Can I ask you guys something? So if these are expunged, how would a medical school be able to confirm that I had IA's if my school has removed them from my record?
I ask because I spoke to other TMDSAS applicants who said if it was expunged you do not need to report it and one of them got into UTSW. (Maybe UTSW just didn't ask in their secondary?)
The question seems to be pretty clear and asks if it you ever had an IA and so I technically did, but then if it was expunged and other people did not report it and they got in, would I be wrong to follow suit?
Did they just get lucky and are an anomaly?
I don't want to play a dangerous game and cause further issues down the line, but I just don't know because I also spoke to another TMDSAS applicant who told me they spoke to a former admissions advisor who advised them not to report it on the primary if it was expunged.
Do you guys have any good recs on consulting/advising services I can speak too? I keep getting mixed answers everywhere but if push comes to shove I honestly would just report it because I believe honesty is the best policy.
Thank you.
@SouthernMed first of all, it's good that you are thinking carefully about this issue before you apply.
Second, you asked for expert advisors and I think you have found them here on SDN, where many are experienced in reading applications and many are on admissions committees.
Third, my signature says Plain-spoken Texan (which was a byline of former Texas governor Ann Richards.)
Fourth, here is my plain-spoken advice:
Answer "yes" on the primary. I don't know if your issue was a conduct violation or an academic integrity violation. I don't care, I don't wanna know. Whatever it was, your college expunged it but it was still "an action". If it was a big deal, they wouldn't have expunged it.
Say yes, and explain briefly. Med schools will probably think, "Oh, that? that's not such a big deal."
Alternate action: you answer "no" and somewhere in one of your letters or on a transcript it might be referred to. Now you're in a pickle because omitting something minor might be seen as lying anyway, which is worse than just 'fessing up in the first place. Now you could get questioned more, or asked "why didn't you divulge this in the first place?" Much worse. Omitting or shading the truth compounds the original incident.
So in summation, my advice is to read the wording carefully on the TMDSAS app when you apply next spring. Be transparent. Explain briefly if asked on secondaries, and move on. Our advice here is better than "somebody somewhere said"