For those seeking an advanced degree, much of the time spent in graduate school is geared toward research. Medical students, in particular, will journey through years of hands-on learning and often conduct research by gathering information from participants and patients. Medical schools have guidelines laying out the rules associated with obtaining informed consent for student studies, including a litany of paperwork. But if you're looking to be edgy and color outside the lines of the medical school playbook by pursuing daunting test results, you may quickly find yourself in a heap of trouble with your future career on the line.

Medical School Research Protocols Include Obtaining Informed Consent

Those already enrolled in one of the nation's hundreds of medical colleges and universities may know the four principles of informed consent. Nevertheless, for hopefuls, they are the following tenets of medical practice ethics in health care and research.

• Patients must have a decision-making capacity
• Providers must disclose all procedural information, including expected risks and benefits and their probabilities
• Patients must comprehend the relevant information
• Patients must voluntarily grant consent

Simple tests or services likely won't require written consent, only verbal. But more invasive procedures demand official documentation, like counseling services conducted through the University of South Alabama. Every institution of higher education will have them to uphold the integrity of its medical program. Even though current medical students may be aware of the aforementioned principles, they may not understand the seriousness with which their institutions take violations.

Can You Risk Breaching Informed Consent?

Although research is experimentation, you can only go as far as you disclose to your patients and participants. Those seeking to be medical school mavericks can and will be caught, meaning your professional future could be over before it starts.

At Brown University, minor consent violations can lead to the termination of the study, setting students back semesters and even years. Major breaches commonly lead to expulsion from the school. This even includes unanticipated consequences of the tests and procedures, so ignorance isn't a defense. The school grievance process will also occur while you're engaged in essential study work, thus placing the timeframe of graduation in flux.

What Happens If You Violate Research Protocols?

Allegations of research misconduct alone can jeopardize a student's professional medical future. Documented investigations, even unfairly levied ones, can erode the chance for residency placement at a top-tier hospital.

The most important thing to remember about conducting research as a medical student is that you have the opportunity to defend yourself against school and department allegations at all times. The Lento Law Firm has attorney advisors on hand to assist in Education Law matters, including when graduate students are defending themselves against serious allegations. Contact the Lento Law Firm online or call 888-535-3686 to get assistance with confronting your institution's disciplinary process. Ensure your due process rights are protected by a trustworthy team with your academic future in their best interests.