MSPE Concern for Applying: Would like Advice and Wisdom

[medicine1996]

So I am a 4th year student, pretty average to slightly below average Step 1 (226), Step 2 pending, and all Ps or HPs on clerkships. The shelves have always been the thing that held be down from getting better 3rd year grades, but they are done now and time to move on. I would say I objectively received great to outstanding comments from my rotations which eases me a little.

However, the big concern to me is that I have a red flag amongst all the other great comments and generally decent applications. I had lied about an absence around the middle of my 3rd year. I was planning on going to visit my relative who was very ill, which I did, however one of the 2 days I was absent I also participated in another event that I had not listed on the absence request originally. I was reported by someone but when I was originally confronted, I said I never attended another event. I was at the time frustrated with myself that I could do this and thus lied, but in hindsight I should have been upfront and clear as possible from the very first encounter with the school. After this, I had to have a meeting with the promotions committee and no drastic measures were taken ( I had to write an essay and attend a state board meeting and meet with the ethics professor). I completely regret the tiny, but important decision I made to lie and I never will or want to fall into that circumstance again. Apart from this incident, I have been a very well-liked student, great comments from faculty, and I hope to get strong LORs. I was even selected to represent the school for their LCME visit in my 2nd year.

My question for you all and to receive advice is that I want to address this in my personal statement. I still can't believe I lied and was dumb and not just straightforward but what's done is done, and I have and continue to reflect on the event to ensure this never occurs again and that if a conflict arises that I make sure I have my priorities and integrity intact. How would I go about addressing this in my personal statement? I have heard to limit it to 2-3 sentences to not make it a huge concern but to emphasize that I have learned from it and continue to use it as an example of how to be a better physician and respect honesty.

I am applying to IM and looking for mid to low-tier academic programs with some non-academic programs as well. I was originally looking to apply to 40ish programs but now I fear that this red flag, albeit a single instance, with be on my MSPE in some fashion and affect my chances greatly. I hope that they will be able to see through my personal statement and other comments that I had a major, yet single lapse in judgment and I am making sure never to let it occur again. I have increased the number of schools I'm applying to 80. Is this reasonable and what types of interview could I expect? Thank you in advance.

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[Dantes]

Is there more to the story...what was this event and how did they have proof you were there? I have a hard time believing they would care about one extra day to the point of hurting your dean's letter, but every school is different. What is your school specifically going to mention?

Try to negotiate this off your MSPE if at all possible. Otherwise address it briefly and own up to it like you planned. Not much else you can do.

 

[medicine1996]

Is there more to the story...what was this event and how did they have proof you were there? I have a hard time believing they would care about one extra day to the point of hurting your dean's letter, but every school is different. What is your school specifically going to mention?

Try to negotiate this off your MSPE if at all possible. Otherwise address it briefly and own up to it like you planned. Not much else you can do.

There’s really not much else to the story. It was a sporting event so like the results are posted online along with the dates of the event, which fell on the last day I was absent. It was only one day and I did come in over the weekend to make up for the missed day (before anything was brought to my attention) but that doesn’t matter. Was a stupid mistake on my part and I should have just stayed with my family and above all just not lie about it at first. My school is more on the side of “stickler” when it comes to things like this I guess.

I am not sure what they are putting in the MSPE since it’s only partially completed so I saw that part. I know the first part under professionalism says “Name has achieved all professional standards set by the school including honesty, integrity, so on and so forth.” But they usually add sentence or two after about any promotion committee appearances so really not sure what it’ll say. I think my next best step is just to wait what they say and if it’s not what I like, see if it can be reworded but my end goal is just to own up if it comes up in interviews and such and move on.

I’m just worried how it’ll affect interviews since the other parts of my application I think are perfectly good for what I want to do/end up in, and shows great comments about professionalism and work ethic and such so I’m hoping they see it was a one-off and I never have had a history of such things. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Dantes]

After this committee meeting, did they say for sure this was going on your MSPE? It's tough to say how it might impact you without knowing how they describe the event.

See what they say first, and get someone in your corner and try like hell to get it off when the time comes. I have no idea how much it would hurt you.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I’m confused. You were granted two days to go visit an ill family member, and you went to a sporting event on one of those two days? Did you also see the ill family member that day? I’m confused a) why this is even a problem and b) what dingus student reported you.

But either way, lying to your school is not a tiny mistake. If you can’t get it off your mspe and have to address it, don’t refer to it that way. You lied to your school, which is a big deal. Hopefully it won’t be put on there or you can get it off.