Getting expelled from a medical school is not the end of the road if you can make the college board revoke their decision. Easier said than done, though! Every medical school in the states has its own set of guidelines and academic standards that every student must abide by and fulfill.
In case you fail to follow those rules and the school board decides to expel you, you are going to need an experienced medical student appeals attorney to challenge the decision of the school and contest against their verdict. Nothing is impossible when you have the right legal expert by your side.
Understanding the grounds for expulsion from a medical school
Be it a medical or an art school; every educational institution has certain rules and regulations in place. These laws are put in place to maintain the environment of the college/school. Every student who gets admission into a college must go through this list of rules to ensure they do not accidentally engage in something that could land them in trouble.
There are various reasons why you get expelled from your medical college. Not all colleges have the same set of rules. That is why it is especially important to check with the rulebook. Here are a few common reasons why colleges expel students:
1. You have been proven guilty in the Title IX allegation made against you
Title IX law protects students attending federal institutions from sexual assault or harassment, such as rape, sexual coercion, etc. If you get accused of sexually assaulting, harassing, or discriminating against someone, you may not get expelled. Merely being accused of a crime does not make you a criminal, and thus, the school does not have grounds to remove you.
However, if the accuser is able to prove their claims with solid proof and the allegations turn out to be true, you could be in serious legal trouble. Not only legal trouble but you will also most likely get expelled from medical school, which will ruin your entire career.
2. You have repeatedly got bad grades and failed exams
Educational institutions do not easily expel a student for scoring bad grades. Even if you fail a few classes, the school gives you more chances to prove yourself. Schools usually do not remove weaker students and allow them to improve themselves. However, if you have shown no signs of progress or improvement after being given a hundred chances, the school may have no other option but to expel you.
3. You have been found guilty of cheating
One thing medical schools won’t tolerate is cheating. School discipline policies often include a law where they can suspend or expel a student for engaging in any activity that contributes to an academic violation. While you may find various schools that are willing to give a chance, some schools view cheating as an extremely immoral activity. You may even get a note of academic violation in your school transcript.
4. You have not submitted your college fee
No matter how good of a student you may be, schools are profit-making organizations at the end of the day. Schools usually give you extra time to cover up the pending fees, but at one point, they will expel you. While it is a rather harsh step, you cannot do anything about it if it is mentioned in the rulebook.
5. Contesting against the dismissal by the college
Getting into a medical school is as hard as it can get. You study for most of the day, you take huge loans for your education, and you put yourself in debt just to pursue your dream. However, the school won’t care about your struggles or hardship if you cannot obey the school’s rules and regulations.
If you have a valid and genuine reason for your academic misconduct, maybe there is still hope for you. In order to protect your career from going down the drain, you need to make the board understand why you should get another chance. A skilled medical appeals attorney can help you throughout this process.
There are a few scenarios where the college is legally bound to give you another chance. If your situation falls into one of them, you might still have a chance. Some examples are as follows:
• You failed because the professor did not evaluate your answer sheet properly.
• You were going through financial crises that affected your performance.
• You were suffering from psychological problems.
• You failed because some very close member of the family died.
If you use these defenses, you may still have a chance to continue as a medical student and pursue your dream of becoming a medical professional. However, attempting to do this alone might not be the best option for you, especially if this is your first time handling a situation like this. You may do or say something wrong before the board that may worsen the situation.
You will need the help of a Title IX attorney in such cases. Every federal-funded medical college in the US takes cases of sexual assault very seriously. This critical attitude can sometimes result in an unfair expulsion.
How can a lawyer help?
Whatever the case is; if you did not even get a chance to prove you were framed or the advisor assigned by the college was incompetent, your lawyer can help in the following ways.
• The attorney will first try to negotiate with the college. If you were innocent, the lawyer would prove it. If you were involved somehow, but the punishment is too severe and doesn’t justify the crime, the lawyer will try to convince the board that you should be given a chance to start anew in some other college.
• If the college does not accept any middle ground, your lawyer will contest the case in court.
Academic misconduct cases in medical schools are not taken lightly like the academic misconduct cases in high school. If expelled from a college, you might not be able to graduate. Your future is at stake. So, do not think twice and hire a medical student appeals attorney at the earliest.