Quoted: Criminal background check

[Doodledog]

Someone would like to know (note that this is often discussed on pre-allo):

If someone is charged with a Misdemeanor of "Unkowingly selling liquor to minors" (selling beer to an underage person at a gas station), would this affect the chances of any sort of acceptance schools or residencies might give me?

Just curious.

I'm guessing that this would not be considered very favorably by most adcoms or program directors. But, like similar such things (including DUI, shoplifting, etc), time, and evidence that one has greatly matured, would not prevent someone from getting what they want despite this sort of event. However, there are many pre-allo threads on this topic for those who want opinions.

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[NotAProgDirector]

ERAS, the Electronic Residency Application Service, only asks about felonies, so misdemeanors are not part of that application cycle. Once matched, some programs perform background checks of their residents. At that point, this will only be a problem if it would prevent you from getting a medical license, which it usually won't. If in your misdemeanor there is any concern for substance abuse, the Board of Medicine will clearly focus on that, though.

 

[Doodledog]

I was the one with this issue, and I wanted everyone to know some more info. I went to the prosecuting attorney's office, and told him I had no problem paying the fine, but that I was a pre-med student and I felt this could cause a problem to my future plans. I asked if there was a way it could be removed off of my record after a certain point (2 years or so), and he said that wasn't necessary, and that he would request it not be put on my record at all.

So to everyone out there who runs into some minor confrontations with the law, sometimes just talking to people will help out. I didn't have the money for a lawyer, but fortunately it wasn't necessary. Either way, its always worth a shot to ask.