General Admissions & OTCAS Prior convictions/fieldwork

[LittleLola]

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Hey all! I loved following everyone's journey to grad school the last couple months so I made an account finally.
I'm super excited to have been accepted to one school so far, and still waiting on a few others. I basically want to know how likely it is to actually keep a spot in the cohort with prior misdemeanor convictions? I knew this would come up eventually but I don't want to pay the nonrefundable deposit and get told no later or get dismissed from the program down the road once it comes up for fieldwork background checks. So has anyone successfully kept their seat and finished a program with prior misdemeanors? I really want to go to school and be an OT but I'm scared that my background check will disqualify me. Tell me your stories good or bad please!

 

[To_oT]

Hey all! I loved following everyone's journey to grad school the last couple months so I made an account finally.
I'm super excited to have been accepted to one school so far, and still waiting on a few others. I basically want to know how likely it is to actually keep a spot in the cohort with prior misdemeanor convictions? I knew this would come up eventually but I don't want to pay the nonrefundable deposit and get told no later or get dismissed from the program down the road once it comes up for fieldwork background checks. So has anyone successfully kept their seat and finished a program with prior misdemeanors? I really want to go to school and be an OT but I'm scared that my background check will disqualify me. Tell me your stories good or bad please!

I had a friend who had a misdemeanor and got accepted to Law school. What they told him was just be honest in your apps about and talk about what you’ve learned and grown from the experience. I know that’s law school and not OT school but still he got accepted to grad school! Also I think you really should be worried if it was a felony because they say you can’t stand for boards.

 

[beestrng]

Hey all! I loved following everyone's journey to grad school the last couple months so I made an account finally.
I'm super excited to have been accepted to one school so far, and still waiting on a few others. I basically want to know how likely it is to actually keep a spot in the cohort with prior misdemeanor convictions? I knew this would come up eventually but I don't want to pay the nonrefundable deposit and get told no later or get dismissed from the program down the road once it comes up for fieldwork background checks. So has anyone successfully kept their seat and finished a program with prior misdemeanors? I really want to go to school and be an OT but I'm scared that my background check will disqualify me. Tell me your stories good or bad please!

Look into the character review section of NBCOT. Misdemeanors wouldn't matter but make sure it does not fall under #3 of the character character review. You can also do an early determination form to NBCOT to make sure you are clear.

 

[LittleLola]

I had a friend who had a misdemeanor and got accepted to Law school. What they told him was just be honest in your apps about and talk about what you’ve learned and grown from the experience. I know that’s law school and not OT school but still he got accepted to grad school! Also I think you really should be worried if it was a felony because they say you can’t stand for boards.

I am totally willing and needing to be upfront which I know. There wasn't a spot to check yes to any prior conviction or anything and this particular program didn't do interviews so I just got accepted then read on the portal that prior convictions could be a problem when fieldwork comes around when I went to put the deposit down. Not sure who to contact or what to do?

 

[LittleLola]

Look into the character review section of NBCOT. Misdemeanors wouldn't matter but make sure it does not fall under #3 of the character character review. You can also do an early determination form to NBCOT to make sure you are clear.

I looked into that and answer no to all the questions and I actually emailed the board to see what their input is and they said I would be fine to sit for the exam. What I'm most concerned with at this point is making it past an initial background check without a clean record and staying in the program when it comes up again

 

[beestrng]

I looked into that and answer no to all the questions and I actually emailed the board to see what their input is and they said I would be fine to sit for the exam. What I'm most concerned with at this point is making it past an initial background check without a clean record and staying in the program when it comes up again

You may find some issues depending on what the misdemeanor is. Like did you steal from old people etc. From my experience, the school does a background check before you get to the school. Then the fieldwork site will do their own usually. Then your employer will do their own.

You should explain how you rehab your issue if any. Honestly, I would do the official NBCOT early determination form. I wouldn't trust just an email. In 2018 there is a new thing that has a bunch of disqualifiers for 10+ year exclusion. I think most are felonies but you might as well do the early determination thing before getting loans for school etc. The background check for fieldwork and employers in healthcare look more comprehensive than other employers.

 

[OurJourneyToOT]

I looked into that and answer no to all the questions and I actually emailed the board to see what their input is and they said I would be fine to sit for the exam. What I'm most concerned with at this point is making it past an initial background check without a clean record and staying in the program when it comes up again

Keep in mind January 2019 they are starting the presumptive denial, misdemeanor and felony regardless.. if your crime is on the list it’s automatically denied. Google NBCOT presumptive denial 2019