- Advising Offices/Staff
- Applying to Health Professions Programs
- Getting Started
- Experiences and Opportunities
- Student Groups and Organizations
- Letter of Recommendation Services
- marquette.edu //
- Search //
- Contacts //
- A-Z Index
Institutional Action
Many health professions programs will ask you to declare academic and criminal records when you apply. Minor infractions that you learn from will not keep you out of programs, but patterns of behavior or dishonesty about the behavior can be problematic with regards to admissions. The best strategy for students is to be completely honest about conduct issues, academic or otherwise. Any misrepresentation will hurt you far more than the underlying offense. It is clear from the wording in the common application services' instruction guides that the intent is that you report ANY action, regardless of whether or not the record has been expunged. It is a matter of personal responsibility and integrity how you choose to answer this question. See the exact wording from AMCAS below:
Institutional Action
Medical schools require you to answer this question accurately and provide all relevant information. Medical schools understand that many individuals learn from the past and emerge stronger as a result. Full disclosure will enable the medical schools to more effectively evaluate this information within the context of your credentials. You must answer "Yes" to this question if you were ever the recipient of any institutional action resulting from unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. You must answer "Yes" even if the action does not appear on or has been deleted from your official transcripts due to institutional policy or personal petition.
If you are not certain whether or not you have been the subject of an institutional action, contact the registrar, student affairs officer, or other appropriate party at the institution for confirmation of your record. Applicants who become the subject of an institutional action after certifying and submitting the AMCAS application must inform their designated medical schools that an action has occurred. If you answer Yes, you may use the provided space beneath the question to explain; this space is 1325 characters or approximately one-quarter of a page in length. You will receive an error message if you exceed the allotted space.
Failure to provide accurate information in answering this question or, if applicable, in completing the form provided by the school, will result in an investigation.
When you acknowledge a disciplinary record on a medical school or other health professions program application, that school may require or request that a Marquette University representative sign a dean’s certification letter that the medical school or other health professions program provides to verify what you disclosed and that you are currently in good standing at the university. The Office of Student Development can sign those letters. To make a request please contact the Office of Student Development in the Alumni Memorial Union, 329, or at 414-288-1412.