Earning an MD degree and having a fruitful career as a reputable doctor is the dream of every medical student. Getting enrolled in a medical college is surely one step forward to making your dreams come true, but there are many cases where a med student is charged for academic misconduct.
Once charged with academic misconduct, it can be the end of all dreams. If you find yourself in the middle of such turmoil, make no delay and hire a medical student appeals attorney as soon as you can gather your thoughts.
Once charged with academic misconduct, you can be expelled from the college. All your hard work will go down the drain. Only an attorney can find some grounds to get you back on track and make the college board accept you back as its student.
What are grounds that the college can use against you?
Every college has a set of rules and regulations that every student in that particular institution needs to follow strictly. The college may allow disobedience once or twice, but they won’t hesitate to take a harsh step when they see the behavior continue despite various warnings.
As a student, you are responsible for thoroughly going through the student discipline laws. You also have to make sure you do not engage in unlawful activity, whether intentionally or unintentionally. For example, violating the dress code may not seem like a big issue to you. However, multiple violations can lead to expulsion.
Different schools can have different sets of rules. The rules you had in your previous educational institution may not be the same in your current school. Therefore, you should never assume the rules without checking first. Here are a few common reasons schools may be forced to expel you.
1. Cheating in exams
Some schools are lenient and do not make a big deal out of cheating. They may call your parents and suspend you for a week or two, and then you can be back with no other problems. However, some schools have a strict zero-tolerance policy that can get you in trouble.
2. Using unethical means like copying somebody else’s assignment to get good grades
It may sound unusual to some of you, but some schools do expel students for plagiarism or copying someone else’s homework or assignment. If you cannot understand an assignment or are facing difficulty completing the homework, you must be honest about it rather than copying someone else’s hard work. Getting caught by the teacher not only results in a zero on your assignment but also an expulsion.
3. Forging the signature of your parents
Forgery is a serious crime, even if you do it for harmless things in school. If you had got bad grades and forged your parents’ signature on your report card, you could be facing expulsion.
4. Impersonating somebody else while writing the paper
It may happen that your friend is not prepared or is nervous about an exam, and they ask you to write the paper for them. If you agree to write someone’s paper and get caught, it could result in expulsion as well as serious legal troubles for you. It would be not only the end of your medical school life but also your career. You may even be jailed.
5. Ragging or discriminating against a fellow student
Perhaps one of the worst things you can do as a student is ragging or discriminating against another. If you are faced with Title IX allegations, you could get involved in a deep web of legal trouble. In such cases, you will need the assistance of an experienced attorney to look into the situation and find evidence that proves your innocence.
6. Are academic misconduct charges the end of your career?
It is true that academic misconduct charges are pretty serious and can put a strain on your career. However, if you take the proper steps at the right time, you may be able to save your career from going down the drain.
Once you have been caught with an academic violation or someone accuses you of a Title IX crime, the school puts you on a blacklist. Every teacher is made aware of your actions, and they begin to see you with a different perception. This can make it difficult for you to obtain a letter of recommendation from your teachers or the principal if you need it in the future.
However, the good news is that the mere act of being accused of something does not give anyone the right to judge or expel you. In the case you have already been caught with a crime, you can still hire an attorney and turn things around.
This is what student appeals attorneys do. They have years of experience, knowledge, skills, training, and resources to handle cases like yours. Right when you think you have no other options, an attorney can open many unexpected doors for you.
What difference can hiring a medical appeals attorney make?
You might not realize, but having a medical student attorney might be able to persuade the college to take you back. Attorneys have years of experience handling cases similar to yours. They know what goes into a compelling appeal, can protect you from making mistakes, and suggest the right things.
The two scenarios where a lawyer can make the college revoke your suspension are:
1. Improper conduct on behalf of the college resulted in poor grades.
If you were expelled due to poor grades that you received only because your professor did not check your paper correctly, an attorney could help you. For example, if your lawyer proves that the faculty made a mistake while checking the papers, the college will have to take you back.
2. Extenuating circumstances because of which you could not maintain good grades.
If you had a valid and genuine reason for your academic misconduct, an attorney could help reduce your punishment from expulsion to suspension. Reasons such as medical issues, financial pressure, or a family crisis have to be considered by the school.
Key takeaways:
Getting charged with academic misconduct doesn’t have to be the end of your career. If you hire a medical appeals attorney instead of confiding in advisors appointed by the college, you might actually make it!
