<p>The effect of an IA on a med school application will depend on a number of factors–</p>
<p>1) the length of time between the offense and med school application (the longer the better)</p>
<p>2) the type of offense (acts of violence against others–this includes making threats of violence–and violations of honesty/ethics are considered more serious than than, say, petty property crimes or underage drinking)</p>
<p>3) whether the individual has taken ownership for his actions and can demonstrate s/he has learned from the incident and has taken steps to remediate the underlying problem/behavior. </p>
<p>IAs are not necessarily the kiss of death for med school, but they definitely are a blemish [of varying significance/severity] on an applicant’s record. </p>
<p>I would second UBB’s recommendation the OP’s son look at other potential careers. Med school admission is never a sure thing–even for highly qualified applicants. </p>