Becoming a doctor is no easy feat. It requires a tremendous amount of time, money, and sacrifice. Given the nature of their work, doctors are held to a higher standard of care and ethics than most other professions. As such, when they are accused of not upholding these standards, the punishments have serious, long-lasting, and far-reaching consequences for both their personal and professional lives.

If you are facing a disciplinary hearing in your state, the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.

Consequences for Misrepresenting Medical Specialties

Doctors are governed by their state medical board, and while each board's rules may vary slightly, they tend to have similar disciplinary guidelines. Namely, doctors are prohibited from pretending to have certifications, licenses, or specializations that they do not have or from trying to obtain those designations with false or misleading paperwork. When a doctor is accused of claiming to be a specialist in a field they were not actually trained in, and they can face disciplinary action, including having their license suspended or revoked outright.

For instance, in Florida, if a doctor negligently makes misleading or untrue statements on their profile, initial licensure or renewal application, or credentialing, such as claiming to be a specialist in a particular field, they can be fined $1,000 and required to take 3 hours of CME on ethics, or suspended, placed on probation, and fined $5,000 an administrative fee. The punishments only get harsher if the accused doctor continues to commit the offense.

Alternatively, in California, if a doctor is accused of practicing without being authorized to perform such procedures, they are guilty of a public offense and can be imprisoned, fined up to $10,000, and have their medical license suspended or revoked.

Unfortunately, these laws do not take into account doctors with specializations in certain areas of medicine, with valid licenses that may have lapsed recently. For example, if a cardiologist who spent years of her life studying the specialty fails to renew her specialist credentials because of a scheduling error, she could be brought up before the medical board for another issue and end up being punished for the lapsed license.

Working with an experienced attorney from the moment you learn of the accusations against you, even if they have nothing to do with your specialist credentials, is the only way to prevent losing your medical license.

How an Experienced Professional License Defense Team Can Help

Being accused of falsely practicing without a specialist license can mean the end of your medical career, especially if you decide to show up to your hearing unprepared. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team is comprised of knowledgeable and competitive attorneys who understand exactly what you are up against. They will work tirelessly to ensure not only that you are fully prepared for your hearing but also that you have a solid defense to lean on throughout the process.

Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online. You have worked too hard to get where you are, and you should not be punished unnecessarily.