The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine is one of the largest medical schools in the United States, with multiple campuses nationwide. Established in 2001, the school opened a campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to address the community's needs and increase its overall reach. Labeled the “Carolinas Campus,” VCOM Carolinas is a member of the seven colleges and universities that comprise the city's College Town Consortium. In general, VCOM is one of the top 125 medical schools in the country for research and primary care.
If you're a member of this prestigious medical school, remaining enrolled is necessary to graduate and become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. You will work hard and spend countless hours becoming an Osteopathic doctor. Maintaining stellar ethical behavior and keeping up with your peers is essential. However, multiple obstacles may arise, and you're probably no stranger to them. Professional misconduct or failure to progress in your studies causes various issues, such as temporary or permanent dismissal. One egregious mistake or lack of progress can lead to significant problems that aren't easy to overcome without the help of an attorney-advisor specializing in student defense.
Professionalism and Ethical Conduct at VCOM Carolinas
The Honor Code at VCOM applies to students on all campuses part of the complex. The code mentions the importance of ethical conduct and professionalism, maintaining that students are responsible for demonstrating behavior befitting their future professions. VCOM Carolinas indicates that every student is worthy of trust, which is one of the school's fundamental values. However, students also must consider the rights of others, and committing professional and ethical violations goes against the school's standards.
Maintaining professional standards is one of the core characteristics of an osteopathic doctor's personality, especially given how much responsibility you have towards the public. VCOM established an Honor Code Council to address compliance issues relating to professional and ethical violations. The code contains information on what constitutes a violation, steps to address the case, and how to report an infarction. Understandably, VCOM wants to maintain a fair playing ground for all its students. However, problems arise when the student faces unsubstantiated accusations or if they commit a genuine mistake without knowing the consequences of their actions.
Remediation
Even if you are the most professional and ethical osteopathic doctor at VCOM Carolinas, you must also have the knowledge and capacity to complete your studies. It's not just an issue of having a basic understanding of your responsibilities; you must have a firm grasp of the material to work safely with patients upon graduation. If you are starting to falter, the school does offer remediation. However, remediation isn't going to keep you enrolled if you can't keep up with your peers.
Although some students may not want to get into the hassle of remediation, sometimes, it's their only hope to stay enrolled. Keep in mind that some medical schools may ask students to take remediation courses despite not needing them. If in doubt, you can speak to an attorney-advisor to help you determine the best course of action.
The Consequences of Dismissal
A dismissal from medical school has heavy consequences that haunt a medical student beyond the hearing process. Although in other majors, you can leave one university and start somewhere else, it's not that easy when you're a medical student. Medical students cannot simply start over; in many cases, they may need to pursue another degree altogether. Some of the reasons why include:
- Loss of time and effort: Even if you spent multiple semesters studying, you'd lose all of this if you receive a permanent discharge and can't pick up where you left off.
- Reputation damage: As a future doctor, your reputation is as valuable as gold. Suppose you receive a permanent discharge for less-than-stellar grades or a professionalism/behavioral issue. In that case, it is difficult to find another osteopathic medical school that will overlook the matter.
- Inability to find another medical school: It's no secret that getting into an osteopathic medical school is challenging. Admissions Officers seek the best and most promising students to attend their campus. With a dismissal on your transcript, you will not have the best chance of finding placement in another school.
- Financial repercussions: Medical school is expensive – especially one with a robust reputation. Between tuition, housing, and personal expenses, expulsion sets you back thousands of dollars. It can leave you in deeper debt than when you started.
Due to these life-altering consequences, osteopathic medicine students should do everything possible to deflect allegations and minimize their impact before it's too late. One way to do this is to contact an attorney-advisor specializing in these matters.
Steps to Take After an Accusation
Although it's not advisable to tackle the issue alone, you can take a few steps to minimize the impact of the allegation before facing a panel. These include refraining from discussing the matter with others, avoiding social media use, staying calm, and not succumbing to the pressure. The most crucial step is to contact an attorney-advisor as soon as you receive notice of an accusation for the best possible outcome.
Hiring an Attorney-Advisor
When you first started medical school, it was a time to celebrate. As time progresses, you begin to feel the pressure and challenges that set many students back. Although this is an integral part of your training that allows you to handle the real-life stress of becoming a doctor, it can be too much for some to take. This part is when mistakes are most likely to occur, and they cause irreparable damage to your future career if you're not careful.
Attorney-Advisor Joseph D. Lento understands what you're going through when facing an allegation of professional misconduct and performance issues. With years of experience helping hundreds of students nationwide seek justice, attorney-advisor Lento enables you to fight back.
Don't let your hard work and time go to waste. Call the Lento Law Firm today for a no-nonsense, thorough consultation at 888-535-3686.
