I have a burning desire to become a MD but I have a felony gun charge...

Hello Everyone!!! My name is Shanece. I am 26 years old and I’m from Delaware. I found this site through google when I was researching some premed info. It has been my dream since I was a small child to become a medical doctor. Through high school I didnt do very well because I had some issues with mental health. My gpa in high school was 2.6. I started Community College the Fall after graduating high school in 2003. I started out as a nursing major after losing sight of my dream when I told myself it would be too hard for me to become a doctor. I changed my major from nursing to human services after being told there was a long waiting list to get into the nursing program. I completed about 24 credit hours of course work at the community college and then I took some time off. In 2005 I enrolled at


Delaware State University as a business major and recieved all F’s the first semester because of a depression and a lack of motivation. I dropped out of the university after the first semester. In 2008 I went to Star Technical Institue and took up medical assisting for a couple of months but I didn’t finish. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was sixteen all of this indecisivness started. It seemed like I couldn’t make a sound decision for nothing in my life which led to all of this back and forth behavior. I went back to del-tech community college after leaving star tech and signed up for more courses with no success in any of them. I was still going through trials and tribulations with mental health and the fact that I had let myself become morbidly obese. Weighing more than three hundred pounds I felt very miserable and hopeless. In spite of all of this I still wanted to go to school. In January 2010 I enrolled full time at Wesley College first majoring in Biology then I switched to Psychology with a minor in premedicine. I withdrew from the spring semester after experiencing more issues with mental health. After all of this i was still determined to go to school so i signed of for five couses for the Fall of 2010. I ended up not going to classes and not withdrawing and recieved all F’s due to all of this I was put on academic suspension. In 2005 when I was nineteen I caught a conspiracy misdameanor charge for being involved in a domestic dispute in which I was the minor player. In July 2010 I was convicted of a misdameanor assault charge as a result of defending myself after being attacked but two men. In the same month I caught a a felony gun charge, possesion of a firearm by a person prohibited. I was falsly accused of pointing the gun at a lady. I only had the gun because I did’nt feel safe after being attacked by those men. All of this occured after not being stabilized on my medication. My current psychiatrist said that I would have not been convicted of any of this had I been under his treatment.


I am currenty doing very well. I’m taking my meds and I’m not depressed anymore. I’ve been making strides to losing weight and I feel great. I want to go back to school so I decided to contach Wesley College to find out what I needed to do. They told me I would have to go to community college and complete twelve credit hours then I could be readmitted. Wow I know this is a lot but I need advice and encouragement. My desire to become a physican is stronger now than it has ever been. I wonder if I still have a chance to have my dream come true. I am christian and I know as a part of my faith I read in the bible that what seems impossible to man is all possible with God. Phillipians 4:13 says that I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. So I am definitely keeping hope alive.


One more thing before I go. I contacted the secretary of state and asked about a pardon for my felony conviction. She told me that they like to see three to five years after the sentence, probation done and all fines paid before I could be considered. I explained to her my situation and she told me that the board would hear me before time. I was just wondering if I could get my license to practice after getting a pardon for a felony conviction?


Whew! Thank you’ll in advance. I am so open to anything that you’ll have to say. I will be waiting.


Shanece

I am not an adcom.


I am not a med school student, or a doctor.


I am a premed and everything I have read, and seen, and heard, says a felony is game-over, especially one that could be seen as endangering someone’s life. Whether or not the intent was there, whether or not you believe you were wrongly tried/convicted/sentenced , what is on your record is what matters.


Have you talked to an attorney to see about getting the record expunged?


Have you talked to a med school in your area to confirm what I have been told?


I do not have a criminal record so I am not speaking from personal experience on felony or misdemeanor charges.


Last, even if medical school should be unobtainable for you, there are many areas that you can serve a patient population without an allopathic or osteopathic designation. I know, because I am keeping those options as my own Plan B if I should not get accepted somewhere


My best to you as you try to figure out your place in this thing we call “life” .

You really need to consult with an attorney who specializes in professional licensing–like this one ( http://www.calicenselaw.com/ ).


Gary Krist was a convicted kidnapper who eventually became a licensed physician in Indiana, albeit probationary. He lost his medical license in 2003. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Steven_Kris t ).

  • Dream2BaMD Said:


One more thing before I go. I contacted the secretary of state and asked about a pardon for my felony conviction. She told me that they like to see three to five years after the sentence, probation done and all fines paid before I could be considered. I explained to her my situation and she told me that the board would hear me before time. I was just wondering if I could get my license to practice after getting a pardon for a felony conviction?



In Delaware, a pardon, if granted, removes all punishment but does not remove the record of arrest and conviction. From their website

Link to Delware Pardon Info

"A pardon is an act of executive grace that completely eliminates all consequences of a conviction. However, a pardon does not remove the record of conviction. A pardon removes any further punishment and restores civil rights. A pardon does not remove the historical fact of the conviction from the state's official arrest and conviction records; it simply adds to the record that a pardon has been granted. To remove the historical fact of a conviction, you must apply for an expungement after a pardon has been granted for the conviction."

This would mean legally that you would have to answer to having a criminal conviction and explain that it was pardoned. If you wanted the record expunged you would have to do the following in Delaware.

"If you have been granted a pardon or you have been acquitted, the charge was dismissed, or a nolle prosequi was entered, you must contact the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) to determine whether you are eligible for an expungement under 11 Del. Code. §4371 thru 4374. If you are eligible, SBI will provide you with a letter that will allow you to either file a petition with the Superior Court (in the county where the case was terminated, disposed of or concluded) or with Family Court (in the county where the charges, either juvenile or adult, were terminated, disposed of or concluded). Juvenile convictions are considered to be adjudications of delinquency rather than "convictions" and therefore, may be expunged absent any adult convictions. Also see 10 Del. Code. §1025."

Legally, criminal records may NOT be considered as a factor when applying to medical school (huh?) Your criminal record is only considered AFTER you have been accepted but prior to matriculation. A pardon allows you to hold a medical license, so a school could not bar you from matriculation on the basis.

Schools would have to consider the implications for clinical sites and the legality of a convicted felon working in a hospital. Ironically, having a violent felony as in gun possession is less a block than a drug conviction. In most states, denying someone employment (or the opportunity to do clinical training in a place of employment)would be considered employment discrimination unless there are specific laws denying specific job types for specific convictions or create legal tests and standards to met. Example, denying a job in a financial institution to someone with a financial fraud conviction. Most states passed laws based on drug convictions but other areas are not so clear cut.

Most applications I have ever seen ask if you have had any misdemeanor or felony conviction. SO you would have to get all of those convictions removed from your record, but from what I understand the liscening board has a pretty extensive background check, akin to homeland security, (this is all hearsay so take it for what you will).


The onterh aspect of this is that the questions on the application ask if you have everbeen convicted, and to answer truthfully you have, regardless of what you record says, and I would assume that a US med-school won’t touch you on the idea that they would be training someone who would be in a gray area as far as liscensing. With so many competitve applicants every year it is going to be hard to break into the accepted pool. Now, if you get everything expunged you “could” say no you haven’t been convicted, but then you are providing false information on the application which might be a bigger “no-no” than the felony conviction.


I don’t know exactly what the Carribean policy is on this issue, but even still, if you could get educated you would have an up hill battle to liscensing.

I, too, am not a lawyer nor a member of law enforcement, but this my opinion: If you really do have burning desire to go to medical school, I think you can both start the premed route and work on getting those felony charges taken care of. I would NOT let it hold you back. Gonnif is right: having a felony on your record won’t prevent you from applying but may be considered in whether or not a school admits you. Perhaps what you can do, then, is to do everything in your power to do right and show good behavior that will “correct” or “right” the wrongs you have done – even if these personality changes do NOT undo your criminal record. Show that you are a changed person, civilly and academically. Show them that you are a far different and better person today than you were those years ago.


I would also check out foreign medical schools for their take on this.


I recall reading the story about a man who was on death row. But because of good behavior, he got his death sentence commuted to life in prison, then changed to parole. Now he is an upstanding citizen and businessman who is far away from the felon he used to be.

I recall reading the story about a man who was on death row. But because of good behavior, he got his death sentence commuted to life in prison, then changed to parole. Now he is an upstanding citizen and businessman who is far away from the felon he used to be. [citation needed]