Will I still be able to get in??

[Mr Bubbles]

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Back during my undergrad in 2008 I was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. 😱

When medical schools see this will they immediately be turned off? Or is this something that they could get over?

 

[MiniMoo]

I would say this is a pretty big red flag.

 

[Mr Bubbles]

I would say this is a pretty big red flag.

I mean I have heard of people with DUI's getting in. Mine was a victimless crime and pretty much just a stupid mistake. It won't affect my ability to get a medical license, but I am wondering if I should talk to someone on the adcom about it and what I should tell them.

 

[vandy2010]

I'm in a similar situation, I'll PM you later today and let you know.

 

[chicubsfan]

You could try anonymously calling schools during their open door/call hours and see what they tell you.

 

[Claud05]

Big red flag i would say, but don't give up.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Charged or convicted?

 

[Zona Pellucida]

It obviously won't look good. Kind of dumb though as I would be shocked if every member of any adcom had never experimented with marijuana at least once in their life. 🙄

 

[Mr Bubbles]

Charged or convicted?

Charged, not convicted.

It obviously won't look good. Kind of dumb though as I would be shocked if every member of any adcom had never experimented with marijuana at least once in their life. 🙄

My thoughts exactly.

 

[specter]

how did you get caught?

 

[BBender716]

Charged, not convicted, is all that matters.

If a drug charge does show up though, it's extremely hard to overcome. Though it isn't abuse of a prescription drug (per se), any drug abuse is a big red flag since you will be handling medications and prescriptions as a physician.

 

[Mr Bubbles]

how did you get caught?

Well, it's really a long story. But basically the cops thought someone broke into my house because the front door was wide open, so they came in and found an extremely small amount of pot. They proceeded to arrest me and 3 of my roommates.

I really hope this one little mistake won't keep me out of med school.

 

[mooshika]

Well, it's really a long story. But basically the cops thought someone broke into my house because the front door was wide open, so they came in and found an extremely small amount of pot. They proceeded to arrest me and 3 of my roommates.

I really hope this one little mistake won't keep me out of med school.

Get a lawyer and try to get the charge expunged or sealed. Both allow you to answer "NO" to the criminal charges question on the appplication. Sometimes you have to wait several years before you can do this and this means you will have to delay your application to med school. You could also take a chance and apply and include a brief explanation showing how you learned from the experience. The further back in history the charges are the better it is for you.

Also, the charges may only appear in the state where you were arraigned. If you live in a different state and do not give the address where you lived when the arrest occurred the background check from Certiphi will not pick it up but you will need to confirm that. However it is never good to lie about something like that. Med school ADCOM members have told me directly that they see many substance related charges from applicants. Since it was a misdemeanor it is not as serious.

I would also make a few anonymous phone calls to admissions offices and ask what they do in these cases.

 

[Bernoull]

Not a big deal at all, but it's definitely better to get it sealed or expunged. It would be a different story if the charge was for felony possession. Apply and good luck.

 

[masturhu]

I'm not on an adcom so I wouldn't be able to tell you a direct answer. But since marijuana is used to widely and many states are even legalizing medical marijuana, it shouldn't be a huge deal.

If med schools really cared that much, they would be doing a bunch of drug screenings, which I don't think happens. Also, if you prove yourself with good grades and scores, even if you are using it, it obviously isn't affected your performance.

Crack cocaine or "harder" drugs would definitely hurt you though. Or a marijuana charge with intent to distribute.