Will your medical license survive a criminal conviction?
Being charged with a crime can turn your life upside-down. The idea of going to court and defending yourself is hard enough, but you’ll also be fighting for the right to continue your career. If you’re facing charges, your license to practice medicine may be in jeopardy.
Criminal charges are taken very seriously when it comes to your medical license. Being convicted can have serious consequences, but it doesn’t automatically mean your days of practicing are over.
Answer to the board
You must report any guilty plea or conviction to your professional licensing board within 30 days. This means you’ll follow your criminal proceedings with a disciplinary case before the Florida Board of Medicine. The board reviews each licensee’s case, then hands down repercussions accordingly.
What’s at stake
Upon review, the board can discipline you in the following ways:
- Issue a warning or place you on probation
- Order additional fines and citations
- Mandate rehabilitation or professional courses
- Outline other specific terms to reinstate your license
- Suspend your license
- Revoke your license
Defend your future
Pleading not guilty and avoiding a conviction are obvious wins, but they’re not the only ways to protect yourself. Getting your records expunged will greatly help your chances of keeping your license, but it’s up to the court to let that happen. Even a record that has been sealed is still available to the Department of Health, but expunged records require a court order to view. You could also qualify for a rehabilitation course before your trial gets underway. Going through the process on your own may put you in line for some good favor from the advisory board.
Speak with a criminal defense attorney to seek the best option in your situation. Setting a plan and having the answer ahead of time may be the difference between getting back to the work you love and wrestling with an uncertain future.