Medical Matching into competitive specialities with a criminal background (smoking pot)?

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hello experts

In 2019, i was arrested and charged for smoking a joint at a park. i did ACOD so my case was sealed and i was never convicted. I was 21 yrs old

if all goes well, i will graduate medical school in 2026 at the age of 28. I dont know if i have to report this on ERAS because they ask me for convictions and anything that’ll effect my licensure. Will a sealed marijuana case effect my licensure? Will it even show up? I will have to talk to a lawyer when the time comes.

i want to do ortho bc of my passions and hobbies. but ortho is already so hard to match so idk how PD’s will view me with their stigmas. I am currently accepted into a full scholarship primary care program, so should I just do that instead? i really have no interest in primary care but if my ortho/competitive specialities are thrown out the window… at least I can do primary care without much worry about my history

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I would run this by your lawyer for sure. I would not just jump into primary care if that is not your passion. If you want to do ortho, it needs 100% commitment though and you will need to have great scores, research, etc. You can always apply ortho with primary care as backup.
 
If it even shows up in any background checks, I don't think you're gonna get raked over the coals for smoking a joint as a 21 year old.

But separately, I would not go into a primary care track if you truly intend to apply to ortho. There is probably nothing your school can do to prevent you from doing so, but they probably won't be fully supportive.
 
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I spoke to a lawyer about my situation when I was getting my license. They were largely unhelpful to be honest. I'm not saying don't consult a lawyer, but also be prepared to walk away with a few hundred dollar fee and not much more insight than when you walked in.

I'm of the understanding that even if something is 'sealed' it still might be found on a search. If it is, then you should surely disclose it.

However, as gospursgo said, I don't know how much of an issue it will be. An IA for something like academic dishonesty would be something that would be worse for instance.

If you do have to disclose it, I would say to be prepared to explain it was a once and done thing and it is not a problem any longer. I don't think you should let it prevent you from applying for ortho if that is truly what you want to do.

Another wrench in the gears, is I believe the wording of licensure forms from state to state may be different. Some may say convictions, vs arrest, vs charged, etc.
 
The application for ERAS may change dramatically and at the time of applying for residency just follow what the directions say and be prepared to describe in detail though agree it really should not be a big deal.
 
There are many threads about this. You are welcome to talk to a lawyer but it is ultimately unhelpful. You can either disclose it and worry that programs may reject you because of it, or you can not disclose it and worry that programs will find out about it in the onboarding process and then be concerned about your lack of disclosure. The chance of any program really caring about this is very small, as long as the charge did not involve distribution. If you don't disclose it and it is uncovered, it won't matter if your "lawyer said it was OK". In that case, whether you are hired or not may be up to HR, not your program.
 
Question said:
hello experts

In 2019, i was arrested and charged for smoking a joint at a park. i did ACOD so my case was sealed and i was never convicted. I was 21 yrs old

if all goes well, i will graduate medical school in 2026 at the age of 28. I dont know if i have to report this on ERAS because they ask me for convictions and anything that’ll effect my licensure. Will a sealed marijuana case effect my licensure? Will it even show up? I will have to talk to a lawyer when the time comes.

i want to do ortho bc of my passions and hobbies. but ortho is already so hard to match so idk how PD’s will view me with their stigmas. I am currently accepted into a full scholarship primary care program, so should I just do that instead? i really have no interest in primary care but if my ortho/competitive specialities are thrown out the window… at least I can do primary care without much worry about my history

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Did this not come up during your med school applications? I am assuming you will matriculate Aug 2022 so the medical schools may not have cared as NoaAProgDirector said - even if discovered may not matter much

Also, I am assuming that since your ACOD was sealed you stayed out of trouble for whatever specified period of time. My understanding is that it is past thing and is considered resolved

FWIW from https://fastlawpc.com/what-is-a-ny-acd-or-acod/

Will a NY ACD show up on my criminal background check?​

Your NY ACD matter will show up on the background check conducted by law enforcement. However, generally the background check that is conducted by a potential employers won’t show a closed ACD. Once the period of the adjournment finishes, the individual will be restored to the status they were prior to the arrest. Therefore, a closed ACD would restore an individual to the same status as they were prior to the arrest.

As others said, if ortho is what you really want, then don't go for primary care, you will be miserable

hope that helps.
Good Luck
 
Not necessarily advice, but just to give some personal experience:

The point about not disclosing was brought up when I talked to my state licensing board. When I told her what my issue was, she said (this isn't verbatim): "Just write a few sentences on an extra sheet explaining what happened. It shouldn't affect anything with getting your license. However, if you don't disclose it and someone somehow finds out, you will be pegged as dishonest and that will cause a lot more problems".
 
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Dral said:
Not necessarily advice, but just to give some personal experience:

The point about not disclosing was brought up when I talked to my state licensing board. When I told her what my issue was, she said (this isn't verbatim): "Just write a few sentences on an extra sheet explaining what happened. It shouldn't affect anything with getting your license. However, if you don't disclose it and someone somehow finds out, you will be pegged as dishonest and that will cause a lot more problems".
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Yup. Just disclose. Honestly goes a long way.
 
I would suggest disclosing. In the state where I am working, when someone does a board of probation check, they will see if there is a sealed record. They will not see the charge.

Additionally, for purposes of licensure, credentialing, etc. It often has a statement where you sign that you could lose your license, credentialing, etc if it is later found that you weren't forthcoming on your application. I would recommend against taking that chance.


Wook
 
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