The Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) has a special mission to provide health services specifically to rural and underserved communities in Georgia. In keeping with that mission, the school holds all its medical students to the highest standards. It expects graduates to be experts in the field of medicine and to have the highest professional and ethical values. The school has little tolerance for mistakes.
In fact, if you've made a mistake as a medical student at Mercer, someone may already have mentioned the possibility of dismissal to you. That's a scary proposition and one you must take seriously. You don't have to handle it all by yourself, though. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is here to help.
The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm believe in you and your abilities. They know the hard work you've put in to get to this point, and they don't believe a mistake, or even a few mistakes, should stand in the way of earning your MD. They know the law; they know how the Mercer School of Medicine operates, and they're committed to making sure you're treated fairly and that you get every possible chance to succeed.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
Most medical school dismissals happen for one of two reasons: academic deficiencies or misconduct. As a medical student, you need to know as much as you can about both.
- Academics: You knew coming in that classes and clinical hours in med school would be serious undertakings. By this point in your academic career, every class and every unit is essential to your career. All information about academic progress is contained in the MUSM Student Handbook. The Handbook does not mention any specific academic standing criteria, but that doesn't mean grades don't matter. Quite the opposite, in fact. It means that your record could be called into question at any time and for any reason. You don't have to fail a course to wind up in trouble. Even simply struggling on a test might be grounds for a review of your classroom and clinical record.
- Professional Misconduct: The Handbook also talks extensively about the importance of “professional conduct.” Included in this phrase is basic adherence to the school's Honor Code, the university's Student Code of Conduct, and federal Title IX guidelines regarding sexual misconduct. In addition, however, you're held to specific standards of professionalism. You're required, for example, to respect all patients and their families, to maintain doctor-patient confidentiality, to communicate effectively with colleagues and other members of your medical team, and to refrain from practicing medicine while under the influence of any substance that might impair your abilities. The Handbook also contains language about maintaining an “exemplary moral character” and “personal integrity.” The fact is a mistake in your personal life—a DUI, for instance, or an allegation of domestic abuse—can take down your career if it has no direct relationship to your studies.
Ultimately, all promotion decisions, including the assignment of sanctions like dismissal, are in the hands of the Student Appraisal and Promotions Committee (SAPC). Many other committees might be involved in your case. Issues of professionalism can be under the purview of the medical school's Honor Council or the Student Professionalism Committee. The Graduate School's Graduate Honor Committee deals with general issues such as cheating and plagiarism. The sheer number of these committees can make it hard to navigate the Mercer justice system. Ultimately, though, all these groups refer their most serious medical student cases to the SAPC.
Fighting Dismissal
No school, even a medical school, can simply dismiss students without giving them an opportunity to defend themselves. Judicial rules and procedures can vary depending on the specific reason for dismissal. In general, though, here's what you can expect from the process.
- The first thing you should know is that you are entitled to an advisor. You have the right to consult an attorney from the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team to help you develop your strategy, compile evidence, come up with witness questions, and even prepare your presentation. In fact, in most cases, someone from the Lento Law Firm Team can accompany you to meetings and hearings, though they are only allowed to observe those proceedings, not participate directly.
- In dismissal cases, you're allowed to present your full defense at a hearing before a panel or a committee of decision-makers. You can offer up arguments, present evidence, and call witnesses. In addition, you can cross-examine any witnesses against you.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, decision-makers meet in closed-door sessions to determine whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) an offense and what penalty, if any, should be assigned. To do this, they use a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” According to this standard, you are guilty if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense.
- You likely also have the right to appeal the hearing outcome, but only under certain conditions, such as the discovery of new evidence or a procedural error in the case.
Generally speaking, it can be harder to defend against an academic dismissal than a misconduct dismissal. Such dismissals are based on grades, and that means they are less open to debate. However, even in these cases, MUSM should have a procedure in place for challenging grades and biased committee decisions.
Whatever your situation, you can count on the Student Defense Team attorneys at the Lento Law Firm to be fully informed as to all MUSM procedures. They know the campus judicial system and how to use it to your best advantage.
Fighting for Your Future
Make no mistake: if you're facing dismissal, 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. The threat of dismissal puts all of that in jeopardy. It means having to look for a new career. It means having to pay back thousands of dollars in student loans without a medical degree to help you do it.
There's simply too much on the line to go into this situation alone. Judicial rules and procedures can be complex, and your school is 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 want an attorney from the Lento Law Firm Team.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team was built to help students. The firm's attorneys know the law as it applies to education. They also know how campus judicial systems work. They're highly experienced with all aspects of investigation, adjudication, and appeals processes and have 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 Student Defense Team can do for you. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
