I shoplifted and I think it ruined my life... what do I do about school and everything?

Question

I've been a straight A student my entire life, graduated early to get a head start on college and basically revolve my life around school. I was planning on applying to medical school in a little over a year until I got caught shoplifting some clothes from Macys a few months after I turned 18. Its been over half a year now and I just got probation and community service and a class (all which I finished the first month) and I'm eligible to 'expunge' my record? But will this matter? Do medical schools do background checks? If so what would come up, all the details? I've never done anything else and I'm just depressed my lifes work of academia may amount to nothing....... please tell me what to do... I was thinking about asking my 2 sisters (a lawyer and NYPD officer) but I'm scared and embarrassed (I only talk to the about twice a year, they're twice my age) I just can't believe I ruined my life in about 5 minutes for a few shirts........

Answer 1

I'm sorry...most times you will just have to do community service if it's your first offense and nothing goes on your permanent record. Where did you shoplift?

Answer 2

But it wasn't just for the shirts though was it?  It was for the substitute sexual kick stealing gave you.  This is a tough weakness to beat but if you can face it and deal w. it you can demonstrate that you've beaten it and still get responsible jobs w. a character flaw.  Keep saying it was just for the shirts/makeup/ whatever and you demonstrate you haven't faced or dealt w. it making really good jobs less likely.

Answer 3

okay listen.. people always get all crazy when it comes to these things... first of all shoplifting is not a felony.. for you to not get a job u would need to have a 100% guilty charge of a felony.. not a continuence wiothout a finding on a peddy shoplifting misdemeanor.. no worries ... happy applying

Answer 4

Hope you learned from this and go on to become doctor.

Ask your sister the lawyer.

If you talk to her as a lawyer, she cannot tell anyone!

Go to her office and pay for her time.

Why would you steal a few shirts? For kicks? Well you got that.

Pull your head out of your butt and you will be okay.

Answer 5

if your record  is expunged then it is like it never happened and you have no record

Answer 6

Once you have paid your price, or finished your sentence, the matter will pretty much disappear.  It will not matter in medical school admission, but if a question on your application form says something like, Heve you ever been arrested>" simply say yes and explain.

Answer 7

Just stay calm, its probably no big deal

Answer 8

If you have it expunged it will not be on your record.  If it is not on your record then it won't hamper any other career plans you have.

Courts do this because they realize that people who are good make moronic mistakes.  Get you record expunged and move on with life.  You realized your mistake and paid your debt.  You'll be fine...

Answer 9

Hey listen, you made a mistake.  Everyone does.  Luckily they went easy on you in court.  It seems like you've learned your lesson from this.  Just go through the process of getting your record expunged, basically it just completely wipes this off your record, even for background checks.

So get it expunged and it'll be as if it never happened.  Just don't let this situation get you down  Keep up those good grades and go to medical school!  People have turned their lives around after doing much worse, so you should be ok.