Suspended from ivy league school for 2.5 years due to alcohol. comeback story chances?

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Sunflowersunrise

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Hi everybody I am sorry if this is not the correct subforum. A little bit of a background. I am currently a senior chem major at an ivy league school. I have had a long history of substance abuse problems and recently it has caught up with me. After getting a DUI I have been suspended for 2.5 years. Recently getting accepted to two medical schools (which I will have to decline of course) only makes the situation more painful. My stats are 3.94 GPA/520MCAT/35 ACT. I am wondering what I should do or if medical school is no likely never going to be an option. Would I have a chance to transfer to another school as a senior and if so should I? Or should I just serve the suspension and remain at my current school. I apologize if my writing is unclear. Since being suspended about a month ago I haven't left my parent's house (or even my bed for that matter), lost 15 pounds, no motivation.

Tldr: already accepted to 2 MD schools with more interviews that I have cancelled, got DUI and 2.5 year suspension from Ivy League school so have to decline acceptances, do I stand a chance next cycle? Or should I apply DO and or not graduate and go Caribbean where I can go med sooner and get high step score?
 
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Even if I could get a high step score? At a US md school I wouldn’t be able to start until I’m 25 🙁
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
Even if I could get a high step score? At a US md school I wouldn’t be able to start until I’m 25 🙁
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Banking on a high step score is a terrible plan. What if you don't get a high score? I turn 30 in a few days. Don't rush this process. You have to seek help and healing with your substance abuse. It is not going to go away simply because you start medical school. It will likely get worse! Especially if you have the added stress that a Caribbean medical school brings (living in a 3rd world country, loss of power, lack of support, etc.).
 
I’ve heard a dui is basically a death sentence for MD. Will I have a chance at DO?
 
It’s like triple jeopardy. MD acceptances rescinded, school suspension, conviction though I haven’t been found guilty yet with 15 months of no liscenxe.

I’m reading crime and punishment right now.
 
I will likely have to apply to 75 schools because a lot will filter me out for secondary let alone give me II. Maybe I’ll also have to apply to dentistry school too. Sad. Out of 75 surely at least one would overlook the dui and suspension?
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
I’ve heard a dui is basically a death sentence for MD. Will I have a chance at DO?
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A DUI will not be looked upon favorably at either MD or DO programs. I’m not saying that medical school is permanently out of the question, but you need to demonstrate many years of sobriety before any school will be willing to take a chance on you again.

What are you doing right now to address your substance abuse and mental health issues?
 
I see a psychiatrist psychologist and go to AA.
Btw I didn’t mean next cycle meant 2 cycles from now.
Really? A couple years?! So I won’t be able to start until I’m like 29
 
If I do 2 years of research and get a pub (weak point of my app) would it help.
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
Why stop thinking about it? If I can’t go to medical school my life is ruined and I might as well just keep drinking
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IK i'm a faceless internet person in this scenario, but you like all of us, have got worth outside of this field and application process. You're going to have to get to a place where you've healed enough see that before you try to focus on med school IMO.
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
I see a psychiatrist psychologist and go to AA.
Btw I didn’t mean next cycle meant 2 cycles from now.
Really? A couple years?! So I won’t be able to start until I’m like 29
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I am in my mid 30s and applying this year.

You are not facing a fast or easy fix. Again, you need to put time in between your application and these mistakes.
 
How is it warranted a few years of punishment. In my opinion cheating on an exam or plagiarism is much worse than a DUI. One is a crime of blatant malfeasance whereas the other is a crime of negligence
 
Once you get the drinking and other things under control you will need several years of service/learning/work to prove to ADCOMS that the addictions are controlled. What you do for the next 2.5 years while you are suspended will be looked at critically by people considering you for jobs, schools etc. I’d imagine how you bounce back and what you do with your life now will be of significant importance. Good luck.
 
How is a dui anything like possession of cocaine. One is a misdemeanor that can be expunged after a year of good behavior while the other is a felony.
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
How is it warranted a few years of punishment. In my opinion cheating on an exam or plagiarism is much worse than a DUI. One is a crime of blatant malfeasance whereas the other is a crime of negligence
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I’m sensing you aren’t understanding the seriousness of what you did. A DUI puts not only your own life in danger, but the lives of many innocent people. A DUI is not simply “a crime of negligence.”
 
OP I’m not gonna lie, you’re responses to this thread are extremely concerning. You’re clearly have no regret for what you’ve done beyond its impact on your medical school acceptances, and trying to downplay it as not being as bad as cheating is a terrible look. You need to take a step back, forget medicine, get help for your addiction and recognize that it’s your life under your control. You chose to drive drunk and endanger the lives of everyone around you, that is, in my opinion, far WORSE than cheating. You need to get your priorities straight and recognize the impact your actions have on others before you should go anywhere near a patient.
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
In my opinion cheating on an exam or plagiarism is much worse than a DUI. One is a crime of blatant malfeasance whereas the other is a crime of negligence
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Your attitude about DUIs is part of the problem

in 2017 1/3 of all traffic fatalities (10,874/37,133) were due to drunk drivers. It is not a small thing to drive drunk. Many peoples' lives are ruined as a result.
 
The *only* way I see a medical route would be dedicating to the military for a bit then apply with that experience to hopefully show you can handle rigors, stress, and can reform yourself. DUI is serious business. It sucks bc it really can be a death sentence for med school imo, but it's like that for a reason. DUI isn't some light charge

That's my 2 cents, and even that prob isn't a viable route.
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
How is a dui anything like possession of cocaine. One is a misdemeanor that can be expunged after a year of good behavior while the other is a felony.
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It’s not necessarily about the criminality, it’s about the substance abuse. Both alcohol and drug abuse are gigantic red flags that are not easily overlooked in professional school admissions. By the way, you still need to report expunged convictions.

I can’t say how many years it will take. You need to demonstrate a long history of sobriety, possibly with service to others struggling with addiction, before you’ll be competitive again. It’s going to take however long it takes. You say you really want this, so you need to prove it by making your sobriety your #1 focus going forward. Medical school will still be there for you down the line.
 
But it literally is a crime of negligence by definition. Nobody who drives under the influence says “I’m going to hurt somebody.” While people who cheat say “I will undermine my school and classmates to benefit myself”
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
How is a dui anything like possession of cocaine. One is a misdemeanor that can be expunged after a year of good behavior while the other is a felony.
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I would argue that a dui is worse. You’re driving intoxicated risking other people’s lives on the road. Cocaine possession doesn’t ruin innocent people’s lives the way driving intoxicated does.
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
Lol now the military? Guess I’ll just apply to dental school or podiatry
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I don't think licensing boards look any differently at criminal charges.

You should probably get off SDN, its not going to make you feel any better. You need to take the time to come to terms with the actual gravity of the situation you're in. Not for how it impacts medical school, but for how it impacts the world around you.
 
My psychiatrist said she knew many people in medical school and colleagues with DUI
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
But it literally is a crime of negligence by definition. Nobody who drives under the influence says “I’m going to hurt somebody.” While people who cheat say “I will undermine my school and classmates to benefit myself”
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No, no, no: The crime here is driving. That was an intentional act (getting in the car and driving) after an intentional act of consuming alcohol
If you then committed a further act, by hitting another care, injuring someone, or killing them, that is then possibly a negligent act as there is no intent. However, if you had a history of substance abuse and any previous DUI, it could be considered callous disregard and treated as manslaughter and/or assault.
 
I’m going to be one eventually even if I have to go Caribbean. People make mistakes. It was my first dui btw and the history of substance abuse is documented medically not criminally.
 
There’s no point in talking to them because I won’t be able to graduate for 2.5 years
 
Sunflowersunrise said:
There’s no point in talking to them because I won’t be able to graduate for 2.5 years
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Then can take you if you have 90 credits completed; at least most schools do. Give them a call. Of course, if you didnt tell them within 10 days of arrest, you have violated AMCAS rules. See what they say
 
Obviously I wouldn’t say this in an interview m. I am starting a volunteer role at an end overdose campaign/ clinic in 2 weeks
 
I’m not freaking out about it I just don’t want to have to wait 7 years to start med school
 
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