Which will the adcom forgive?

[Nickelpennykid]

There have been a lot of recent "what are my chances with X crime on my record" threads popping up as the interview season wraps up. In response, I propose a poll...which major incident will the adcom forgive most easily???? The one night coke bender??? The DUI? How about the cheating???

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[armybound]

it's tough to say, since the blow and DUIs can easily be repeated. drug addiction seems to plague doctors.

I don't know if cheating would be easily repeated, but it says a lot about a person's character

 

[braluk]

Probably DUI since its the lesser of the evils.

Being caught with harder, gateway drugs suggests that this isn't a first time occurrance, and that there is most likely a history of drug use before arriving to the point of using one of the most illicit drugs out there.

Cheating suggests that there was an active thought process in arriving to the point of doing whatever it takes to get a good grade, which reflects extremely poorly on the student caught.

A DUI is terrible, sure, but seems to be chalked up to a stupid mistake, and seems less an evil than the other two. Some individuals could be barely above the legal limit, and be charged with DUI. Attending AA and going through community service can help improve a student's image. In fact, I think there was a thread earlier in which a student was arrested for DUI but subsequently gotten into a top 20 school (of course I wouldnt trust the forums for "true stories", but this seems more likely than getting into school with the other two .

 

[Nickelpennykid]

Probably DUI since its the lesser of the evils.

Being caught with harder, gateway drugs suggests that this isn't a first time occurrance, and that there is most likely a history of drug use before arriving to the point of using one of the most illicit drugs out there.

Cheating suggests that there was an active thought process in arriving to the point of doing whatever it takes to get a good grade, which reflects extremely poorly on the student caught.

A DUI is terrible, sure, but seems to be chalked up to a stupid mistake, and seems less an evil than the other two. Some individuals could be barely above the legal limit, and be charged with DUI. Attending AA and going through community service can help improve a student's image. In fact, I think there was a thread earlier in which a student was arrested for DUI but subsequently gotten into a top 20 school (of course I wouldnt trust the forums for "true stories", but this seems more likely than getting into school with the other two .

I don't know how much I agree with the DUI. I look at it as the offense that has the greatest chance of putting someone else's life at risk and as a doctor you are expected to have a greater respect for fellow man possibly?? Then again, you could get all hopped up on coke and kill someone, but the DUI seems to have a better chance of doing that. The cheating is the oddball because it shows such a lack of intregrety, yet as a one time thing it could be chalked up to a "learning experience." I guess the poll will decide.

 

[TheRealDrDorian]

What if it was medicinal blow?

 

[ICCONFETTI]

what's a blow?

is that the sexually explicit act that i'm thinking of or am i completely off?

 

[Nickelpennykid]

Haha yea. In my pharm class I just finished they were saying how great it could have been for medicine if it wasn't so damn addicting and do so much stuff to your ticker.

 

[Nickelpennykid]

what's a blow?

is that the sexually explicit act that i'm thinking of or am i completely off?

blow is cocaine...sorry should have used the actual word.

 

[braluk]

Thats a good point. It is something that puts other people at risk, but students have been admitted before with DUIs. I think this falls upon repeat offenses or not. DUIs, for the most part, seem to be stupid mistakes that Im sure that no serious student would repeat again. Theyre all difficult to weigh really.

Think of it this way- if you were a boss about to hire an employee to take care of your materials- who would you take? The guy busted for cocaine, the guy who had one DUI, or the guy who's been put through academic probation for cheating.

If the DUI guy demonstrated that he successfully completed alcohol classes and put some community service in, Id probably go with him seeing that most DUIs are stupid mistakes. Hard Question good poll

 

[GoinBack2Cali?]

Thats a good point. It is something that puts other people at risk, but students have been admitted before with DUIs. I think this falls upon repeat offenses or not. DUIs, for the most part, seem to be stupid mistakes that Im sure that no serious student would repeat again. Theyre all difficult to weigh really.

Think of it this way- if you were a boss about to hire an employee to take care of your materials- who would you take? The guy busted for cocaine, the guy who had one DUI, or the guy who's been put through academic probation for cheating.

If the DUI guy demonstrated that he successfully completed alcohol classes and put some community service in, Id probably go with him seeing that most DUIs are stupid mistakes. Hard Question good poll

Do you know that your collar is popped in your picture? Its a simple fix, just fold it down. But that means that you have to unclasp your hands.

 

[braluk]

lol didnt realize that, next avatar u got it

 

[Cirrus83]

Personally I'd rather someone do blow than get a DUI...drunk drivers kill way too many good people

Whereas being a coke-head really just screws yourself over.

So...in the grand scheme of things I'd rather someone have been a coke head.

If you kill someone while drunk driving btw, you're screwed beyond belief since you'll get homicide charges in plenty of states...and apparently Ohio is even moving to get the death penalty as an option for DWI deaths (which is a little over the top, but still). So personally I would do coke well before I go DWI, just because doing coke-while also illegal-really just puts me in danger, whereas DWI means I'm putting all those random pedestrians in danger of being killed by me.

 

[The Buff]

You are shooting yourself in the foot by doing any of them, but Id take a kid with a blow problem first. People who drink and drive are plain stupid/evil, and academic problems are hard to overlook for a school.

 

[vector2]

I was under the impression that the implications of committing the two possible felonies would outweigh the offense that's not even criminal in nature...but that doesn't seem to be the consensus.

 

[MadHopsMD]

lol didnt realize that, next avatar u got it

forget the collar. Barluk I think you might have jaundice. Your hands are yellow! please see the doctor. asap

 

[Grobular]

I thought the poll options was a bit boring. So here are some additional options:

1. Wearing jeans + t-shirt for the interview.
2. Won't stop shaking hands with the interviewer.
3. Calling a mentally handicapped ******s during the interview. Yeah, I loved volunteering with those ******s...
4. Gorging cookies from the plate.

 

[Funky]

I thought the poll options was a bit boring. So here are some additional options:

1. Wearing jeans + t-shirt for the interview.
2. Won't stop shaking hands with the interviewer.
3. Calling a mentally handicapped ******s during the interview. Yeah, I loved volunteering with those ******s...
4. Gorging cookies from the plate.

probably #2 with the new options

 

[IckeyShuffle]

what's a blow?

is that the sexually explicit act that i'm thinking of or am i completely off?

hhahahah such a young and naive soul........

 

[Haemulon]

You are shooting yourself in the foot by doing any of them, but Id take a kid with a blow problem first. People who drink and drive are plain stupid/evil, and academic problems are hard to overlook for a school.

The a pretty broad/bold statement. While there is certainly no way to defend drinking and driving, I can think of quite a lot of ways that a good reasonable person may find him or herself in this circumstance out of poor judgement and bad luck. Heck, depending on what State your in and your body size, 1 beer may put you over the BAC limit. Certainly many reasonable people have a drink with dinner and assume it gets burnt off by the time they leave. The obvious way to prevent any issues is to never have any drinks at all before you drive, which is what everyone should abide by. However, I wouldn't think someone is evil for one or two drinks with dinner and getting pulled over due to other circumstances, such as a busted tail light. Ma'am, your tail light is out and ..... (sniff sniff) have you had anything to drink tonite? That is bad judgement for sure, but not necessarily evil.

Like I said, there is no way to justify it, but i'm just saying there is a difference between bad judgement and being reckless/evil. On the other hand, pounding down a case and hoping in the car for a joy ride at 3 am definitely falls into "friggin ***hole" category.

 

[Nickelpennykid]

I was under the impression that the implications of committing the two possible felonies would outweigh the offense that's not even criminal in nature...but that doesn't seem to be the consensus.

This is a good point. Cheating seems to be the least forgivable.

 

[notdeadyet]

Personally I'd rather someone do blow than get a DUI...drunk drivers kill way too many good people

Agree with you there.

I'd be willing to bet that a lot more doctors have DUIs on their records than drug convictions or suspensions for cheating. That might have something to do with admissions committees maybe looking at it a bit softer.

That said, this whole discussion is akin to "Would you rather break your hip, femur, or back?" All are way bad.