If you've been at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine for more than a minute, you know: dental school is tough. The thing is, “dentist” isn't just any profession. It's a position in the public trust. If a program is going to train you properly, it can't just hold you to high academic expectations. Sure, those are important, but the faculty and administration must also demand you abide by the most stringent ethics and that your personal life be above reproach.
Of course, there are “high” standards,” and there are “unreasonable” standards. None of us is perfect, not even dentists, and you're not quite a dentist just yet. You're still a student, and to some extent, it's your job to make mistakes.
For the most part, you'll find that your instructors understand that. Good teachers regard mistakes as teachable moments rather than excuses to drop students from the program. What do you do when you run into the other sort of instructors, though? How do you deal with the threat of dismissal?
You contact the LLF Law Firm. The attorneys at the LLF Law Firm believe in the rights of students—the right to an education; the right to be treated fairly; the right to make mistakes. They've spent their careers helping students just like you battle their schools and get their careers back on track. If you're struggling, if someone's mentioned dismissal to you, don't give up. Instead, find out what the LLF Law Firm can do to help.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
Dismissal from the UPenn dental program usually happens for one of two reasons. Either you're not meeting the academic standards, or you've been accused of committing some form of misconduct.
- Academic Standards: Obviously, your first job as a dental student is to learn the theoretical principles of dental medicine and how to apply those principles in practice. That means excelling in coursework and all clinical rotations. You should expect the school to evaluate your progress at the end of every semester. Any time you're not meeting standards, you can be required to complete a remediation program. Should you continue to struggle, the school can also place you on probation, suspend you, or, ultimately, dismiss you from the program.
- Misconduct: The UPenn program will almost always work with you to help you remediate academic deficiencies. When it comes to misconduct, however, you'll find faculty and administrators have very little tolerance for mistakes. The program takes for granted that you're going to abide by the university's Code of Academic Integrity and Code of Student Conduct. You'll also be trained to follow the School of Dental Medicine's guidelines for professionalism. These cover everything from how you interact with patients and colleagues, to how you make ethical decisions, to how you dress.
What you may not have expected when you started the program is that your personal life can also get you into trouble. The school views criminal conduct, for instance, as a demonstration that you're unfit for the profession. Even minor convictions for things like DUI or domestic violence can get you dismissed.
The Adjudication Process at the UPenn School of Dental Medicine
The dental program at UPenn doesn't publish information about its own judicial procedures. Here's what you can expect, though, if you're trying to fight dismissal.
- Academic and Disciplinary Misconduct: The university's Office of Student Conduct handles all allegations of academic and disciplinary misconduct. The process involves an investigation followed by a hearing before a Disciplinary Hearing Panel. You are allowed an advisor during this process, but unless your hearing involves criminal charges, this advisor may not be an attorney.
- Sexual Misconduct: Most sexual misconduct is dealt with using guidelines set forth in Title IX, a federal law barring sexual discrimination and harassment on college campuses. While the process resembles that in academic and disciplinary misconduct cases, you are generally afforded more due process rights under Title IX. One of the most important of these is the right to choose an attorney as your advisor.
- Professional Misconduct: Any academic, disciplinary, or sexual misconduct will likely result in additional allegations of professional misconduct. Again, the School of Dental Medicine regards such allegations as evidence of unprofessionalism. In addition to defending yourself at a university hearing, you'll almost certainly have to defend yourself at a school hearing as well. In addition, the dental program can charge you with violations of ethics and professionalism not covered under university policies. Ultimately, though, you have the right to defend yourself by submitting evidence, calling witnesses to testify, and questioning any witnesses against you.
Some judicial processes at the University of Pennsylvania afford you the right to an attorney; others do not. However, an attorney from the LLF Law Firm is essential to your defense in any case. Even if they cannot accompany you to investigative meetings and hearings, they can help you develop your defense, work with you to gather evidence, draft documents on your behalf, and coach you in your presentations.
Fighting for Your Future
Make no mistake: if you're facing dismissal, everything is on the line. You've worked for many years to get to this point. You earned an undergraduate degree; you spent hours studying for the Dental Admissions Test; you filled out applications, convinced referees to write on your behalf, and sat through difficult interviews. You've also put in the work since you were admitted to dental school: long hours of studying and even longer hours of clinical work. Expulsion means all of that work comes to nothing. It means trying to find an entirely new career. It means having to pay back any student loans you've accumulated without a dental degree to help you do it.
You don't want to go into this situation alone. Not only is everything at stake, but if your school is considering dismissal, it's already actively working against you. You need someone who's on your side, who has your best interests at heart, and who is willing to fight for those interests. You want an attorney from the LLF Law Firm.
The LLF Law Firm was built to help students. The LLF Law Firm Student Defense Team knows the law as it applies to education. They also know how campus judicial systems work. They're 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 LLF Law Firm can do for you. Contact the firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
