You knew what you were getting into when you signed up for med school: rigorous coursework, tough instructors and supervisors, demanding hours. But you're smart, hard-working, and capable, and you knew you could handle whatever the Washington University School of Medicine might throw at you.
What you didn't count on is the way life sometimes decides to intervene when we're trying to reach our goals. You didn't count on meeting the love of your life, getting married, and having a baby. You didn't count on your car blowing up on the interstate. You didn't count on a sudden death in your family. When life intervenes, it's not always easy to keep your focus on your studies, and you can wind up falling behind or making mistakes.
Mistakes don't have to define you, though. They can be bumps in the road that you simply move past. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help with that process. Our attorneys are committed to your future and to making sure that life doesn't get in the way of you finding success. If you're facing dismissal, there's too much at stake to try to handle it yourself. You need someone who knows the WU School of Medicine system. You need someone who understands your rights. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
It can be difficult to navigate the Washington University School of Medicine system, even when it comes to basic issues like following the rules. For instance, you are subject to university regulations, but the medical school has expectations of your academic performance and personal behavior that go beyond what the university demands.
- Washington University: Just like any other university student—undergraduates and graduate students—you're expected to abide by three important policies. First, you must follow all rules regarding academic integrity. In addition, you must adhere to the general Student Conduct Code. And finally, you must follow federal Title IX guidelines concerning sexual misconduct.
- Medical School Policies: Beyond what the university expects of you, the medical school sets even higher standards. First, you must meet all educational criteria. You're evaluated at the end of each term by one of two committees: the Competency Attainment Committee (ACA) or the Clerkship Competency Committee (CCC). Ultimately, these committees make recommendations as to your academic progress to the Committee for Academic Promotions (CAP), which decides whether or not to act on those recommendations. Most students who fall behind are asked to complete a Remediation plan to address any deficiencies. However, these committees also have the power to recommend sanctions up to and including dismissal.
In addition, WU School of Medicine students are expected to conduct themselves professionally. That means accepting feedback, showing up on time to clinic hours and meetings, and resolving any conflicts with colleagues or other team members. Here again, allegations usually wind up in the hands of the CAP.
Fighting Dismissal
You don't have to accept a dismissal decision. Indeed, it's almost always better to fight. How you fight, though, will depend on the specific nature of the charges against you, and again, the system can be complex and difficult to navigate.
- Code of Conduct violations, including academic misconduct reports, are handled by the university's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSSCS).
- Title IX sexual misconduct cases are under the purview of the university's designated Title IX Coordinator.
- Allegations of professional misconduct are dealt with by the School of Medicine's CAP.
In all misconduct cases, you should have the right to defend yourself at a full hearing. You may offer arguments for your innocence, submit evidence, and call witnesses to testify. In addition, you may ask questions of any witnesses against you. All cases are decided using the legal standard “preponderance of the evidence,” which requires decision-makers to find you Responsible (guilty) if they believe you “more likely than not” committed the offense. Crucially, Washington University and the School of Medicine allow you to choose an advisor, someone to accompany you to investigative meetings and hearings, and this advisor can be an attorney. This means someone from the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can be beside you from the beginning of your case until you've exhausted your last appeal.
Dismissals for academic causes are handled somewhat differently from misconduct cases. Because dismissal is usually based on objective facts related to your progress, students aren't ordinarily given a chance to defend themselves. Instead, the CAC, CCC, and CAP make their decisions in closed-door sessions. However, you always have the right to appeal individual grades. In addition, you can appeal directly to the School of Medicine dean if your deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances or if you feel you have been mistreated in any way.
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 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 Team.
The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team was built to help students. The firm's attorneys know 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 Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can do for you. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
