A life in medicine can be a life of honor and prestige. It's not always an easy life, though. You're essentially on call day or night. You're responsible for treating everyone, even patients whose values may not match up with yours. Your every move will be scrutinized, every personal failing criticized. In short, when you put on that lab coat, your life isn't really your own anymore.
It's the job of a medical school to prepare you for that life. That's why schools hold students to the highest standards, not just academically but professionally, ethically, and personally. The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine at Bradenton is no exception. Bradenton is a beautiful Florida city, with a planetarium, an aquarium, and miles of gulf shore beaches. Don't let that fool you. The school's expectations are high. You won't have a lot of time for ogling fish or building sand castles.
Here's the thing, though: No one's perfect, not even doctors. You will make mistakes as a med student. The question is whether or not you let them define you. Often schools understand this. Sometimes they don't. If you feel your school's standards are too high, or if you're being accused of something you simply didn't do, you always have options. You can salvage your reputation and your future. We can help.
Academic Standards at LECOM, Bradenton
Excellence at LECOM, Bradenton, begins with academics. Your instructors want to be sure that you know the human body inside and out and how to treat it when it's sick or injured. As a result, they set rigorous standards and keep a constant eye on whether you're meeting them or not.
Like most medical schools, LECOM, Bradenton has a Student Promotion and Graduation (SPG) committee that meets regularly throughout each semester and, at the end of semesters, reviews every student's progress. You are expected to earn at least a C (70%) in all your courses. Failure in a course typically means you must participate in remediation to catch up. Multiple failures in a semester often means retaking the entire year. Obviously, that can have implications for your financial aid package, since it changes your ultimate graduation date. A consistently poor performance, though, can have more serious consequences, including suspension and dismissal.
The LECOM, Bradenton Student Handbook doesn't explain how you might go about questioning the SPG committee's decisions or sanctions, though it does describe the school's process for appealing grades. This suggests it may not be easy to raise those sorts of questions, and it serves as an important illustration of why you might need a lawyer's help if you decide to.
Maintaining Professional Standards
If anything, LECOM, Bradenton's professional and ethical standards are more rigid than its academic standards. Of course, you're expected to adhere to the American Osteopathic Association (OAO) Code of Ethics, which includes important strictures about maintaining patient confidentiality and respecting the law. To this, though, LECOM adds language about serving as a positive representative of the school and the medical profession in general, whether you're on campus or off.
Here again, LECOM, Bradenton makes no mention either of who is responsible for identifying and punishing ethical and professional lapses or how you might go about objecting if you should find yourself accused. That's troubling. Academic failings may be cut and dried, but professional failings are often a matter of subjective interpretation. Once again, though, the very lack of guidance suggests just how important an attorney can be if you find yourself in trouble.
How Can an Attorney Help You?
You may not think at this stage in your career that you're ever likely to need an attorney. After all, you're bright and capable. You're dedicated to the medical profession, and you've demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice for the good of others. You don't have to have committed a heinous crime, though, to make good use of an attorney. Often, they can help in ways you might not realize.
- Evaluating remediation plans: Remediation plans serve an important function in medical school. They're a safety net when you fall behind, and they have saved many a future doctor's career. However, remediation can be costly, both in terms of time and money. It can even jeopardize your financial aid. In some cases, you may have better options. It might, for instance, be easier to simply appeal your original grade in a course. Your school may not tell you about all these options. An attorney who understands how med schools operate will. It's always a good idea, then, to let your attorney look over a remediation plan before you sign it.
- Cleaning up your transcript: If you should find yourself in trouble, academically or otherwise, you don't want it to show up on your transcript. Remediation plans, to say nothing of sanctions like probation or suspension, have a way of popping up down the road at the most awkward times. They could keep you from getting a fellowship, or cause you trouble when it'sits time to get your license. A skilled attorney can help you keep negative comments out of your record and may even be able to get those already there removed.
- Avoiding dismissal: Of course, no sanction is as serious as dismissal. It isn't just about being asked to leave the program. You'll find it hard to find another school willing to take you if you have a dismissal already on your record. Even if you do manage to find another place in another program, you'll have to start at the beginning and your original dismissal will likely remain in your record. It's always in your best interest, then, to fight any dismissal. An attorney can help you plan your defense strategy and help you prepare your case.
How Can Joseph D. Lento Help?
An attorney can be an invaluable resource during med school, but you don't want just any attorney. You want someone who is familiar with medical school curricula and procedures. You want someone who knows the law as it applies to graduate schools. You want someone who can actually talk to faculty and administrators.
Joseph D. Lento is a fully-licensed, fully-qualified defense attorney who specializes in defending students in campus judicial cases. Over the years, Joseph D. Lento has represented hundreds of medical students in matters both large and small. He knows the law, and he's a passionate defender of student rights.
If you're facing a sanction from your medical school, trust your case to someone who knows medical schools. Contact the Lento Law Firm today, at 888-555-3686, or888-555-3686 or use our automated online form.
