When you are dreaming about life in medical school, you always imagine graduating. You never think of what might happen to deter that goal. The reality is, though, that there are several reasons students might be required to leave medical school early. The University of Colorado School of Medicine and Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, have seriously high expectations for all of their students. If you feel that you are unable to meet these standards and are thus falling behind, an attorney advisor will uncover the best way to support you. Sometimes this means fighting off early dismissal proceedings, and other times it means formally requesting remediation programs to help you stay on track. Whatever you need, an attorney-advisor will be able to encourage the university to provide it.
Academic and Professionalism Policies for Colorado Medical Students
All schools require their students to follow certain guidelines around their behavior on campus. Medical schools go a step farther, creating rules around the amount of time it takes you to graduate, the required grades for each course to pass, and how you behave while representing the university on your rotations. At the University of Colorado School of Medicine, students are expected to show responsibility towards their patients, peers, and staff, including how they comfort their patients and educate themselves outside of the classroom on proper patient care.
If your medical school finds that you have violated these rules, they will decide if you can continue your education there. Generally, they will review your case and, if necessary, refer you for remediation or dismissal. It's important to remember that medical schools allow students to be accompanied by attorney advisors when attending these proceedings. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the thought of having to defend yourself, an attorney advisor can alleviate that anxiety.
Remediation at Colorado Medical Schools
Medical schools try every option to help their students succeed. They truly want to ensure that the doctors they are training are more than capable of handling a patient's medical care. As such, they are constantly testing their students on both their medical knowledge and professional abilities. And in some situations, if they notice a student is having a harder time passing their courses, they will offer to let the student remediate the course.
At the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the students are given the option to remediate an entire course, clerkship, or exam, but this is only after the Medical Student Professionalism Committee meets to discuss the case. In most cases, the student will be given one opportunity to remediate before being recommended for dismissal. Unfortunately, not all schools are like this one. Some never offer the student a remediation program, even if they are supposed to. If you feel like your school is dropping the ball, an attorney advisor will be able to help you request a remediation program, effectively saving your dream of becoming a doctor.
Dismissal From a Colorado Medical Program
Students are brought before the dismissal board for various reasons in medical school. For instance, at the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, students are often brought up for unsatisfactory grades, cheating, or failing the COMLEX even after remediation. Dismissal proceedings aren't only for academic misconduct, even though they sound like they should be. Medical schools are competitive by nature, and the administration wants to ensure that the physicians they are letting out into the world have the training and acumen to back up their new positions. No one wants the internist who failed family medicine a few too many times as their provider.
During dismissal proceedings, students are given a chance to defend themselves but are unsure how to. Working with an attorney advisor will ensure you are properly defended from unnecessary consequences that extend beyond your time in medical school. For example, you might face personal hardships, like fighting for a place at a new medical school or being forced to change your career path altogether. Other hardships include financial ones. You may have taken out considerable loans, and if you are dismissed from medical school, you will have to figure out a way to repay them without the prospect of a physician's salary to help.
Appeals
When you pay your medical school tuition, you are making a pact with the medical school that they will provide you with every means to graduate, and you will pay for it. Every medical student is owed a certain set of due process rights from that moment forward. The due process rights usually include the ability to remediate a course or clerkship, defend yourself from accusations, and appeal any punishments or early dismissal decisions.
After being notified of the committee's decision, they will give you clear directions to complete your appeal. These directions will cover where to send the appeal, what grounds it can be made on, and what date to submit it by. It is important to remember that this is your last attempt to avoid an early dismissal or unwarranted sanctions. If the idea of filing an appeal is overwhelming, an attorney-advisor will be able to guide you and alleviate that anxiety.
Also, there are times where your appeal may be denied. If this happens, your attorney advisor will be able to help you navigate what to do next. For instance, they will reach out to the Office of General Counsel to negotiate on your behalf. Generally, these negotiations offer a better result than a traditional lawsuit against the medical school might.
Colorado Medical Student Defense Advisor
If you find yourself succumbing to the pressures of medical school, whether you need academic misconduct help or think your school is unfairly dismissing you, an attorney advisor can help. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm have years of experience helping medical students advocate for themselves to avoid unwarranted sanctions or untimely dismissals. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to discuss your case or schedule a time online.
