“Physician” is among the most prestigious careers in our society. Medical schools don’t just give MD degrees away. You face significant challenges in the classroom and in your clerkships. Subjects can be tough; instructors are almost always demanding.
Academic success is only a small part of the equation, though. Issues of professionalism can be every bit as important. In fact, if you fail a course or two, you’re most likely going to wind up in a remediation program. Violate some professional standard, though, and it could mean dismissal from the program.
In other words, you cannot afford to take any allegation lightly. Below, we’ll talk about just what constitutes “unprofessional behavior” and how to defend yourself if you’ve been charged. Before we get into any of that, though, it’s important you know that you don’t have to face a charge alone. The LLF National Law Firm is always on your side. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights, and we’re dedicated to getting you the best possible resolution to your case.
It is important you act quickly, though. You can be certain that the university is already preparing its case against you. You need to be preparing your defense. Call 888-535-3686 to find out what we can do for you, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
What Does Professionalism Mean?
Professionalism can be an amorphous concept, especially at Caribbean medical schools, which don’t have to follow the same rules and regulations as schools in the States. In fact, IAUCOM doesn’t publish a concrete list of “professional behaviors” online. There are some general areas, though, for which you can expect to be held responsible.
- Honesty
- Conscientiousness and reliability
- Compliance with all regulations (including those associated with parking, classroom behavior, and library etiquette)
- Compliance with the law
- Drug use
- Professional dress
- Disorderly conduct
- Property destruction
When the rules are vague, you have to be constantly on the lookout for unfair allegations. What exactly defines professional dress, for example? Who gets to decide if you’ve misbehaved in the library? The bottom line is that anyone who decides they don’t like you can probably come up with some standard of professionalism you’ve violated. But the situation doesn’t have to be that extreme. Vague regulations can be misinterpreted. You could find yourself charged over nothing more than a simple misunderstanding.
The stakes are the same: one offense could mean dismissal. Don’t risk it. Make sure the LLF National Law Firm is on your side the moment you run into trouble. We can hold IAUCOM accountable for following its own rules, and if the charges aren’t clear, we can show you how to use that to your advantage.
How Do You Defend Yourself?
Again, IAUCOM can be a bit hazy about its disciplinary procedures. Typically, the Promotions Committee has ultimate authority over your progress in the program, and it should be involved in some way any time your professionalism is called into question.
In addition, there are some minimum rights and standards you should expect and demand.
- You should be treated as “not responsible” until such time as you are proven “responsible” through a “preponderance of evidence.” Put simply, you should be innocent until proven guilty.
- The college should provide you with notice of the charges you’re facing. You have the right to know you’re under investigation. Notice should explain the nature of the allegations and include a complete list of all your due process rights.
- Because you are innocent at this point, any investigation should take an objective stance. That is, investigators should be looking for evidence that exonerates you at the same time they’re looking for evidence of your guilt. In addition, you should be allowed to review any evidence investigators uncover.
- Following the investigation, you should also have a formal opportunity to defend yourself at some type of hearing. You should be allowed to introduce physical evidence and witness testimony. You should also have the chance to raise questions about any evidence being used against you.
- According to the “preponderance of the evidence” standard, you are innocent unless the evidence suggests it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense.
- You should also have the right to appeal the hearing outcome if you have sufficient “grounds.” This might be a procedural error the university committed, a new piece of evidence you’ve uncovered, or an argument about the severity of your sanction.
- Along those lines, even if you are found responsible for an offense, you deserve a sanction that is fair and in keeping with the nature of your offense.
If you’re like most med students, you have strong feelings about your school. IAUCOM doesn’t just educate you. It’s your home. If you’ve been accused of violating professional or ethical standards, though, it’s your adversary. School officials may tell you they’re only looking for the truth or even that they’re on your side. Don’t believe them.
Medical schools have a lot of stakeholders to please: other students, faculty, administrators, and accrediting agencies. They’re trying to impress US schools, so they can partner up with them to offer clerkships. They’re terrified of bad press. If finding you responsible for some kind of misconduct will help them, please any of these stakeholders, you can be certain they’ll do everything they can to make sure you’re found responsible.
Trust your case to the LLF National Law Firm. As our client, your success is our only concern. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and you can be certain that we’ll put every resource at our disposal to work for you.
How Can We Help?
The LLF National Law Firm knows what’s at stake in a way other firms just don’t. The attorneys who make up our Student Defense Team have dedicated their lives to ensuring schools treat students fairly, and they care about your future. No one else has the knowledge of campus justice we do. No one else can show you how to use the system to your advantage.
If you’re being forced to fight for your educational future, don’t try to handle the situation yourself, and don’t trust your case to a local attorney. Find out more about what the LLF National Law Firm can do by calling 888-535-3686, or take time right now to fill out our online questionnaire.