As an active medical professional, it is okay to consume alcoholic beverages when you are off the clock and your next shift is not scheduled for at least another 48 hours or longer. However, as a civilian, it is never acceptable for you to get behind the wheel of your standard motor vehicle while intoxicated. Being detected with a blood-alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher will most definitely lead to a driving while intoxicated (DWI) conviction. Then, the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) or the Office of Professional Discipline (OPD) may inevitably get word of this offense and further investigate you. So, if you find yourself in this predicament, please read on to discover whether you can get your medical license revoked after being convicted of drunk driving and how one of the seasoned OPMC/OPD misconduct defense lawyers at Walker Medical Law can step in to assist.
Can the OPMC take disciplinary action after my drunk driving offense?
You may not initially understand why the OPMC cares about an event in which you were intoxicated (i.e., a drunk driving incident) if it was unrelated and outside of your medical work. Well, the short answer is that the OPMC operates under the belief that holding a medical license is one of the highest degrees of responsibility one can obtain. Also, they view a drunk driving offense as something that says a lot about your overall character. Therefore, the OPMC Board may seriously put into question your ability to practice medicine ethically and safely from this point forward. Specifically, they may worry that this criminal offense indicates possibilities that you have or will negligently treat patients while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Can I get my medical license revoked over a drunk driving offense?
With all that has been said so far, you must equip yourself to receive some sort of disciplinary action from the OPMC after being convicted of a drunk driving offense by the New York State criminal court. At the very least, usually, if you are a first-time offender, they may only impose a fine. Although this may be in addition to mandating substance abuse therapy, with which you may have to pay out of pocket yourself.
Aggravated circumstances may lead to harsher consequences. That is, if your BAC level was recorded at .10 percent or higher, your drunk driving accident occurred in a school zone or with a minor passenger in your vehicle, you caused property damage or bodily harm, or this is otherwise your second or third offense. With this, you must very well expect your medical license to get temporarily suspended, or yes, permanently revoked.
If you need help with executing this, do not be afraid to reach out to one of the competent OPMC/OPD misconduct defense lawyers. Our team at Walker Medical Law is more than capable and eager to assist you in your upcoming legal proceedings.
