Nevada is home to three well-regarded medical schools that are known for educating individuals with amazing patient care practices. As patient-centered institutions, students can expect to spend their time trying to meet the schools' high standards, both academically and professionally. There are certain instances, though, when meeting those standards can feel impossible, and you may find yourself having breached your school's policies. If you find yourself in such a situation, a skilled attorney-advisor will be able to seek a resolution on your behalf.
Academic and Professionalism Policies for Nevada Medical Students
Across the country, medical schools implement codes of conduct, sometimes referred to as Honor Codes. While the code of conduct differs from state to state, school to school, they generally mandate how a student is expected to behave on campus and which behaviors require disciplinary procedures.
Your medical school's code of conduct may be similar to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. There, all medical students are expected to abide by specific professional behavior standards, including how they interact with patients and how they use internet resources, but also what academic actions they take.
In Nevada, many of the medical schools operate from a patient-centered care practice, where students are introduced to patient care from day one, making observance of these professional standards incredibly important. If your medical school accuses you of unprofessionalism in any aspect of your medical career, you may face formal sanctions, which could include a simple warning and apology letter or full expulsion from the university.
Remediation at Nevada Medical Schools
Given the nature of medicine, the programs focus on rigorous academic curriculums. Faculty must test not only their students' skills and knowledge of the medical material but also their ability to practice medicine maturely. Luckily, Nevada medical schools offer remediation procedures if a student is unable to meet the demanding academic standards set forth the first time.
In fact, before suspension or expulsion are even on the table, students can retake their coursework or examinations. How your school handles remediation will differ. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Medical School, for instance, offers its students the ability to retake a failed exam and may even create a specific Remediation Plan for the student to follow to ensure they stay on track with their graduation date.
It's important to know the specifics of your school's remediation procedures. And remember, in some instances, remediation may not be necessary. For example, there may be opportunities to have your grade changed or participate in an alternative resolution procedure before remediation is even suggested. An attorney-advisor will be able to review your situation and suggest the best course of action to ensure your medical school dreams are still intact.
Dismissal From a Nevada Medical Program
Getting expelled from a Nevada medical school may seem like an impossibility. But the reality is there are several transgressions that could lead a medical school to dismiss you from their program, including performing poorly in your courses to allegedly violating the codes of conduct. Every school will have its own guidelines for adjudicating violations that may involve expulsion.
At Touro University of Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine, medical students can be dismissed for violating academic integrity, failing to progress sufficiently on the timeline the university has outlined for completing the program, or if they have failed an examination more than three times.
If you are facing expulsion, an attorney-advisor will work tirelessly to defend you. An insufficient defense won't only mean expulsion but might also consist of:
- Harm to your reputation: Medical schools are particularly selective in their admissions process. If you are dismissed from your medical school program, other schools may immediately remove you from their applicant pools. If this happens, you might have to re-enroll into a less than stellar medical program. Worst case scenario is this dismissal means the end of your medical career.
- Substantial financial harm: Medical school is an expensive graduate school to attend. Being dismissed before graduation can mean mounting student loans, with no real professional career to help you pay them back.
- Lost academic credit: The credits you've collected at your current medical school may not be appropriate in another program, leading you to lose those credits and start all over again.
- Personal problems: Being expelled from medical school can be traumatic. You've fought hard to get into this program, and all of your dreams of the future are riding on it. Without that inevitable graduation, what are you to do with your life?
Appeals
Every medical school student deserves the right to due process when it comes to disciplinary or dismissal hearings. You may have the right to:
- Hear the allegations against you
- Face the person accusing you
- Be heard by your school's disciplinary body
- Request a grade change
- And appeal an unfavorable ruling by the school's disciplinary body
If you are facing suspension or expulsion, an appeal is your last chance to overturn those sanctions. Your attorney-advisor will review the accusations against you, as well as any relevant evidence and witness testimony, and determine a strategic defense to the student disciplinary body's decision. This defense aims at mitigating any negative consequences suspension or expulsion may cause you.
Additionally, if your appeal is denied, your attorney advisor will help navigate you on which steps you should take next. For instance, they may reach out to the Office of General Counsel at your medical school to see if they can negotiate further on your behalf. Most of the time, these meetings incur positive results and a formal lawsuit is not necessary.
Nevada Medical Student Defense Advisor
Being accepted to any medical school is an incredible achievement, and finding yourself attending medical school in Nevada can help further your career in ways you have yet to think of. But these achievements won't mean much if you are unable to graduate from your medical program.
Attorney Joseph D. Lento has devoted his professional career to assisting students who find themselves overwhelmed by challenges that might arise on their journey to becoming a doctor. He and his team will passionately defend your reputation and ambitions in medicine. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to discuss your case or schedule a time online.
