{"id":6573,"date":"2025-04-29T15:26:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T22:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/?page_id=6573"},"modified":"2025-04-29T15:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T22:27:44","slug":"admissions-criminal-background","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/policies\/admissions-criminal-background\/","title":{"rendered":"Admissions Criminal Background Policy\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Policy Number: <\/strong>AD.10.06.181204 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applies to: <\/strong>This policy applies to medical school applicants to the MD program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date: <\/strong>12\/05\/23 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.0 Policy Statement <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine policy to abide by the Fair Chance Act signed into law March 2018 in the State of Washington which prohibits admissions in institutions of higher education from considering an applicant\u2019s criminal history before the applicant has been deemed otherwise qualified for admission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.0 Definitions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AMCAS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

American Medical College Application Service is the Association of American Medical College centralized medical school application processing service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Includes any record about a citation or arrest for criminal conduct, including any records relating to probable cause to arrest, and includes any record about a criminal or juvenile case filed with any court, whether or not the case resulted in a finding of guilt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.0 Responsibilities <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Office of Student Experience (Admissions) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Admissions Committee <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    4.0 Procedures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Blinding Criminal Convictions <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The AMCAS application asks applicants to report certain criminal convictions. The following outlines the process in the admissions cycle during which the criminal record reported in AMCAS is blinded and unblinded: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Preliminary screening for applicants to receive the secondary application \n
        \n
      • The application management system automatically screens for requirements for the secondary application as outlined in the Medical Student Selection Policy. The AMCAS criminal background section is not screened in this automated process. Receiving a secondary application deems an applicant eligible to be considered for admission to the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Selection for the interview using AMCAS, secondary, and recommendation letters \n
          \n
        • The application management system blinds the AMCAS criminal background section when an applicant is being screened for an interview. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Mixed Structured Interview \n\n\n
            \n
          • No aspect of the AMCAS application is provided to interviewers. Admissions Committee review <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • The full AMCAS application, secondary application, and interview assessments are available to reviewers who make recommendations to the Admissions Committee. At this point, the AMCAS criminal background section is unblinded. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Considering Criminal History in Offering Admission<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              All applicants who are selected for an interview are otherwise qualified for admission to the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. After applicants complete their interviews, the Admissions Committee may consider criminal history in determining if an offer of admission should be made. If the Admissions Committee considers criminal history, it must determine whether or not there is a relationship between the applicant\u2019s criminal history and the College of Medicine MD program. To do so, the committee will consider: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              1. The age of the applicant at the time any aspect of the applicant\u2019s criminal history occurred; <\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. The time that has elapsed since any aspect of the applicant\u2019s criminal history occurred; <\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. The nature of the criminal history, including but not limited to whether the applicant was convicted of a \u201cserious violent offense\u201d or a \u201csex offense\u201d as those terms are defined in RCW 9.94A.030; and <\/li>\n\n\n\n
              4. Evidence of rehabilitation or good conduct produced by the applicant. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                Considering Criminal History After an Offer of Admission <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                Upon conditional acceptance to the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, a formal criminal background check is facilitated by the AAMC through Certiphi Screening, Inc for all accepted applicants. The following outlines the process for reviewing discrepancies from what is reported on the Certiphi Screening, Inc. report and AMCAS, or if an applicant discloses a felony or misdemeanor crime for which they have been convicted after the date of their original AMCAS submission and before medical school matriculation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                1. The discrepancy or new disclosure is reviewed by the Vice Dean for Admissions, Student Affairs, and Alumni Engagement and the Chair of the Admissions Committee. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                2. If it is found the applicant was not required to report the findings of the Certiphi criminal background check per AMCAS requirements, there is no action taken. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  If it is found the applicant failed to report a felony or misdemeanor crime reported in the Certiphi criminal background check per AMCAS requirements or has a new conviction that meets the reporting requirements of AMCAS, the case will be brought before the Admissions Committee for discussion. The applicant will be provided an opportunity to provide a response to the discrepancy\/new conviction which may occur in writing or in person. Consideration of the criminal history itself will follow the procedure above; however, this does not prevent the Admissions Committee from making a determination based solely on an applicant\u2019s failure to properly report criminal history. Options presented will include upholding the offer of acceptance, rescinding the offer of acceptance, or another action such as waitlisting the applicant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  5.0 Related Policies <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  • Medical Student Selection Policy AD.10.05.170425 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • RCW-Title 49-Chapter 49.94 Job Applicants: Criminal Records <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • RCW 9.94A.030 \u2013 Sentencing Reform Act of 1981 Definitions <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    6.0 Key Search Words <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                    Criminal History, Criminal Background <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    7.0 Revision History <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                    Original Approval: <\/strong>12\/04\/2018
                    Policy Number: <\/strong>AD.10.06.181204
                    Review\/Revision:<\/strong> 12\/05\/23 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    Policy Number: AD.10.06.181204  Applies to: This policy applies to medical school applicants to the MD program.  Date: 12\/05\/23  1.0 Policy Statement  It is the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine policy to abide by the Fair Chance Act signed into law March 2018 in the State of Washington which prohibits admissions in institutions of higher […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34189,"featured_media":0,"parent":3132,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6573"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34189"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6573"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6582,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6573\/revisions\/6582"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6573"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=6573"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicine.wsu.edu\/md\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=6573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}