With every new level of education you move up to, you face new challenges. College was exponentially harder than high school. Med school is exponentially harder than college. That's as it should be. At some point in the future, you're literally going to hold the lives of your patients in your hands. You need to know what you're doing, and you need to have demonstrated that you take your position and your responsibilities seriously.
That's a lot of expectations to live up to, though, and we all make mistakes, even med students. For the most part, Hofstra understands that. They'll do what they can to help you make it through. They'll make sure you have the right resources, and they'll help you overcome mistakes when they can. Ultimately, though, you can be dismissed from your program.
If someone has mentioned the possibility of dismissal to you, you may need more help than a friendly instructor or an administrator can offer. There are cases where you have to fight for your future. That's where we come in. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know the law as it applies to education. In addition, we know how the Hofstra University Zucker School of Medicine (ZSOM) operates. We'll make sure that ZSOM respects your rights and that you have every possible chance to finish your education and go on to a successful career in medicine. And we're only a phone call away at 888-535-3686.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
There are a number of reasons why ZSOM might decide to dismiss you, from low GPA, to cheating on an exam, to harassing a colleague. For the most part, though, all of these reasons can be grouped into two basic categories.
- Academic Deficiencies: You know how in college there were some subjects that you didn't have to worry as much about as others? Biochem was crucial; Astronomy wasn't. Those days are over. There are no unimportant subjects in medical school. You must pass all your coursework in order to graduate and you must pass the USML. ZSOM will give you plenty of chances to do these things. Fail a class, and you won't automatically be dismissed. Instead, you'll likely be assigned a remediation program. If you can't pass that remediation program, though, or you fail too many classes, you can eventually find yourself dismissed.
- Misconduct: You expected classes and clinical training to be difficult in med school. You might not have expected to be held to such high standards of personal conduct. You're supposed to abide by Hofstra's Community Standards, the same as you were as an undergraduate. You're also subject to federal Title IX guidelines regarding sexual misconduct. As a medical student at ZSOM, you have further responsibilities. The med school has its own academic honesty policy, for instance, and you're expected to learn and abide by the ethical and professional codes of the medical field. And it's crucial you recognize: While ZSOM is generally forgiving of academic failings, a single instance of misconduct can be grounds for dismissal if it's serious enough.
At this point in your academic career, it's not always easy to separate academics and misconduct. Professionalism and ethics are requirements for doctors, and they're taught as part of the curriculum. What this means is that it can sometimes be difficult to know which particular judicial body you may be subject to when you're facing dismissal. Hofstra has its own procedures for Community Standard violations. If you've been accused of Title IX sexual harassment, you'll face a government-mandated investigation. And ZSOM has its own committee for handling issues of professionalism. Ultimately, however, your future lies in the hands of the Student Advancement Committee (SAC). This committee has the authority to assign remediation and sanctions up to and including dismissal.
Fighting Dismissal
A university investigation and hearing aren't the same as a criminal investigation and trial. That said, your school can't simply dismiss you. You have some important due process rights that allow you to defend yourself. ZSOM is especially anxious that no student be dismissed unfairly. As a result, there's a clear process in place for responding to allegations.
- Before the SAC considers any adverse action against you, it must provide you with notice of that action and allow you to examine evidence in the case.
- You have the right to provide the SAC with a written statement giving your side of the situation.
- Additionally, you have the right to attend the SAC meeting, make statements, and to respond to committee members' questions.
- Finally, you have the right to appeal the SAC's decisions to the Dean. In such cases, the Dean investigates the circumstances and also has the power to convene an appeals committee to hold a formal hearing into the matter. At this hearing, you have the further right to present evidence and call witnesses.
One of your most important rights throughout this process is the right to an advisor, someone to help you prepare your case. At the SAC level, this advisor must be a faculty member. If you should lose at this level, however, you have the right to an advisor of your choice at the appeals level. In other words, this advisor can be an attorney.
The problem with this system is that you need someone from the Lento Law Firm on your side from the very beginning of your case. You can't wait to have professional help developing your defense until you've reached the final stages of your case.
Luckily, while a Lento Law Firm attorney can't accompany you to SAC hearings, they can work with you to prepare you for that hearing. From the moment you're charged, they can help you to come up with a strategy, collect evidence, draft documents, and develop your presentation. Most important of all, though, you need a Lento Law Firm attorney to monitor your case and make sure that you're treated fairly from start to finish.
Fighting for Your Future
If you're facing dismissal, there's no getting around it: 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.
The Lento Law Firm was built to help students. Our Student Defense Team is 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 can do for you. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
