The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport (LSUHS) is a public health science center established in 1931 in Shreveport, Louisiana. LSUHS is part of the Louisiana State University System, comprised of the School of Medicine, Graduate Studies, and Allied Health Professions. The School of Medicine offers medical students the Doctor of Medicine degree, with 18 residency programs and 15 fellowships at its affiliated Ochsner-LSU Health Hospital. The medical school emphasizes serving the local underserved community and commits to diversity and community engagement. Graduating from LSU Health will help bolster your career in medicine and open many doors to enhance your network and experience. However, you must maintain excellent behavior, act professionally, and keep up academically to remain enrolled. Failure to do so leads to negative consequences – the most impactful being dismissal or expulsion.
As a medical student, you have a lot to juggle and multiple responsibilities in medical school and your personal life. With so much emphasis on success, the stress and keeping up with your peers may be too much to handle. As a result, you may slip and make a mistake that becomes costlier than what you expected. You may also be a victim of a false report or experienced a genuine lapse in judgment, not intending to cause harm or commit a violation. Regardless of the reason, you deserve due process, a fair hearing, and strong representation from the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team to bolster your chances of success. Not taking action in time or tackling the issue alone leads to many issues and reduces the likelihood of success.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
Dismissal is a major decision that committee panels in medical schools take seriously, as it disrupts your career path and future. Since medical schools want to maintain good reputations to attract more talented students, they must level the playing field and take decisive action against infarctions. Some of the most common reasons for dismissal are lack of academic progress, acting unprofessionally, committing ethical breaches, and academic misconduct. Medical schools may sometimes recommend dismissal from the first offense if it is severe enough. Dismissal can upend your future, cause issues when you want to enroll in a medical school, damage your reputation, and decrease the likelihood of re-enrollment. If you already spent time and money and are nearing the end of the program, a dismissal puts you back in square one. With so much on the line, you must act immediately once you receive word of a potential hearing and call the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm for help.
Adjudication Process at LSU Health
LSU Health imposes strict measures if students commit violations and has multiple policies on conduct, professionalism, and academic progress. According to its policy, any member of the LSU Health community who believes that a student committed a violation must report the incident directly to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (ADSA) or submit a Medical Student Professionalism Complaint Reporting Form. Once received, the ADSA requests a meeting with the student to discuss and remediate the matter. If the incident happens again, the ADSA refers the student to the Professionalism Committee for a hearing. The committee is extensive, with 12 members, a Chair, and a Vice-Chair attending. Once the Professionalism Committee receives the complaint, its Chair or Vice Chair schedules the meeting at least seven days before.
Both sides may submit presentations and evidence to support their claims during the hearing. LSU Health allows you to have an advisor, but to attend the hearing in person, they can only be from within the medical school. Once the panel members hear the statements from both parties, they deliberate and recommend a sanction. The committee or Vice-Chair informs the student in writing of their decision. Even if the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm may not participate directly in the proceedings, they can still assist behind the scenes. With their knowledge and guidance, you will have more confidence to face the panel and a shoulder to rely on when things get tough.
Appeals Process
Fortunately, you may appeal the committee's sanction recommendation. To do so, you must send the appeal request to the Dean of the School of Medicine within ten days of receiving the decision. To receive consideration, you must include new or supporting information unavailable during the hearing. The Dean reviews the matter and what happened during the hearing and makes a final decision, informing all parties concerned. Although an appeal is not a guarantee that the Dean may change the sanction, it may change or decrease the impact of the outcome. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you write a professional and compelling appeal letter to increase the likelihood of a better outcome for your case.
Hiring an Attorney
As a medical school student, you should be focusing on your training and gaining valuable experience to help you in your future career. You shouldn't stress about staying in your program or have to change your career because of potential dismissal. When you need the guidance and experience of a team that is passionate about your success, the Lento Law Firm is there when you need them the most. The Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm has years of experience working with medical students nationwide who face dismissal from their programs. Using their knowledge of hearing procedures, the team can help identify issues in the adjudication process and help you draft an appeal letter. When you work with the Lento Law Firm Team, you can rest easier knowing they are looking out for your best interests and are by your side regardless of the violation.
If you are facing dismissal at LSU Health, calling the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can increase the chances of a favorable outcome. The team is ready to help you fight for your right to defend yourself and your future career from damaging allegations. Call the Lento Law Firm Team today at 888-535-3686 for more information about your case and how to approach it.
