Hey guys, so in Ohio we have this category of charges called a minor misdemeanors for less severe charges. Minor misdemeanor's are apparently not considered a 'criminal record' and those who receive them are not required to disclose them to employers or even graduate schools. This past year I was charged with a minor misdemeanor for an expired license (it was literally a couple days old) and I'm trying to decide whether this warrants checking the box for 'convicted of a misdemeanor' on ERAS. What are your guys thoughts? Anyone else experience this? I don't want to come off as dishonest to residency programs, however, if I'm not required to put it on my application I would rather not have to do so. Thanks in advance everyone. I really appreciate it.
Minor Misdemeanor + ERAS
- Thread starter Mdfosho
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This violation is very minor and I can't imagine any program director would hold this against you, even in the slightest amount. I would recommend putting on ERAS. Not disclosing it has much more potential harm than disclosing it.
Is this considered a 'red flag'??? Have you heard of any programs screening based on misdemeanors without checking the explanation for what it was for? I'm pretty nervous I'll be screened without them even looking at my explanation for what it was for...
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I certainly hope PDs don't automatically screen out just because of the presence of a misdemeanor without looking to see what the offense was specifically. Not all misdemeanors are equal and often times they are relatively minor violations of the law like not renewing your driver license. If they do that makes me question their candidate selection skills and you may not want to go there.
I can't imagine having a misdemeanor is a red flag. When I think of red flag, failed coursework, academic dishonesty, failed board exams, leave of absence,...etc comes to mind.
From wikipedia, "Depending on the jurisdiction, examples of misdemeanors may include: petty theft, prostitution, public intoxication, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespass, vandalism, reckless driving, discharging a firearm within city limits, possession of cannabis and in some jurisdictions first-time possession of certain other drugs, and other similar crimes."
Your violation of the law is relatively minor compared to others. Often times, people plead guilty to minor crimes like these and don't know they are misdemeanors.
The person reviewing your application will certainly be interested to see what type of criminal you are, but then quickly forget about it since not renewing your driver license is analogous to driving 15 mph over the speed limit IMO (only one is a misdemeanor in most states).
