If you are a student at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Macomb University Center campus and dismissal proceedings have started — or you think they might — you are facing more than just an academic problem. You may have already met with a committee, gotten written notice, or filed an appeal on your own. You may still be waiting to find out what happens next. No matter where you are in the process, your D.O. degree, your ability to practice medicine, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt are all at risk. That debt does not go away if you leave the program.
Getting help early gives you the best chance of staying enrolled.
Contact the LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or contact us online. We will look at where you stand under MSUCOM’s policies, explain your options, and build the strongest case to keep you in the program.
Reasons MSUCOM Students Face Dismissal
MSUCOM uses the same dismissal rules at Macomb University Center as it does at every other campus. The Policy for Retention, Promotion, and Graduation says the Committee on Student Evaluation can recommend dismissal when a student has severe problems with grades, keeps breaking professional conduct rules, does something extremely unprofessional, or fails to meet basic program requirements. A third failed attempt on the COMLEX-USA Level 1 or Level 2-CE exam triggers automatic dismissal without a committee review.
Academic failures are the most common reason. This means failing multiple courses across different semesters, failing so many courses in one term that you cannot move forward, or failing required courses even after trying to fix the grades through remediation. The six-year time limit for finishing the program also creates dismissal risk for students who take leaves of absence, repeat courses, or have trouble passing licensing exams.
Professional misconduct leads to dismissal when it happens more than once or when one incident is serious enough to raise patient safety concerns. Breaking compliance rules — missing immunizations, failing drug tests, skipping required training, or ignoring background check requirements — can also pile up into dismissal grounds when the pattern shows you are not meeting program expectations.
How MSUCOM Reviews and Decides Dismissal Cases
The group that reviews student performance at MSUCOM’s Macomb University Center campus is the Committee on Student Evaluation. COSE meets after each semester ends — usually in September, January, and May — to look at every student’s grades and professional conduct from the prior term.
When COSE decides dismissal should be recommended, the committee votes. A simple majority is required to move forward. That recommendation then goes to the College Dean, who must approve it before it can advance. If the Dean approves, the recommendation moves to the MSU Provost for Academic Affairs for final sign-off. Both the Dean and the Provost must approve before dismissal becomes official.
Students get written notice of the dismissal decision from the Dean’s office within five to ten business days after the Provost approves.
COSE can also hold subcommittee reviews outside of regular meetings when urgent concerns about patient safety or the safety of others come up.
The Appeals Process
A dismissal recommendation is not the end. MSUCOM students can appeal under the Medical Student Rights and Responsibilities policy — but your reasons for appeal are limited. You can only challenge the process, not the academic decision itself. You cannot argue about your grades or bring in new evidence. You can only argue that the school did not follow its own rules correctly.
You must file a written appeal within 14 calendar days of getting the dismissal notice. The appeal goes to the MSUCOM Hearing Committee first. If the Hearing Committee says no, you have another 14 class days to appeal to the University Graduate-Professional Judiciary. The UGPJ is the final internal appeal available to MSUCOM students.
After internal appeals run out, the LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team can work directly with MSUCOM’s Office of General Counsel. The OGC is the school’s legal office. Strong advocacy at this level — done carefully and based on policy — can sometimes get results when committee appeals have failed.
Alternatives to Dismissal
Dismissal is not the only option when a student has serious academic or conduct problems. MSUCOM has several alternatives depending on your situation.
Academic probation means you stay enrolled but under close watch. You have to meet with advisors regularly, follow documented performance rules, and show progress. Probation shows up on your Medical Student Performance Evaluation, which residency programs will see, but you stay in the program.
A leave of absence gives you time away — up to one year — to deal with personal, health, or family problems that are hurting your ability to succeed. Leaves go through the Office of Academic and Career Advising and do not count as discipline.
An academic extension stops your progress until you complete a specific requirement, like passing a licensing exam or finishing a remediation course. The extension itself is not a penalty, but it does count toward the six-year time limit for finishing the program.
Voluntary withdrawal lets you leave the program on your own before dismissal becomes final. It has consequences — you lose your enrollment right away — but you can ask to come back later if things change.
None of these options erase your student loan debt. D.O. students at MSUCOM typically graduate with several hundred thousand dollars in loans. Whether you are dismissed, withdraw, or take a leave, those loans remain due in full. That debt does not disappear just because you cannot finish your degree. That financial reality is one reason fighting to stay in the program matters so much.
How the LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team Can Help
Macomb University Center students face the same MSUCOM dismissal rules as students at East Lansing or Detroit Medical Center. But MUC’s suburban community-based medicine setting creates distinct pressures. Students train within a 20-mile radius of seven hospitals offering over 600 osteopathic residency positions, and clinical performance expectations in this community hospital environment differ from the tertiary care intensity at DMC or the university setting in East Lansing. Problems can show up in ways unique to that setting.
The LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team helps D.O. students facing dismissal at every step — from the first COSE review through final appeals and beyond. We study MSUCOM’s policies, find errors in how your case was handled, and write detailed responses and appeals for each level of review. We also work directly with Offices of General Counsel at medical schools nationwide, which gives us more options when internal appeals run out.
If you are under review or facing dismissal, act now.
Contact the LLF National Law Firm Student Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or contact us online. We are ready to fight for your future as a D.O.