposed to rotate there and you test positively for anything.

 

[ndafife]

They'll probably treat it just like an underage drinking ticket. Yeah you may be able to drink now, but you couldn't then and you were punished accordingly.

 

[235009]

So this is a pretty random question, but what is your opinion - and what do you think med school's opinion is regarding the fact that different states have different recreational drug laws

for instance, being caught with less than an Oz. of marijuana in more liberal states like massachusetts and cali could land you merely a 25-100$ infraction, no more harmful to your record than a parking ticket

but get caught with ANY mari in south carolina and face misdemeanor or even felony jail time

then in colorado and washington you can buy and sell it if you're 21 with no penalty

yet the same students from different states all apply to the same med schools; a person from washington could smoke pot everyday and not have a record but a school would ask the applicant from "Wisconsin" to explain why they have a misdemeanor drug charge, potentially hurting his/her application

for the record, I'm not saying I have a charge against me (I live in cali anyway lol), but we were talking about something similar in my polisci class and it got me thinking about this

Med schools expect you to follow the laws in the jurisdiction you are in. Pretty simple.

My opinion on the matter is of no consequence.


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[Donald Juan]

You should expect every institution to consider any illegal substance abuse to be a heinous crime for a future physician whether a ticket or a felony. Personal opinions don't matter. Even in the states where recreational use is legal, they will probably do background checks and hire drug tests.

 

[TheBiologist]

Med schools expect you to follow the laws in the jurisdiction you are in. Pretty simple.

My opinion on the matter is of no consequence.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

I am particularly asking for people's opinions on this

 

[piii]

You should expect every institution to consider any illegal substance abuse to be a heinous crime for a future physician whether a ticket or a felony. Personal opinions don't matter. Even in the states where recreational use is legal, they will probably do background checks and hire drug tests.

Possessing a small amount of pot is not a heinous crime and medical schools don't think that about a drug that will be legal in many states in the next 10 years. It's not a crime of moral turpitude and even a misdemeanor for pot possession won't affect your medical licensing if its a one time issue from a while ago.

 

[aldol16]

The issue isn't really whether recreational drug use should be legal in all states or the discrepancy of the laws but rather that you are should be aware of the laws in effect wherever you may be and obey them. The fact that you're not aware of the law where you are is what reflects on your character, not the fact that you got busted with an oz of pot. (metaphorical "you"s).

 

[mistafab]

My opinion: Life isn't fair and treats everyone differently. Someone gets caught in state X or it is legal in stat Y - who cares, that's just life.

 

[Donald Juan]

Possessing a small amount of pot is not a heinous crime and medical schools don't think that about a drug that will be legal in many states in the next 10 years. It's not a crime of moral turpitude and even a misdemeanor for pot possession won't affect your medical licensing if its a one time issue from a while ago.

Medical schools think it's okay for you to have a history of marijuana use AND a legal record relating to it....licensing boards think it's ok.....the DEA is cool with it. This is your stance?

Again, it's not about a personal opinion of how the world should work. It's the reality of how it actually works.

 

[Goro]

Drug possession charges tend to be innocuous, because most Adcom members were young and stupid once.

But multiple charges will be lethal, as it shows one hasn't learned one's lessons.

So this is a pretty random question, but what is your opinion - and what do you think med school's opinion is regarding the fact that different states have different recreational drug laws

for instance, being caught with less than an Oz. of marijuana in more liberal states like massachusetts and cali could land you merely a 25-100$ infraction, no more harmful to your record than a parking ticket

but get caught with ANY mari in south carolina and face misdemeanor or even felony jail time

then in colorado and washington you can buy and sell it if you're 21 with no penalty

yet the same students from different states all apply to the same med schools; a person from washington could smoke pot everyday and not have a record but a school would ask the applicant from "Wisconsin" to explain why they have a misdemeanor drug charge, potentially hurting his/her application

for the record, I'm not saying I have a charge against me (I live in cali anyway lol), but we were talking about something similar in my polisci class and it got me thinking about this

 

[piii]

Medical schools think it's okay for you to have a history of marijuana use AND a legal record relating to it....licensing boards think it's ok.....the DEA is cool with it. This is your stance?

Again, it's not about a personal opinion of how the world should work. It's the reality of how it actually works.

Refer to what Goro said above. I have experience regarding this, and have heard direct explanations from med school deans and licensing boards on the matter. One small offense regardig marijuana is a hurdle, but not career ruining

 

[Donald Juan]

Refer to what Goro said above. I have experience regarding this, and have heard direct explanations from med school deans and licensing boards on the matter. One small offense regardig marijuana is a hurdle, but not career ruining

Please tell about your experience regarding this as it might sway me. And Goro is one adcomm at one school. His opinion is important. If I'm ever on an adcomm at a school I, as someone who did many stupid things younger, would certainly not reject a great candidate for an offense like this. I'm still of the opinion that this will be highly frowned upon in a field as conservative as medicine; maybe not a detrimental error that you can't come back from, but a very large hurdle. I constantly argue for people getting second chances on this forum, and I always hear others (including adcomms, attendings, and residency program directors) give the "tip of the iceberg" argument for why being caught once means you must have some huge issue.

 

[piii]

Please tell about your experience regarding this as it might sway me. And Goro is one adcomm at one school. His opinion is important. If I'm ever on an adcomm at a school I, as someone who did many stupid things younger, would certainly not reject a great candidate for an offense like this. I'm still of the opinion that this will be highly frowned upon in a field as conservative as medicine; maybe not a detrimental error that you can't come back from, but a very large hurdle. I constantly argue for people getting second chances on this forum, and I always hear others (including adcomms, attendings, and residency program directors) give the "tip of the iceberg" argument for why being caught once means you must have some huge issue.

I encourage you to read this post from a PD. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...er-arrest-for-possession.616209/#post-7961079

 

[Donald Juan]

I encourage you to read this post from a PD. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...er-arrest-for-possession.616209/#post-7961079

I'm not sure how that helps. This was a person who wasn't convicted, and the PDs advice was to talk to a lawyer to make sure it was totally expunged that way they could answer no to any convictions when they are asked when going through licensing in case it becomes an issue. And the PD specifically says they don't have direct experience with this. Did you read this? Or did you just expect me not to?

It still sounds like it's a big issue. I didn't say it was a guillotine. I in fact, keep saying over and over again I don't think it is, but it will be a major obstacle.