If you've been at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine for more than a minute, you know just how tough it is. This isn't just medical school. This is the Pritzker School of Medicine. Coursework is demanding. Instructors are strict. And succeeding here isn't just about mastering the principles of anatomy or the art of diagnosis. Your ethics, your professionalism, and even your personal life are all fair game for evaluation.
Plenty of students don't make it through. How do you make sure you avoid dismissal and move forward to the next stage of your career?
- First, you have to know exactly what's expected of you. What is it your school holds you responsible for, and how do you avoid making mistakes?
- The truth is, though, that we all make mistakes, even medical students at top-tier medical schools. So, you also need to know what to do when you've made one—or been accused of making one—and how to defend yourself and get back on track.
- Finally, you need to know how to get help. You're not dealing with a parking ticket. If your school is trying to dismiss you, your entire future is on the line.
The Lento Law Firm was founded to help students get fair treatment from their schools, deal with mistakes, and earn their degrees. We know the law, but more importantly, we know how your school works. We'll protect your rights and work hard to get you the very best possible resolution to your case. To find out more about what we can do for you, call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
If you're facing dismissal from the Pritzker School of Medicine, it's almost certainly for one of two reasons.
- Academic Deficiencies: When you graduate from medical school, you have to know everything. Everything. There are no unimportant classes, no less important subjects. The good news is, should you fail a course or part of a course, you won't automatically face dismissal. Instead, you'll likely be assigned a remediation plan to help you catch up. However, as the Pritzker Academic Guidelines make clear, continued failure can certainly lead to dismissal.
Each individual instructor has the authority to evaluate your coursework. In addition, your progress is monitored each year by an Academic Progress Committee specific to that year. These committees closely examine all of your work. Ultimately, though, these committees make recommendations to the school's Committee on Academic Promotions. That committee decides whether or not a student should move forward in the program and has the power to issue sanctions up to and including dismissal.
- Professional Misconduct: As the Academic Guidelines further make clear, your responsibilities don't end at earning good grades:
“Failure to demonstrate appropriate ethical or professional behavior may in itself be a cause for dismissal from the Pritzker School of Medicine despite passing academic performance.”
Poor communication with other staff members, drug usage, breaches of patient confidentiality, and being consistently late—any one of these violations can be grounds for dismissal.
Anyone may submit a Professional Feedback Form (PFF) about you to the Associate Dean for Medical School Academic Advising and Advancement. That official then passes this report on to the CAP, which decides what action is warranted.
The medical school generally takes for granted that you will also abide by the general University of Chicago policies, like the Academic Honesty policy and its Student Conduct policy, and that you will adhere to federal Title IX regulations regarding sexual discrimination and harassment. Various university boards handle specific allegations regarding such policy violations, and these boards also have the authority to dismiss students for serious misconduct. In addition, though, you can expect the CAP to consider such violations as part of its deliberations as well.
Fighting Dismissal
You do have the right to challenge CAP dismissal decisions, and you absolutely should. Remember: everything is at stake. The process is rigid, however, and doesn't offer you many due process rights.
- The CAP makes all decisions relating to progress and dismissal, whether they're related to academic deficiencies or misconduct.
- Students are not permitted to address the CAP directly. Decisions are solely the responsibility of the committee's members.
- If the CAP plans to make a decision regarding dismissal, the Dean will apprise you of this situation. You can submit a written statement for consideration by the committee. However, you are not allowed to address the committee yourself during this phase of the process.
- If the CAP decides to dismiss you, you have the right to appeal this decision to a committee made up of faculty and administrators from the School of Medicine.
- As part of the appeal, you may request to appear before the committee, but the final decision as to whether you may do so is in the hands of the committee itself.
If you should reach the appeal stage, and if the CAP should allow you to appear before it, you are allowed to bring an advisor with you, and this advisor can be an attorney. That means someone from the Lento Law Firm can accompany you. While they may not speak on your behalf, they may offer advice throughout the proceedings.
Appearing at a hearing, though, is just one small part of what a Lento Law Firm attorney can do for you. They can help you develop your defense strategy, work with you to gather and organize evidence, draft documents on your behalf, and even coach you on how to present your case.
Most importantly, though, the firm's Student Defense Team can make sure you're treated fairly and afforded all the rights you deserve. With as few due process protections as the Pritzker School of Medicine provides, you need someone in your corner looking out for your interests during all stages of the process.
Fighting for Your Future
We've said it already, but it bears repeating: in dismissal cases, 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. If Pritzker dismisses you, all of that will have been for nothing.
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 need an attorney from the Lento Law Firm.
Our Student Defense Team is highly experienced with all aspects of investigation, adjudication, and appeals processes and has 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.
