Every year, state medical boards punish thousands of doctors for their unacceptable behavior. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) survey data shows that more than 9,000 doctors are punished every year for breaking the rules by state licensing boards.
There are many possible outcomes in medical license discipline cases due to various considerations. These could range from a simple caution to having your license revoked as a physician. According to a medical license defense attorney, a doctor can be led through the disciplinary process by an experienced medical license defense lawyer who clearly explains what will happen at each stage and gets them ready for the difficulties that lie ahead.
Let’s look at the actions that will determine possible discipline outcomes of the physicians.
Understanding Disciplinary Actions
You must pay close attention to the tolerance of the cause within the process of disciplinary actions. The scope of each offense is unique. In most cases, it is not just the offenses themselves. Depending on the circumstances, a certain punishment may stay as just probation or be raised to the level of a suspended or revoked license.
During restitution, it’s important to keep your self-respect. By learning about the right stage for fixing the problem, we tend to understand better how the patient and practitioner are connected through the disciplinary actions. Trust, safety, and respect are at the center of medical service for everyone.
Common Types of Sanctions
The outcome of disciplinary actions results in various sanctions to reflect the severity of the offense. There are differing sanctions that a medical practitioner may receive after making mistakes or behaving improperly as a professional. The mildest one would be a simple letter of reprimand, but in worse cases, they may have to be suspended, or their license may be revoked.
- To deal with the specific issues, you may need to do more training or schooling.
- You could also do probation, which is when you practice with more supervision for a set amount of time.
- In these kinds of situations, people can also be fined.
Punitive damages are awarded to victims of medical malpractice in New Mexico and other states, not just as compensation for the victim’s pain and suffering. This is also to punish the offender for having committed the malpractice in the first place.
Each punishment is implemented to make sure that the medical profession is safe and honest. You may be able to deal with the disciplinary process directly if you understand these common types of sanctions. And in turn, you may also have a clear goal for your future career in medicine.
Factors Influencing Outcomes
Several factors can be of significant influence on the outcomes of a discipline litigation for medical licensure that will result in the ultimate decision by regulatory licensing boards.
- Prior acts—especially disciplinary actions—have a major influence on the perception of the licensing board.
- The severity of the act tends to be considered, since slight infractions may result in leniency, while serious matters may have resulted in stiff penalties.
- Your reaction in the investigation is applied to your favor, signaling accountability and trustworthiness of character.
- The perspective from your peers and expert parties may play a critical role for the board.
- There can be consideration—depending on the circumstances, the incident is viewed in a certain way, often due to some mitigating factors.
Understanding these complexities can help guide you more efficiently through the procedures.
The Appeal Process
You have the right to challenge a decision that you believe was unjust in a medical board disciplinary case. An appeal provides you with an opportunity to contest a decision passed by the disciplinary board or agency.
Consider filing your appeal as quickly as possible, according to a certain appeal clock, which is laid down in the original decision. You should gather all relevant available evidence and have counsel evaluate your case in accordance with prevailing laws. The opportunity for you to present your case is thus provided during the demands.
The reviewing body will assess your argument within the body of facts and establish an application of the law. This can be a very challenging time, so consider seeking the companionship of others. Many professionals have followed the same path; a helping hand may come from your colleagues or an experienced legal expert.
Implications for Physicians and Patients
If a hearing against the license discipline is unsuccessful, the consequences are much more significant for both physicians and their patients. The initially compromised reputation would severely limit nearly all related matters in physician therapy, as it would create concerns about the quality of referral care and discharge, overshadowing other justifications.
Losing their license would profoundly affect a physician by gravitating towards a termination of their career and a stay of strength or solace to their families. The second alternative, a counter appeal, involves the possibility of achieving restoration through collaboration with at least one party and securing some source of income.
