Will a "Disorderly Conduct" stop me from getting into Med School

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Thiggin

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I received a disorderly conduct my freshman year in College. I was just wondering if this would stop me from getting into med school. I haven't taken the MCAT yet, but my GPA is around a 3.5 and will be a little higher when I finish my degree.

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Probably not. It depends on the exact circumstances. If you were making the decisions, would you allow someone with your disorderly contact charge to attend?

If it's something like you were drinking on someone's front lawn in college, they're not really gonna care, kids make mistakes.

If it's something like you spat on a cop after trying to steal a printer, they might (but then again, you probably would have been charged with more than disorderly conduct...)
 
I received a disorderly conduct my freshman year in College. I was just wondering if this would stop me from getting into med school. I haven't taken the MCAT yet, but my GPA is around a 3.5 and will be a little higher when I finish my degree.

It might depending on the circumstances. You'll have to explain what happened in the personal statement or in the secondaries.
 
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Is there an awesome story to go along with it? I'd think after being bored through the same set of rehearsed answers every day, adcoms would love a good story
 
Is there an awesome story to go along with it? I'd think after being bored through the same set of rehearsed answers every day, adcoms would love a good story

If it was for organizing a fight club, that'd be kind of interesting.

The first rule of fight club is....
 
I don't think disorderly conduct is anything too serious.
 
I received a disorderly conduct my freshman year in College. I was just wondering if this would stop me from getting into med school. I haven't taken the MCAT yet, but my GPA is around a 3.5 and will be a little higher when I finish my degree.

Are you kidding? Everybody gets a disorderly conduct citation nowadays. You can get a disorderly conduct just for arguing with a cop. Ask Henry Gates.
 
Are you kidding? Everybody gets a disorderly conduct citation nowadays. You can get a disorderly conduct just for arguing with a cop. Ask Henry Gates.

It depends.

In CA engaging in prostitution and spying on neighbors as they undress are considered disorderly conduct.
 
You'll be more like House MD and he's badazz so I wouldn't worry too much.
 
It depends.

In CA engaging in prostitution and spying on neighbors as they undress are considered disorderly conduct.

In CA, if someone was engaged in prostitution, why don't they get charged with it? Why do they have to charge them with disorderly conduct (which can run the gamut from a very serious violation to a not minor infraction). Anyways, hope the OP has a "happy ending".
 
Well to make a long story short, it involved Alcohol and unauthorized use of a automobile. No DUI or anything like that just disorderly conduct.
 
I hope not cause I've gotten two of them :scared:
One was for underage drinking the other was a noise complaint (obviously due to underage drinking). Oops

Neither were misdemeanors or felonies, they were both infractions. The primary application only asks about misdemeanors and infractions so I didn't have to say anything there. Only 3 schools so far :xf: have asked on the secondary about being arrested at all (GWU, Mount Sinai, and Jefferson). So far thats 3/14. I still don't know about Drexel, Emory, Loyola, Miami, Wake, and the unlikely event I get one from Vandy. Based on Miami's questions from last year tho it looks like they might, not sure about the other ones.

Despite the fact that med school is so competitive, I think it would be crazy to let something like a disorerly conduct ruin your chances at getting into medical school. Two on the other hand...
 
In CA, if someone was engaged in prostitution, why don't they get charged with it? Why do they have to charge them with disorderly conduct (which can run the gamut from a very serious violation to a not minor infraction). Anyways, hope the OP has a "happy ending".

They do - in CA, there are several penal code sections that can go under "disorderly conduct"

Section 415 PC is what most people think of as "disorderly conduct" - this is the code that covers fighting and generally disturbing the peace (yelling obscenities, etc.).

Section 647 is what CA actually calls "disorderly conduct", but there are different sections that cover everything from prostitution to drunk in public to being a peeping tom. Its a very weird system, but 415 and 647[f] (which is the drunk in public section) are pretty minor charges in CA. College students get hooked for those all the time.
 
One thing that you may want to verify is that this is in fact a citation, as opposed to a misdemeanor. I had a disorderly conduct misdemeanor charge that later got amended to a lower offense. Of course this meant that I had to answer that I did in deed get charged with a misdemeanor and it was then up to me to show how I had learned from this event and how I had made changes in my behavior.
 
One thing that you may want to verify is that this is in fact a citation, as opposed to a misdemeanor. I had a disorderly conduct misdemeanor charge that later got amended to a lower offense. Of course this meant that I had to answer that I did in deed get charged with a misdemeanor and it was then up to me to show how I had learned from this event and how I had made changes in my behavior.

I thought you didn't have to disclose something you were charged with unless you were convicted (AMCAS uses the language "Convicted" not "Charged with").

I don't know how much it matters, but I don't think you're responsible for disclosing non-convictions.
 
Nah I know a guy who got 3 alcohol-related citations at Notre Dame and he got in
 
Thiggin,

I doubt that this will be an issue for you at all.

You have already gotten some excellent advice on this thread.

Most secondary applications ask only about criminal convictions.

The legal definition of a criminal offense is something that constitutes a misdemeanor or a felony. Violations--the category below misdemeanors--are specifically and explicitly excluded from this definition.

Although I cannot say with certainty without knowing the laws where this incident occurred, in a vast majority of states, disorderly conduct is a violation, not a misdemeanor or a felony.

You will need to verify the level of the charges and then read your secondary applications carefully.

Again, most ask about criminal convictions.

With very few exceptions, a "discon" arrest (really the same as a traffic ticket in most states) clearly does not meet the requirements for disclosure, as no criminal charge is present.

The bottom line is to learn from your experience and put it behind you.
 
Thiggin,

I doubt that this will be an issue for you at all.

You have already gotten some excellent advice on this thread.

Most secondary applications ask only about criminal convictions.

The legal definition of a criminal offense is something that constitutes a misdemeanor or a felony. Violations--the category below misdemeanors--are specifically and explicitly excluded from this definition.

Although I cannot say with certainty without knowing the laws where this incident occurred, in a vast majority of states, disorderly conduct is a violation, not a misdemeanor or a felony.

You will need to verify the level of the charges and then read your secondary applications carefully.

Again, most ask about criminal convictions.

With very few exceptions, a "discon" arrest (really the same as a traffic ticket in most states) clearly does not meet the requirements for disclosure, as no criminal charge is present.

The bottom line is to learn from your experience and put it behind you.

While this is true, even though GWU asked specifically about "criminal offenses" when I called before and explained basically what you said to them, they said if it comes up on your CBC (which infractions will) you need to report it. Now perhaps I could have not called, answered no, and dealt with the consequences in the event I got in (when the CBC reveals it explain to them I didn't think I had to since it technically is not a "criminal offense" and hope they don't mind), the fact that I was specifically told I should reveal it really left me no choice. To be honest, even though I know it will hurt my chances I feel better having revealed in than worrying about what would happen if I didn't.

Also, I know Mount Sinai (and I forget about Jefferson), said to report anything other than a minor traffic violation, so that leaves no grey area.
 
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