It takes a special kind of person to make it into medical school. If you're enrolled at Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, you're obviously smart and dedicated. Medical school, though, requires a whole new level of smarts and dedication. And success isn't just about academics either. You have to demonstrate you have the temperament, values, ethics, and compassion to be a doctor. No surprise: not everyone who starts makes it through.
If you're struggling, if someone has mentioned the “D” word to you—Dismissal—it's important you take it seriously. What does taking it seriously mean? It means knowing exactly what the College of Medicine holds you accountable for so you can avoid mistakes in the first place. It means knowing the process for defending yourself when you do wind up in trouble. It means knowing how to get help defending yourself because taking on your school can be a daunting prospect, and it's not one you want to go through alone.
The Lento Law Firm is dedicated to the proposition that a mistake—even two or three—shouldn't bar you from earning your MD and going on to a successful career. We don't want you to give up because we believe what you do is valuable. And no matter what you're facing, we're on your side. Our Student Defense Team can make sure your school treats you fairly and gives you every reasonable opportunity to make it to graduation.
At the first sign of trouble, call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 and find out how we can help. Or use our automated online form.
Two Reasons for Dismissal
If you're facing dismissal, it's likely for one of two reasons: either you're having trouble keeping up academically, or you've been accused of committing some form of misconduct. Here's what the Schmidt COM handbook has to say about both.
- Academic Deficiencies: You're training to be a physician, and every medical course is vital to that training. As a result, you're simply not allowed to fail even a single class or clerkship. You don't graduate unless you've passed them all. The good news is that failure doesn't automatically mean dismissal. A single failure usually means you're assigned a remediation plan. However, two failures in one term are grounds for dismissal, and even two failures over the course of your education can result in dismissal. The first line of defense when it comes to your academic progress is the COM's Student Competency Review Committee (SCRC). The SCRC keeps a close eye on all your coursework and reviews that work not just at the end of semesters but throughout semesters. Any time the SCRC feels you aren't meeting expectations—even if you haven't actually failed a course—it can request you meet to discuss improvement. It also has the authority to assign and monitor remediation plans. Ultimately, however, your medical school status rests in the hands of the college's Medical Student Promotions and Professional Standards Committee (MSPPSC). This committee acts on information it receives from the SCRC and any other office or administrator at the COM. It has the power to issue sanctions up to and including dismissal.
- Misconduct: Medical school students are often surprised to learn that their professional conduct is monitored with the same scrutiny as their academic performance. In fact, even your personal conduct can get you into serious trouble. “Misconduct” is a broad term, and you are actually subject to multiple university and COM policies. For example, you must abide by the same Code of Conduct as all other FAU students. In addition, you're expected to earn your degree honestly: cheating, plagiarism, and research misconduct are all grounds for dismissal. You are required to submit to a criminal background check before you enroll at the COM, and any criminal convictions while a student—even for something small like a domestic abuse complaint—can put your career in jeopardy. Finally, the college has its own standards of professionalism. Mistreatment of a patient, HIPAA violations, insubordination, and ethical lapses are all grounds for dismissal.
Here again, it is the MSPPSC that controls your fate when you've been accused of misconduct. As with academic deficiencies, instances of misconduct can be punished with anything from a formal reprimand to outright dismissal from the program.
Defending Yourself
The Schmidt College of Medicine cannot simply dismiss you. You are entitled to certain due process protections. In simple terms, you always have the right to defend yourself. The process is essentially the same, whether you're facing an academic dismissal or a dismissal for unprofessional conduct.
- Any time your status is under review by the MSPPSC, you are invited to attend the committee's meeting. In addition, you may make a verbal statement and offer any information relevant to the review.
- The committee then deliberates as to your status and assigns sanctions as necessary.
- You can appeal the MSPPSC's decisions. Your first option when it comes to appeal is to request a full hearing before the committee. At this hearing, you may formally offer a defense. You can, for example, present evidence, call witnesses to testify, and raise questions of any witness appearing against you. In addition, you may, at this stage, bring an advisor with you to the proceedings, and this advisor may be an attorney.
- Finally, should the MSPPC reaffirm its decision, you may further appeal to the college's Appeals Committee. However, grounds for appeal in this instance are limited to the discovery of new evidence, an allegation that your due process rights were ignored, or an argument that the penalty does not fit the offense.
Keep in mind that your Lento Law Firm attorney is not allowed to speak on your behalf during the hearing. They may only offer advice. However, your attorney can do far more than just accompany you to meetings. It's their job to develop a defense strategy and work with you to implement it. They'll help you gather evidence, draft documents, develop exhibits, come up with questions for witnesses, and practice your presentation. Most important of all, though, they'll keep a close eye on the case from start to finish to ensure that you're treated fairly.
The Lento Law Firm Can Help
You already know this, but it's worth emphasizing it again: in a dismissal case, literally everything is on the line. You've worked for many years to get to this point. You earned an undergraduate degree; you spent dozens, maybe hundreds of hours studying for the MCAT; you filled out applications, convinced referees to write on your behalf, and sat through demanding interviews. If the Schmidt College of Medicine decides to dismiss you, all of that will have been for nothing.
There's simply too much on the line to go into this situation alone. As should be clear by this point, judicial rules and procedures can be complex, and the playing field is not even. Plus, your school is decidedly not on your side in this instance. You need someone who is, someone who has your best interests at heart and who is willing to fight for those interests. You need an attorney from the Lento Law Firm.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is highly experienced with all aspects of investigation, adjudication, and appeals processes and has helped hundreds of students just like you get the justice they deserve.
If you're facing disciplinary action, don't wait to see what might happen. Find out exactly what the Lento Law Firm can do for you. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
