quoted: applying to med school after various criminal charges

[Doodledog]

I am worried about applying to med school due to problems I had when I first started college. First, I was dismissed from college during my first semester in Aug. 2002 because I was caught smoking marijuana in my dorm room. I decided to give college another try and enrolled in community college and then transferred to a four year university, eventually earning my BS. During my time in college is was arrested and charged with DUI, but it was outright dissmissed. This occurred in Mar. of 2003. In Nov. of 2004 I was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. I was given a deferred judgement and the charge was dissmissed. Since that time, I have attended AA meetings and remained drug free, and I haven't been in trouble with the law since. Should I even bother applying to med school?

If your application is otherwise up to par (gpa, MCAT, etc), and you've demonstrated that you've overcome your previous problems, you should not give up on med school. It will be an uphill battle, but not impossible.

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[eddieberetta]

If your application is otherwise up to par (gpa, MCAT, etc), and you've demonstrated that you've overcome your previous problems, you should not give up on med school. It will be an uphill battle, but not impossible.

I do not think that charges that have been dismissed can be held against you.

 

[Shinken]

Many people have done things they regret when they're young and in college and have found ways to overcome their past and succeed in medicine.

However, my only concern is that you obviously have a past where you abused substances (legal and illegal substances) several times in spite of knowing that it could lead to serious repercussions.

Although you're clean now, becoming a physician will make very good and addictive drugs available to you. Will you be able to remain clean in spite of the temptation and relative easy availability of drugs to get high? I don't want to know the answer, only you know the answer and should think about that when considering a career in medicine.