Medical schools reserve the right to rescind an offer of admission if it is found that the student misrepresented himself or herself in any way. It is difficult for a student to misrepresent standardized test scores or transcripts, since Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and academic transcripts are issued by the test administrator and academic institution respectively. However, other parts of the medical school application enable the applicant to misrepresent, intentionally or not, qualifications and experience. For instance, an applicant may submit a resume that is dishonest about work experience in a medical office or health field. Should the school learn about this misrepresentation, it may revoke prior offers of admission or funding.
If a student exhibits patterns of unprofessional behavior or is involved in an exculpating incident of any kind, a school may revoke an offer of admissions. Also, if the school conducts a criminal background check and finds record of any crime, misdemeanor or violation, the school may decide to revoke admission, according to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Whether or not admission is rescinded depends upon the nature of the crime, the recency of the crime and the discretion of the persons at the admissions office. Doctors are held to high standards of ethics and responsibility, and schools only want to prepare candidates that are fit in character, as well as in education and training. If a person has a criminal record, it may be weighed against strong character recommendations submitted on the applicant's behalf.
Medical schools may also rescind offers of admission if a student's academic performance deteriorates after the offer has been extended. Schools expect that admitted students continue to perform at the level of excellence for which they were admitted. Schools may also rescind any admission offer if a student fails any exit exams or, for whatever reason, does not graduate on time. Further, students are expected to complete all prerequisites required for entry in the particular medical program. If a student fails to complete a prerequisite biology or anatomy class, for instance, he or she risks a revocation of admission.
Schools may also revoke offers that are not accepted in a timely manner. The deadline by which an applicant must accept or decline a school's offer is normally indicated in the letter of admission. Often, schools expressly state that failure to accept or decline an offer by a certain date may result in the offer being rescinded. Therefore, it is imperative that a student respond to offers of admission so as not to risk loss of offer. A student may request additional time to decide, as he or she may be waiting to hear from another school. However, schools are not obligated to grant this request.