underage drinking offense

[RedandBlack7]

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if anyone who had experience in this could clear it up for me. When I was 19, I was arrested for underage drinking. When I went to court, I talked to the prosecutor and it was simply just a fine. The judge said that I was not convicted of a crime and it won't be on my record. I'm pretty sure in NJ it's just a disorderly person's offense too.

When the application asks if I was "charged with a criminal offense," I have to answer yes though right? Should I just explain that I was charged with a MIP but never actually convicted?

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[DaisyBuchanan]

I got busted with a fake ID when I was underage. The judge laughed at me and slapped me with a $100 fine. I've passed several background checks since then without admitting it... remember, in America, you're "innocent until proven guilty," and you were accused of a crime, not charged of one.

Hope that helps! You criminal you.

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm pretty sure you'll still have to answer yes. Even if you don't on AMCAS, I know a couple secondaries ask if you've ever been arrested/charged with a crime, so you'd obviously have to answer yes there.

A lot of people have these sorts of experiences, so it's really not all that rare. The general consensus seems to be that as long as you can demonstrate growth/maturity/etc. you'll be fine.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Check your states laws and then interpret what Medical Schools ask. If you need help or are still worried call a Lawyer.

 

[jgauger]

I have the same situation, WI law says it’s just a fine, but some secondaries ask if you've ever had any legal action against you more than a speeding ticket. In those cases you have to explain what happened and show some maturity. It won't hold you back at most schools. I heard it from an adcom member a while back that at WI it’s not if you've had an underage, but how long ago and if you've stayed out of trouble since that matters. He said that many many applicants have this sort of offense.

 

[Mute98]

AMCAS asks for felony/misdemeanor convictions. If it was an infraction, you dont need to report it. I dont know about individual schools, it depends on the wording

 

[hopki099]

I have the same situation, WI law says it's just a fine, but some secondaries ask if you've ever had any legal action against you more than a speeding ticket. In those cases you have to explain what happened and show some maturity. It won't hold you back at most schools. I heard it from an adcom member a while back that at WI it's not if you've had an underage, but how long ago and if you've stayed out of trouble since that matters. He said that many many applicants have this sort of offense.

I'm sure this situation comes up all the time, especially with Wisconsin schools. For Madison and Milwaukee, they basically want to know about any ticket you've gotten. You could order the Certiphi background check, (about $45-$70) that the AAMC uses, and you will likely find that your criminal record would be clean, granted you have no other convictions. If the secondary asks if you've ever committed a crime, then answer no, because I don't think a minor in possession is considered a criminal act (like robbery or murder).

If the secondary asks for if you've ever had anything but a speeding ticket, then you should probably list it and explain it away as a lapse in judgment and learning experience (even if that is bull****).

Alternatively, do a 10-second search for yourself on the Wisconsin Circuit Court website:

http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl;jsessionid=C515742F85A07B76429A2425EE95B053.render6

Your offense will probably be on there for the public to see, in which case you should definitely list it in case ADCOMs to a quick check on their applicants. Also you can look up your friends, parents, and professors, and see what they've gotten themselves into .

As a fellow Wisconsin resident, jgauger, I wish you the best of luck!



As for NJ and other states, I'm sure that there are similar websites to do a search on yourself for minor convictions. In general, it's better to list your offense, unless you can't find any trace of it using the Certiphi background check and public court records.

 

[SoundofSilver]

As others have said, it really depends on how a question is worded. If asked "have you ever been convicted of a crime" you can answer no. Any questions about charges or legal action other than speeding tickets, then you will probably have to answer yes. An underage drinking ticket will be a non-issue in most cases, just don't try to hide it.

 

[RedandBlack7]

Ok so any secondaries that ask if i've been charged with anything or have had any legal action against me, then I should just say I recieved a disorderly person's offense for underage drinking which was only a fine? Should I also go into how it was a dumb mistake and everything or just give the facts?

 

[ThaliaNox]

It would be smart for you to request a background check on yourself to make sure this is REALLY not going to come up. I've seen tons of cases where people thought these things wouldn't show up and they really do. The state where it happened can have an affect on this.

 

[RedandBlack7]

Well I know it might come up that I was arrested and charged, but the judge told me that there would be no convictions on my criminal record, just the fact that I was arrested.

 

[hopki099]

It would be smart for you to request a background check on yourself to make sure this is REALLY not going to come up. I've seen tons of cases where people thought these things wouldn't show up and they really do. The state where it happened can have an affect on this.

And be sure to check your the courts in your state's public records online. Citations and fines generally will not show up on your Certiphi *Criminal* background check, since they are not criminal acts, but they can probably be found somewhere online in court records.

 

[MrCheetah]

And be sure to check your the courts in your state's public records online. Citations and fines generally will not show up on your Certiphi *Criminal* background check, since they are not criminal acts, but they can probably be found somewhere online in court records.

This guy is wrong. I'm pretty sure it will be on your Certiphi background check, which is why you must pay VERY close attention to the wording of the questions on AMCAS. If I remember correctly, every question asked about crimes on the AMCAS obligates you to disclose only CONVICTIONS.

It sounds like you were charged with something, you paid the fine, and the charges were then dropped. IF this is the case, then you aren't obligated to disclose anything so long as they are only asking about convictions, because you weren't convicted of anything.

If you disclose something that isn't asked to be disclosed it could really sink your ship, and if you don't disclose something when you are obligated to it could also sink you. So, whatever you do, be very careful. Good luck.

 

[RedandBlack7]

This guy is wrong. I'm pretty sure it will be on your Certiphi background check, which is why you must pay VERY close attention to the wording of the questions on AMCAS. If I remember correctly, every question asked about crimes on the AMCAS obligates you to disclose only CONVICTIONS.

It sounds like you were charged with something, you paid the fine, and the charges were then dropped. IF this is the case, then you aren't obligated to disclose anything so long as they are only asking about convictions, because you weren't convicted of anything.

If you disclose something that isn't asked to be disclosed it could really sink your ship, and if you don't disclose something when you are obligated to it could also sink you. So, whatever you do, be very careful. Good luck.

Well I didn't put anything on AMCAS because they did only ask for convictions like you said. However, on a few secondaries I have come across so far, one asked whether you've ever been CHARGED with a criminal offense and another asked whether you've ever been arrested. I'm guessing I have to put yes for both of those since I was arrested and charged. But from what everyoen says, it doesn't seem liek this should really have any impact on my application, right? I know for my job in the ER I had a background check and was hired and they never mentioned anything.

 

[flip26]

Well I didn't put anything on AMCAS because they did only ask for convictions like you said. However, on a few secondaries I have come across so far, one asked whether you've ever been CHARGED with a criminal offense and another asked whether you've ever been arrested. I'm guessing I have to put yes for both of those since I was arrested and charged. But from what everyoen says, it doesn't seem liek this should really have any impact on my application, right? I know for my job in the ER I had a background check and was hired and they never mentioned anything.

People posting here are well intentioned, but we can't really answer your question - nobody here knows exactly what happened in your court case - if you paid a fine, it sounds to me like you were "convicted" of something. Was it a misdemeanor? What does AMCAS ask for? Does AMCAS only ask about "criminal charges?"

Regardless, you should have cleared this up before submitting the AMCAS. Are you only asking about it now because of what has come up on secondaries? Or are you starting to figure out that you should have revealed it to AMCAS? Seriously, you would have been far better off reporting this than hiding it.

 

[auburnO5]

People posting here are well intentioned, but we can't really answer your question - nobody here knows exactly what happened in your court case - if you paid a fine, it sounds to me like you were "convicted" of something. Was it a misdemeanor? What does AMCAS ask for? Does AMCAS only ask about "criminal charges?"

Regardless, you should have cleared this up before submitting the AMCAS. Are you only asking about it now because of what has come up on secondaries? Or are you starting to figure out that you should have revealed it to AMCAS? Seriously, you would have been far better off reporting this than hiding it.

That's not the case. There are several options such as diversion programs were you can pay a fine, to not be convicted.

 

[RedandBlack7]

That's not the case. There are several options such as diversion programs were you can pay a fine, to not be convicted.

Yes I talked to the prosecutor and the judge and they both said since it's my first offense and it was something stupid and minor, that they would just give me a fine and no crimes would be on my record (just the fact that I was arrested and charged). AMCAS asks for convictions so I was not hiding anything. However, some secondaries ask for any arrests or charges which is why I'm bringing it up now.

 

[chman]

#1, go to your state patrol website and run a check on yourself. If nothing comes up you should be good.

#2 Even if you are clear on the check, or if not, it is worth a couple hundred bucks to talk with a lawyer who knows what they are talking about. Get one that has dealt with this specific issue before.

#3, As others have said, wording of the question is very important. Whatever you do, don't lie. Lying is much worse than a minor offense.

#4 Find out if it was a criminal violation or not.

#5 Stop taking advice from people on here about this subject. SDN is great on a lot of things, this issue is not one of them.

 

[AcclratngCharge]

It would be smart for you to request a background check on yourself to make sure this is REALLY not going to come up. I've seen tons of cases where people thought these things wouldn't show up and they really do. The state where it happened can have an affect on this.

I think they can track you self-checking your CBC which may look suspicious in of itself (probably depends on residence). I would just tell them what happened. I think being honest is always best (cliche I know). If they reject you for something like that, that happened when you were 19, I don't think I would even want to go there.

 

[audreyrog]

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[hopki099]

I think they can track you self-checking your CBC which may look suspicious in of itself (probably depends on residence). I would just tell them what happened. I think being honest is always best (cliche I know). If they reject you for something like that, that happened when you were 19, I don't think I would even want to go there.

Are you sure they can track your background check or is that just paranoia? Even if they can, if nothing comes up, they can be suspicious all they want, but they probably won't find anything if it's not listed in Certiphi or public records.

 

[Ischemic]

First, adcoms aren't ******ed. They KNOW people drink in college and before they're legally allowed to do it, hell they probably did it themselves. Now if you drank and then drove and got into an accident killing someone ... that's a big deal. Otherwise, no it's not gonna matter.

 

[flip26]

First, adcoms aren't ******ed. They KNOW people drink in college and before they're legally allowed to do it, hell they probably did it themselves. Now if you drank and then drove and got into an accident killing someone ... that's a big deal. Otherwise, no it's not gonna matter.

What matters more is the cover up, or in this case the failure to report this on AMCAS. OP and people in his situation should clear all this up BEFORE submitting the app. If something comes up in a CBC, he may be very sorry...

 

[jgauger]

AMCAS asks very specific questions regarding criminal offenses for a reason. Were you convicted of misdemeanor/felony? The answer to those questions is no. Some states have laws against disclosing non-criminal charges, like underage drinking in my state and the OP's (I believe). You do not have to and should not disclose them on AMCAS, but depending on the wording of the secondary question you might. Some states literally are not allowed to ask if you have been charged or convicted of non-criminal offenses.

 

[hopki099]

Are you sure they can track your background check or is that just paranoia? Even if they can, if nothing comes up, they can be suspicious all they want, but they probably won't find anything if it's not listed in Certiphi or public records.

From Certiphi:

"The medical school will not have any indication you ordered a CBC. Since you are paying for the investigation it is solely your property. Furthermore, you are not giving us permission to reveal that information; therefore it cannot be disclosed to them."