How to address deferred/ dismissed misdemeanors?

[rose_top]

2 years ago I was stopped by campus police while walking home through campus on the way from the bars. Unfortunately I was arrested & given a deferred public intoxication sentence. After 30hrs of community service / 3mo probation / lots of fees later , the case was dismissed (so never convicted of anything and no criminal record). However, since it happened on campus I was also cited with a misconduct violation which I have to disclose on applications (this was fixed by writing an essay and attending 10 stress-therapy sessions).

Since the arrest I have finished my undergrad, received a Master's degree abroad, and will be interning abroad in a pharmaceutical company this year. I'm just wondering how much the incident will affect me in the application process and how I should go about it in interviews if it comes up.

Also should I disclose it the people who are writing references for me? Some of them are higher up in the medical / school communities and I'm wondering if it would hurt their image for supporting me.

Thanks for the help!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

@Goro and @LizzyM might have more to add here; you should be mostly OK as it isn't terrible though it might hurt you a little because it was fairly recent.

 

[Goro]

2 years ago I was stopped by campus police while walking home through campus on the way from the bars. Unfortunately I was arrested & given a deferred public intoxication sentence. After 30hrs of community service / 3mo probation / lots of fees later , the case was dismissed (so never convicted of anything and no criminal record). However, since it happened on campus I was also cited with a misconduct violation which I have to disclose on applications (this was fixed by writing an essay and attending 10 stress-therapy sessions).

Since the arrest I have finished my undergrad, received a Master's degree abroad, and will be interning abroad in a pharmaceutical company this year. I'm just wondering how much the incident will affect me in the application process and how I should go about it in interviews if it comes up.

Also should I disclose it the people who are writing references for me? Some of them are higher up in the medical / school communities and I'm wondering if it would hurt their image for supporting me.

Thanks for the help!

You need to contact your registrar to find out if this is part of your permanent record. If so you have to disclose it and simply owned it.

 

[LizzyM]

AMCAS requires that you disclose it even if it isn't part of your permanent record.
It shouldn't be an issue and it won't reflect badly on anyone who writes you a letter of recommendation, either.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Yeah, this was fairly minor as things go: OP stumbled home from a bar and got picked up by the local cops.