License revocation is not the end of the world. It’s just about the end of the world, but then there is the opportunity to restore your license. The way this works is you have to reapply for your license after three years. Three years have to pass by before you can do the restoration. There’s an application you can find online. You apply to the Department of Education. Not the Department of Health, if you’re a physician, to the Department of Education. You have to have five witnesses, three of whom are with your same degree. That is, if you’re an MD, three MDs. There can be five MDs, but there have to be five affidavits attesting to the reason you want to get your license back.
You will then have a hearing scheduled. None of this happens quickly, but over a probably over six month to year period, they will schedule a hearing. You will go to that hearing, hopefully with an attorney who can guide you on this. You will go, and not just you will testify, but in fact, you will bring some of the witnesses. I usually bring about three witnesses as opposed to five, but I do bring three. I have them testify that they think you should have your license restored. Those witnesses have to know why you lost your license, and they have to know, in their own minds, that you have overcome whatever problem that was, and you now have the ability and should have your license restored.
These hearings take anywhere from half a day to a full day, and then there is a decision, a recommendation, made by the panel. It then goes on — if they say they are okay and they recommend you get your license back, there is then a rather long administrative trail still ahead of you. That is the start, and that’s the start you want to get. You want to get them to say, “We recommend that this person have his license restored.” These are difficult cases, because the reason you lost the license was probably vey unpleasant. It can be dealt with, on occasion, and you can get your license back. There at least is an opportunity.
This informational blog post was brought to you by Paul E. Walker, an experienced New York Medical Malpractice Defense Lawyer.
