It is Concorde’s policy to ensure that enrolling students are aware of the potential effect and consequences of past criminal behaviors. Externship/clinical sites, employers or state/national licensing agencies have requirements that could prevent a student from completing the program or finding employment in his/her chosen field. Consent to perform a criminal background check must be completed and received as part of the admissions process. Results will be evaluated immediately upon receipt, but no later than the add/drop period. Convictions, guilty pleas or nolo contendere pleas for certain drug-related, fraud-based, or other serious crimes will disqualify a prospective student from remaining actively enrolled: s/he will be unregistered from all courses and the Institution without incurring academic or financial penalty. A listing of the specific offenses that are considered can be obtained from the Institution.
If a potential applicant believes that the results of the background check are incorrect, the Institution will provide the student with the contact information to appeal the Institution’s decision. However, the application process will not move forward until the appeal is complete, and the student may need to reapply for a future class if the appeal is accepted.
Many states, employers, and agencies impose restrictions on the employment, registration, licensure, or certification of workers with certain criminal convictions. Facilities and institutions that accept Concorde students for clinical rotation and/or externships, as well as potential employers, may require an additional criminal and/or personal background check and may reject a student based on criteria different from those applied to the student during the enrollment process.
Additionally, some agencies and employers may require candidates to submit to a drug screening test. Students with criminal records that include felonies or misdemeanors (including those that are drug-related) or personal background issues such as bankruptcy might not be accepted by these agencies for clinical assignments, externship or employment following completion of the program. Employment and externship decisions are outside the control of the Institution.
Concorde cannot guarantee clinical rotation and/or externship placements for individuals with criminal, drug-related, or personal background histories that preclude them from working in a professional setting.
Applicants who have questions regarding how these issues may affect their clinical/externship placement or potential future employment should discuss this matter with a school official prior to beginning their program.