The University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. As part of the UNC Health Care System, they are committed to improving the health and well-being of their community by providing outstanding patient care, education, and research opportunities. To ensure they are maintaining this commitment, UNC School of Medicine expects their students to meet certain academic and professional standards. If a student fails to meet these standards, they will be referred for either academic or disciplinary action, which could result in dismissal.
Obviously, this creates a high level of anxiety and stress for medical students, on top of the already stressful environment that is learning to act in life-and-death situations. When students experience this kind of stress, it can impact their ability to perform well on academic assignments or cause them to erupt in inappropriate settings.
Academic attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team know how much stress medical students are under. If you are accused of violating an academic or professional standard, they can help protect your future. Call 888-535-3686 today.
Common Reasons for Dismissal
Getting into medical school is difficult. You have to do well in undergrad, score highly on the MCATs, and then compete with thousands of other students vying for few spots. At UNC School of Medicine, they receive over 6,000 applications each year but accept less than 3% of them. Then, once students are admitted, the pressure gets heavier. Being sanctioned at any point after you receive your acceptance letter can seriously affect your career.
For instance, if you are referred for disciplinary action and found responsible, the hearing committee will impose sanctions on you. Sometimes, the behavior is so egregious that suspension or dismissal sanctions are warranted. Those punishments are listed on your transcripts. If you try to apply to a new medical school to continue your education or to a residency program or fellowship after graduation, you will have to explain the punishments to the new admissions committee. Unfortunately, their mere existence on your transcripts can negatively affect your ability to gain admission to the new program.
The most common reason for a student to be dismissed from their medical school program is academic misconduct or an inability to maintain satisfactory grades. Other common reasons include professional issues, like abusing classmates or nurses during clinical classes or practicing medicine without permission or supervision. Often, these types of accusations are made without real evidence of their existence. Working with an attorney-advisor is the best way to ensure you are not being adjudicated for issues that never actually occurred.
Adjudication Process at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine
While UNC School of Medicine has several published policies on its website, its disciplinary process is not one of them. However, almost all medical school disciplinary processes follow the same formula. Once a student is suspected of violating the code of conduct, the issue will be referred to a particular department. At UNC School of Medicine, most academic and professional issues are referred to the Office of Academic Excellence (OAE).
Once the OAE receives the referral, they will likely launch an informal investigation into the complaint and interview the complainant. If they decide sanctions are warranted for the behavior, they will notify the accused student. The accused student will probably have a chance to defend themselves against the accusations in a formal hearing if they do not agree with the initial determination of the OAE.
During the disciplinary hearing, the accused student and the complainant will both get to bring relevant evidence and witness testimony to support their arguments. Then they will have a chance to question the other side's witnesses. In the end, the OAE – or whichever committee they appoint to oversee the hearing – will determine whether, based on the evidence, the student is responsible for the academic progression issue or academic, behavioral, or professional misconduct. They will also determine what sanctions to impose on the student.
Sanctions typically range from a written reprimand, probation, or loss of privileges on campus to suspension, dismissal, or degree withholding.
Appeals Process
Once you receive the OAE's, or their designee's, decision, you will likely have the option to appeal it. Again, the instructions for an appeal are not available online, but most medical schools allow them to prevent accusations of bias or conflict of interest. More often than not, the specific directions for an appeal will be enclosed in the decision letter.
Usually, students have around ten days to appeal the committee's decision. Appeals must be made in writing before that deadline and need to be based on a particular ground, such as:
- There is new evidence available now that was unavailable during the original hearing, and if it had been, it would have had a significant impact on the committee's decision.
- The student's due process rights were violated.
- The sanction imposed was not appropriate, given the nature of the violation.
The appeals committee will likely review the appeal and decide whether or not to uphold the OAE's decision, reverse it, or have the issue heard again. Whatever their decision, it is usually final and cannot be reviewed again. That being said, your attorney-advisor will also reach out to the Office of General Counsel at UNC School of Medicine on your behalf and attempt to negotiate alternative remedies. Attorney Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team understand how overwhelming the idea of filing an appeal can feel, especially after fighting so hard to defend yourself. But you cannot stop now. The appeals process is the last chance you have to protect your dreams of becoming a doctor. Attorney Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can help.
How an Experienced Student Defense Attorney-Advisor Can Help
Medical schools are keen to create capable and empathetic physicians who are devoted to offering patient-centered care to their communities. As such, the University of North Carolina School of Medicine will discipline any student who violates their rules on academic, professional, or behavioral conduct. Sometimes, the nature of the violation, or the attitude of the committee overseeing the hearing, results in a dismissal action.
If you are facing a dismissal judgment or need help with your appeal, medical student defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can help. As experienced student defense attorney-advisors, the team at Lento Law Firm knows how overwhelming these procedures can be for students. They will work tirelessly to ease that weight for you.
With unmatched experience and compassion, Attorney Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team guarantee you the best possible outcome for your case. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
