What does it take to get kicked out of med school?

[SchroedingrsCat]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Assuming you're in good academic standing, what transgressions with the law would it take to get kicked out of med school. Here are some examples of things that I am wondering how paranoid I should be about getting caught doing:

1. Smoking pot. If I got caught somehow it would be with possession of a small amount (less than an eighth) and a bowl in my house or a party.

2. Buying alcohol for a younger brother and his friends (obviously I'm screwed if one of them dies from drinking but let's assume that they just get caught with it and someone tells who bought it).

3. Open container on the streets

4. Getting caught peeing outside after bars

5. Possession of small amounts of other illegal drugs. Are there any (other than hopefully pot) that would not result in dismissal?

Please no moral preaching, I just want to know the information people have about if getting caught with any of these would lead to dismissal from med school.

 

[D elegans]

Assuming you're in good academic standing, what transgressions with the law would it take to get kicked out of med school. Here are some examples of things that I am wondering how paranoid I should be about getting caught doing:

1. Smoking pot. If I got caught somehow it would be with possession of a small amount (less than an eighth) and a bowl in my house or a party.

2. Buying alcohol for a younger brother and his friends (obviously I'm screwed if one of them dies from drinking but let's assume that they just get caught with it and someone tells who bought it).

3. Open container on the streets

4. Getting caught peeing outside after bars

5. Possession of small amounts of other illegal drugs. Are there any (other than hopefully pot) that would not result in dismissal?

Please no moral preaching, I just want to know the information people have about if getting caught with any of these would lead to dismissal from med school.

It certainly depends. I wouldn't risk it though.

 

[mmmcdowe]

1. Smoking pot.

Not dismissed but screwed over in residency applications and beyond.

2. Buying alcohol for a younger brother and his friend

Possible dismissal if it gets back to school. Unlikely to happen though.

3. Open container on the streets

Probably not dismissed, but on the record.

4. Getting caught peeing outside after bars

Depends on if it is a sexual offender charge.

 

[officedepot]

.

 

[mishaS]

As mmmcdowe has said, you may not get kicked out, but you could consider your residency options destroyed, and you might have trouble getting a licensed.

 

[JohnCarterIIIDO]

So I originally detailed responses to each of those and the legal implications but I can summarize it in one quick point - any of those things could have serious consequences and get you kicked out of school, if you've been doing those things for years and you're in medical school and haven't been caught yet consider yourself lucky and be careful (or stop)

 

[SchroedingrsCat]

Ok why are residency options destroyed for a little bit of weed? In many states it's not even a misdemeanor so if this is the case it couldn't be found out, right?

And get off your moral high horse everyone... the gunning many of you have probably done is more immoral than putting a substance into your own body willingly.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Ok why are residency options destroyed for a little bit of weed? In many states it's not even a misdemeanor so if this is the case it couldn't be found out, right?

And get off your moral high horse everyone... the gunning many of you have probably done is more immoral than putting a substance into your own body willingly.

There is a pretty lengthy thread somewhere around in which a poster writes some stuff detailing what happened to a resident after getting caught with mj. Residency options are destroyed because that's the reaction of residencies. The legal magnitude is irrelevant, just like a doctor can lose a license without legal or criminal charges.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Assuming you're in good academic standing, what transgressions with the law would it take to get kicked out of med school. Here are some examples of things that I am wondering how paranoid I should be about getting caught doing:

1. Smoking pot. If I got caught somehow it would be with possession of a small amount (less than an eighth) and a bowl in my house or a party.

2. Buying alcohol for a younger brother and his friends (obviously I'm screwed if one of them dies from drinking but let's assume that they just get caught with it and someone tells who bought it).

3. Open container on the streets

4. Getting caught peeing outside after bars

5. Possession of small amounts of other illegal drugs. Are there any (other than hopefully pot) that would not result in dismissal?

Please no moral preaching, I just want to know the information people have about if getting caught with any of these would lead to dismissal from med school.

... Are you pondering if you should do these things in the future?

 

[jtdMU2010]

Probably should stop all of that now....It's definitely not worth the trouble. Just go to the bars and drink, drink at home, don't drive after drinking and forget the illegal stuff.

 

[JohnCarterIIIDO]

I don't see anybody on a moral high horse here, to be a doctor you have to toe the line legally speaking..... if you get caught for something you can lose it all pretty quickly, just the way it is

 

[yorku]

Meh you guys are paranoid...
it is kinda difficult to prove anything in this world, let alone get caught doing it.
If you do that means you are not smart enough for med school anyways....

 

[Untraditional]

1. Smoking pot.

Not dismissed but screwed over in residency applications and beyond.

Felony drug conviction = no license in most states and no DEA #. Hope you like research

2. Buying alcohol for a younger brother and his friend

Possible dismissal if it gets back to school. Unlikely to happen though.

see above

4. Getting caught peeing outside after bars

Depends on if it is a sexual offender charge.

Sex offender will make it very hard to get hospital rights, for one.

 

[FunnyCurrent]

Whip it out during a OSCE or in the hospital... its probably that easy

 

[SchroedingrsCat]

Felony drug conviction = no license in most states and no DEA #. Hope you like research

Possession of small amounts marijuana is not even a misdemeanor in my state so I don't see where you're getting felony...

 

[link2swim06]

Possession of small amounts marijuana is not even a misdemeanor in my state so I don't see where you're getting felony...

Felony or not drug convictions are really really bad in terms of getting a DEA number. Remember you are applying to be the gatekeeper to schedule II drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines. If you are breaking the drug laws now you will have some explaining to do....remember marijuana is a schedule II, according to the DEA it is worse than cocaine and on par with herion 🙄

but really.

 

[ucsfstudents]

I think for most of these, it depends on the circumstances, and your previous history of misconduct. If it's a one time thing, you might be offered help/counseling, etc. If it is a trend, you will likely get dismissed. Medical schools have very low tolerance for unlawful, unprofessional behavior.

 

[D elegans]

Ok why are residency options destroyed for a little bit of weed? In many states it's not even a misdemeanor so if this is the case it couldn't be found out, right?

And get off your moral high horse everyone... the gunning many of you have probably done is more immoral than putting a substance into your own body willingly.

I think what your problem will be is that residency directors will be on a moral high horse

 

[CatFactorial]

Assuming you're in good academic standing, what transgressions with the law would it take to get kicked out of med school. Here are some examples of things that I am wondering how paranoid I should be about getting caught doing:

1. Smoking pot. If I got caught somehow it would be with possession of a small amount (less than an eighth) and a bowl in my house or a party.

2. Buying alcohol for a younger brother and his friends (obviously I'm screwed if one of them dies from drinking but let's assume that they just get caught with it and someone tells who bought it).

3. Open container on the streets

4. Getting caught peeing outside after bars

5. Possession of small amounts of other illegal drugs. Are there any (other than hopefully pot) that would not result in dismissal?

Please no moral preaching, I just want to know the information people have about if getting caught with any of these would lead to dismissal from med school.

If you don't flagrantly abuse anything, you won't be giving anyone reason to search you.

For first offenses on all of that, I think you'll be ok. Repeats will land you in the trouble other posters have described.

Remember that, while medical schools won't tolerate those who break the law, each seat is a significant investment. It's in both the student's and the school's best interest to finish the program, so I doubt the school would expel for issues like these.

 

[theseeker4]

If you don't flagrantly abuse anything, you won't be giving anyone reason to search you.

For first offenses on all of that, I think you'll be ok. Repeats will land you in the trouble other posters have described.

Remember that, while medical schools won't tolerate those who break the law, each seat is a significant investment. It's in both the student's and the school's best interest to finish the program, so I doubt the school would expel for issues like these.

Dangerous advice, for urinating in public at least. If it is a sex offense in the state OP is in, that will be career-ending. You get a sex offense on your record, no matter how stupid it is that it is a sex offense, you are done. Maybe you could get it plead down to something lesser that doesn't make it a sex offense, but why would anyone take that risk?

 

[SchroedingrsCat]

http://news.yahoo.com/pot-legalization-efforts-forge-ahead-key-u-states-175321189.html

Looks like weed will be just like alcohol soon enough so 😛

 

[mmmcdowe]

http://news.yahoo.com/pot-legalization-efforts-forge-ahead-key-u-states-175321189.html

Looks like weed will be just like alcohol soon enough so 😛

Just because it is legal doesn't mean they can't punish you for testing positive. Alcohol is legal, but unlike Grey's Anatomy you don't get a second chance after doing surgery intoxicated. You come in looking a little messed up, they test you, you happen to test postive for x/y/z and that's all they need. Doesn't matter if there was actually a correlation. You appeared impaired and were positive for a drug -> bye.

BTW, I had a classmate who got forced tested for this exact same scenario. Thankfully the dude didn't mess with that kind of stuff and was let off the hook after testing negative.

 

[SoundofSilver]

I assume you're asking this because you are contemplating whether or not the risk of doing these things is worth it. It's probably not.

I'd say the open container offense is the least serious on your list. I highly doubt you would get dismissed from school and it would probably have little to no effect on your ability to obtain a residency and become licensed as long as it's an isolated incident. I'm sure residency directors and licensing boards probably see quite of few of these types of minor alcohol related offenses (MIP, open container, etc.)

Getting caught with drugs or buying alcohol for a minor probably won't get you dismissed from school but will have serious implications when trying to get a residency and become licensed. I don't think it would be impossible, but it would surely be an uphill battle.

Finally, getting caught urinating in public is a sex offense in a lot of places, meaning that it's probably a career ending offense. Even if you didn't get kicked out of school, I would imagine that getting a residency/licensed would be near impossible for someone registered as a sex offender.

 

[phltz]

Assuming you're in good academic standing, what transgressions with the law would it take to get kicked out of med school.

Your list is boring, but I think this could be a fun question to answer.

6) Pooping on the dean's desk.

7) Regicide.

8) Shadowing a pediatrician so you can meet hot young things.

9) Getting indicted for anything at the Hague.

10) Selling parts of the cadavers from anatomy lab to a local butcher.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

None of them is worth risking a 150k-300k education for, no matter how small the risk. The longer I am in this career the more I feel it matters what your 3rd grade math teacher wrote about you in your yearly report, let alone a tiny remark by a dean or on a background check that you got caught pissin' on your neighborhood garbage cans.

No moral argument, treat this purely as a risk-benefit consideration.

 

[Shnurek]

...remember marijuana is a schedule II, according to the DEA it is worse than cocaine and on par with herion 🙄

but really.

I think you meant to say it is schedule 1 so ya it is ******ed that its on par with heroin:

Marijuana (Cannabis - natural) is schedule 1.
Marinol (synthetic version of Marijuana that does not contain any of the cannabinoids but only contains the main active ingredient: THC) is schedule 3.

 

[Untraditional]

I think what your problem will be is that residency directors will be on a moral high horse

If I were the program director an offense like this would make me ask:

1. Is he such a heavy user that the odds favored him getting caught?

2. Is he such a ***** that he couldn't take the basic common steps to avoid getting caught.

3. What do the answers to 1 and 2 say about his potential clinical judgement?

and I guess 4. Is this guy going to be able to get licensed if I train him?

 

[D elegans]

If I were the program director an offense like this would make me ask:

1. Is he such a heavy user that the odds favored him getting caught?

2. Is he such a ***** that he couldn't take the basic common steps to avoid getting caught.

3. What do the answers to 1 and 2 say about his potential clinical judgement?

and I guess 4. Is this guy going to be able to get licensed if I train him?

Then I would ask myself, do I have any other applicants for whom I don't have to worry about any of these issues? And the answer will be yes.

 

[SchroedingrsCat]

Just because it is legal doesn't mean they can't punish you for testing positive. Alcohol is legal, but unlike Grey's Anatomy you don't get a second chance after doing surgery intoxicated. You come in looking a little messed up, they test you, you happen to test postive for x/y/z and that's all they need. Doesn't matter if there was actually a correlation. You appeared impaired and were positive for a drug -> bye.

BTW, I had a classmate who got forced tested for this exact same scenario. Thankfully the dude didn't mess with that kind of stuff and was let off the hook after testing negative.

This would 100% never be possible in a state where marijuana is legal. Since marijuana is legal to consume when off the job, the program would have to do a blood test to prove you are high at the time of the test (like the blood test for driving while high is mentioned in the article). Simply having marijuana in your system would mean absolutely nothing since it is LEGAL to consume on your own. And don't give me the paranoid "oh they'll kick you out anyway." This would be the same as kicking someone out for smoking cigarettes on his own time in a legal environment - the program would be sued into the ground (and believe it or not, not getting sued is also a major priority of programs).

 

[loveoforganic]

Look, I'm all for pot being legalized, but regardless of whatever the case may be in your state, pot is still illegal under federal law, which includes, yep, your state. It's clear that you've already made up your mind to smoke pot. You came here for an argument, not an opinion. Go enjoy your fun that is honestly pretty much harmless compared to some legal things. Just be aware that you have a small (but still present) chance of getting hosed, and your level of stupidity will determine just how sizable that chance is. I personally think you've worked too hard and invested too much money to get in and through med school to risk something so large for so little. But it's your life.

 

[link2swim06]

This would 100% never be possible in a state where marijuana is legal. Since marijuana is legal to consume when off the job, the program would have to do a blood test to prove you are high at the time of the test (like the blood test for driving while high is mentioned in the article). Simply having marijuana in your system would mean absolutely nothing since it is LEGAL to consume on your own. And don't give me the paranoid "oh they'll kick you out anyway." This would be the same as kicking someone out for smoking cigarettes on his own time in a legal environment - the program would be sued into the ground (and believe it or not, not getting sued is also a major priority of programs).

Not true, a school, especially if its a private school, can dictate whatever policies you want as long as they dont break the law. And only taking or hiring non-smokers isnt against the law.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/02/11/no-smoking-for-some-hospital-employees-even-on-days-off/

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/09/22/only-non-smokers-need-apply-at-baylor/

Here are some lawyers confirming it is legal and would be difficult to sue against:
http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/only-hiring-non-smokers-1759.html

This is happening alot of in healthcare actually.