NBME/USMLE Defense for Mississippi Medical Students and Graduates

Mississippi medical practice has all the benefits and rewards of medical practice elsewhere, along with the state's temperate climate and a critical need for medical practitioners willing to serve rural areas. Mississippi currently ranks 49th among U.S. states in the number of doctors per capita. You should have no doubt about your opportunity for gainful and rewarding medical practice opportunities in Mississippi once you obtain your permanent, full-time license. The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure welcomes your license application.

But you must first successfully resolve your USMLE, NBME, FLEX, COMLEX-USA, or other medical licensing exam issues. Resolving those issues in a timely and effective manner warrants retaining the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team. You have far too much invested to do anything less than get the best available skilled and experienced attorney representation. We are available in Jackson, Gulfport, Southaven, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Olive Branch, Tupelo, Meridian, Greenville, Clinton, Pearl, Horn Lake, Oxford, Madison, and across the rest of Mississippi. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now for our strategic and skilled representation.

Mississippi Medical Practice Rewards

You need to take frank stock of your investment in your medical education and your anticipated returns on that investment when facing USMLE, COMLEX-USA, or other medical licensing exam issues. Your exam issues can not only delay but even derail your Mississippi medical practice, causing you to lose your hard-earned rewards. Those rewards include a thriving medical practice supported by one or more of the state's fine healthcare facilities, including the premier University of Mississippi Medical Center, North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, St. Dominic Memorial Hospital, Forrest General Hospital, Singing River's Pascagoula Hospital, Merit Health River Region, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto, Memorial Hospital Gulfport, and Merit Health Central. Mississippi's two medical schools, the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, also offer you substantial teaching, research, and continuing education opportunities. The state's attractive natural environment, beautiful Gulf Coast, temperate climate, friendly residents, and fine towns only add to your expected rewards. Get our premier representation to help successfully resolve your licensing exam issues. Don't lose your Mississippi medical practice rewards.

Mississippi Medical Licensing Authority

Section 73-25-1 of the Mississippi Medical Practice Act requires all physicians expecting to practice medicine in the state to first obtain a license from the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. Section 73-51-1 authorizes the State Board to obtain a court injunction against the unlicensed practice, enforceable with contempt penalties, including incarceration. Mississippi Code Section 97-23-43 defines unlicensed medical practice as a crime, punishable on a first offense with up to a year in jail, a second offense two years, and a third offense five years. Beware unlicensed practice. You could end up paying substantial fines, losing the ability to obtain a license later, and facing jail or even prison time. Instead, let us help you promptly and effectively resolve your pending USMLE, COMLEX-USA, or other medical licensing exam issues to qualify for a license from the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure.

Mississippi License Application Requirements

Section 73-25-5 of the Mississippi Medical Practice Act requires that you apply for your medical license by completing the application forms that the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure requires. Section 73-25-3 details the application form statements and documentation requirements. Your license application is not pro forma. The State Board does not rubber stamp applications based on medical school graduation. Instead, State Board officials scrutinize applications closely for errors, misrepresentations, and omissions that may indicate that the applicant is unqualified. State Board officials have the duty to protect patients and the public from unqualified medical practitioners. That duty includes discovering suspected credential fraud in your license application. Your medical licensing exam issues create special risks that your application will misstate your exam status, failing to openly disclose your pending exam issues. Let us help you review, update, and correct your license application to ensure that it properly discloses your exam issues while reassuring State Board officials that you can qualify for and pass the exam.

Mississippi Medical Licensure General Requirements

Section 73-25-3 of the Mississippi Medical Practice Act states the general licensing requirements for applicants by examination. Those requirements include graduation from a medical school program that the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure has approved, proof of your good moral character, passing a criminal history background check after fingerprinting, and passing a State Board-approved medical licensing exam. Issues with your mental or physical fitness, unprofessional conduct, clinical deficiencies, unsatisfactory academic progress, pending criminal charges or past criminal convictions, English language proficiency, or citizenship or lawful residency status can trigger general requirements issues and a closer examination by the State Board. Let us help you resolve any of these or other issues while also helping you resolve your medical licensing exam issues.

Mississippi Medical Licensing Exam Requirements

Section 73-25-3 of Mississippi's Medical Practice Act does not state the specific medical licensing exam you must take and pass. Instead, the Act leaves that determination to the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. State Board Administrative Rule 1.3 details the medical licensing exam requirements. Rule 1.3 approves the USMLE, NBME, FLEX, and COMLEX-USA (NBOME) exams, each on slightly different terms and conditions. You may, in other words, have the widest choice of medical licensing exams. Rule 1.3 also approves various combinations of those exams. Under Rule 1.3, you must, in any case, complete all exam requirements within a maximum of seven years from the first exam administration to the last exam administration. The Mississippi Medical Practice Act and Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure rules do not expressly address the permitted number of exam attempts. Other indications are that Mississippi does not restrict the number of attempts on USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 but limits Step 3 attempts to three. One can construe a three-attempt limit from Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure Policy 3.08, requiring Step 3 exam passage within one year of applying for the exam. The USMLE limits attempts to four.

Common Exam Issues Affecting Mississippi Licensure

Your medical licensing exam issues are likely not unique, except as to your specific circumstances. Your exam issues instead probably fall under one of the following six headings. The following sections discuss each common category along with how our attorneys can help you successfully resolve those issues. Keep in mind your need to keep the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure informed about those issues. We can help you do so, as we diligently pursue their resolution. Your exam issues may involve:

1. qualifying youfor the exam;
2. passing your exam within permitted attempts limits;
3. cheating allegations based on suspicious conduct or circumstances;
4. anomalous exam performance leading to disqualification;
5. invalidated exam score leading to withholding of a passing score or
6. extenuating circumstances requiring an extra exam attempt.

Mississippi State Board Exam Qualification Issues

Qualifying for your USMLE, NBME, FLEX, or COMLEX-USA medical licensing exam can, unfortunately, present its own special challenges. You've seen above that the Mississippi Medical Practice Act Section 73-25-3 requires you to apply to the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure for licensure by examination. However, you must also apply to your licensing exam organization itself, whether it is the USMLE or another organization. Your exam organization will scrutinize your exam application with similar diligence and rigor to the scrutiny that the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure applies. The USMLE's Bulletin of Information, constituting the organization's rules and standards, states detailed exam qualification requirements. Your application attempting to meet those requirements may trigger the following issues:

• your documentation is either incomplete or improperly authenticated;
• statements in your application that suggest misrepresentations or misleading omissions when compared to your documentation;
• issues with your academic progress or disciplinary charges in your medical school program;
• issues with your medical school's accreditation or State Board approval;
• issues with your medical residency program, including discipline, dismissal, or non-renewal;
• issues with criminal arrest, pending criminal charges, or prior criminal convictions; or
• issues with your citizenship, lawful immigrant status, or citizenship or residency documentation.

How We Address Exam Qualification Issues:

We understand that getting the proper documentation from your medical school registrar, medical residency director, or other court, immigration, or agency officials can be difficult. But our attorneys have the skills, reputation, and relationships to gain the attention and timely assistance of recordkeepers when you have been unable to do so. We know USMLE and other exam organization attestation, certification, and authentication requirements. We can also gain the trust and confidence of USMLE and other exam organization officials that the documentation we submit is authentic. If your issue isn't with documentation but instead with underlying school, medical residency, citizenship, or court issues, we can invoke the appropriate procedures to help you promptly address and resolve those issues. We can also keep Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure officials informed of our diligent efforts so that they keep your license application open.

Mississippi State Board Exam Attempt Limits

Passing the USMLE, NBME, FLEX, or COMLEX-USA exam is pretty much on your shoulders with the exam preparation services and resources you have at hand. But we can help you if you run up against exam attempt limits. Keep in mind both the USMLE four attempts limit for each step exam and the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure's implied three attempt limit for the USMLE Step 3 exam under State Board Policy 3.08. If you run out of available attempts, your exam organization may disqualify you and notify the State Board, leading to the State Board denying your license application.

How We Address Exam Attempt Limit Issues:

Let us help if you run up against medical licensing exam retake limits. Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure Policy 3.08 permits us to apply on your behalf for an additional attempt, stating, “Physicians failing to pass USMLE Step 3 will not have to submit a new application for licensure to the Board if they reapply to sit for USMLE Step 3 within one year from the last sitting date,” and the Board approves your re-application. We can help you make a convincing presentation of your ability to adjust your studies, improve your effort, and pass the Step 3 exam with an additional retake. The USMLE offers a similar extenuating circumstances policy. We can invoke that policy on your behalf if you need an additional retake beyond the USMLE's four attempts limit to pass the Step 1 or Step 2 exams. Our presentation on your behalf must be timely and must show and document justifiable grounds like your injury or illness or the serious injury or illness of a close family member. Don't delay. Get our help.

Mississippi State Board Irregular Behavior Issues

You may have readily qualified for and passed your medical licensing step exams. But even so, exam proctors and administrators, or even your fellow examinees, may observe your conduct, leading them to report your suspected cheating. The USMLE Bulletin of Information authorizes USMLE officials to bring irregular behavior charges against you for attempting to “compromise the validity, integrity, or security” of a step exam. Irregular behavior charges can lead to your exam disqualification. If your notice of cheating charges and exam disqualification reaches the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, then you will have a serious licensing issue. The USMLE Bulletin gives these irregular behavior examples, any of which could lead to your disqualification:

• trying to obtain confidential exam questions before the exam;
• offering to share confidential exam questions after the exam;
• trying to register for an exam for which you are not eligible;
• trying to have another take your exam for you, posing as an impostor;
• refusing to adhere to exam proctor directions during the exam;
• violating other exam rules and instructions during the exam;
• trying to bring unauthorized materials or devices into the exam room;
• trying to photograph or otherwise reproduce materials in the room;
• trying to remove exam materials from the exam room;
• misrepresenting your exam status or score to officials; or
• interfering with an exam misconduct investigation.

How We Address Exam Irregular Behavior Charges:

Our attorneys help you address USMLE irregular behavior charges or similar cheating charges by your other exam organization by invoking the available protective procedures to defend and defeat the charges. The USMLE Office of the Secretariat follows an adjudication process that enables us to prepare for and present your defense at a formal hearing. The complaining witness may have misidentified you, misunderstood and misconstrued your actions, or even intentionally blamed you for misconduct that the complaining witness or others committed. We know how to challenge incriminating evidence to ensure that you have the best opportunity to regain your qualification, get your passing score released, or make another passing attempt to satisfy your exam requirement. We can also communicate and advocate with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure so that it keeps your license application open until we have resolved the cheating charges.

Mississippi State Board Anomalous Performance Issues

Exam officials also analyze exam responses and scores in an attempt to detect suspicious patterns. You may face disqualification from further exam attempts based on a very low score or one that otherwise indicates that you did not make an earnest attempt at the exam. The USMLE maintains an anomalous performance policy permitting its officials to disqualify examinees whom it believes were either unqualified by education for the exam or entered the exam room with nefarious purposes other than to make an earnest exam attempt. Anomalous performance disqualification may lead USMLE officials to notify Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure officials, who may then reject your license application.

How We Address Exam Anomalous Performance:

We can help you make your best possible showing that your anomalous performance was due to innocent circumstances. You may, for instance, have had a technology issue or unexpected mental freeze that kept you from making a reasonable effort at the exam. You may alternatively have inadvertently skipped exam sections, misunderstood exam instructions, or mis-recorded your correct answers incorrectly. USMLE officials do not publicize a formal adjudication process to contest anomalous performance findings. You must generally live with the exam result. But we can advocate and negotiate for your renewed qualification and another attempt to show your ability to pass the exam. Our showing of your strong academic credentials can make the difference in gaining another attempt, even while we communicate with Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure officials to keep your license application file open.

Mississippi State Board Invalidated Score Issues

Scoring too low is one problem. Surprisingly, scoring too high can be another problem. You've seen just above that exam officials analyze exam answers for suspicious patterns. If you score well above the normal distribution for exam answers, or if your passing exam answers too closely match the exam answers of other passing examinees with whom you have a common exam site or other connection, then exam officials may withhold your passing score and disqualify you from further attempts, while notifying Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure officials. The USMLE, for instance, enforces an invalidated score policy providing for exactly that alarming outcome.

How We Address Invalidated Exam Scores:

Our attorneys can follow similar procedures to those described above to help you defend and defeat an invalidated score situation that prevents the release of your passing score and disqualifies you from further exam attempts. We can gather evidence of your strong academic record, your special standardized test-taking skills reflected on your MCAT score, and your good professional character for honesty, such as with affidavits from your medical school professors and mentors. We can also help you show your diligent exam preparation and your peculiar aptitude for the subject of the step exam that you aced. We can also keep the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure informed of our efforts, with the goal of keeping your license application open until the release of your invalidated passing score or another attempt to prove your ready capability to pass the exam without undue advantage.

Mississippi State Board Response to Exam Issues

Time can be of the essence when you face exam issues, frustration, and the delay in Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure approval of your application. State Board officials have protocols and timelines for acting on license applications. They won't generally leave an application open indefinitely while the applicant labors away at resolving pending exam issues, at least not without a convincing showing that the applicant is likely to succeed soon in resolving those issues, with diligent representation. Our attorneys have the skills, relationships, and reputation to gain the confidence of Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure officials that we are making diligent efforts toward a favorable resolution. Let us help you ensure that the State Board does not prematurely close your license application file, requiring you to start all over again on a new timeline that delays your license approval.

Mississippi Administrative Review Procedures

Mississippi law must generally ensure that you have constitutional due process when the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure takes action affecting your property and liberty interest in your medical license, practice, and career. Section 73-25-27 of the Mississippi Medical Practice Act thus provides for a hearing, subpoena powers to compel witnesses to attend the hearing, and a right of appeal from an adverse hearing decision when the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure takes action against a licensee. Section 73-25-31 further expressly refers to court review and reversal of erroneous Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure decisions. Let us invoke these and other procedures to ensure your best licensing outcome in the face of your USMLE, NBME, FLEX, or COMLEX-USA medical licensing exam issues.

Premier USMLE Defense in Mississippi

The Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team is available across Mississippi to help you strategically and effectively resolve your medical licensing exam issues. Our attorneys successfully represent hundreds of medical students and graduates, as well as students and graduates in other professional programs across Mississippi and nationwide. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to retain our premier attorneys.