If you get called to an interview with the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) or Office of Professional Discipline (OPD), this is where you will want your misconduct case to start and end. And so, you must be prepared to explain yourself with nothing but the truth. Follow along to find out how pivotal your OPMC or OPD interview is and how a proficient OPMC/OPD misconduct defense lawyer at Walker Medical Law can help you properly train for this.
How important is it to prepare for my OPMC or OPD interview?
You should know that, when being summoned to an interview with the OPMC or OPD, your medical license is in jeopardy. You cannot predict what may happen at an administrative hearing, so your goal should be to end the investigation at the interview portion. Ending it here is ideal, as it means no charges will be placed against you and your file will be closed.
How do I end my OPMC or OPD investigation at the interview?
At your interview, you will have to explain yourself and the issue at hand, why you did or why you did not do what you have been accused of, etc.
With this, you must understand that you cannot defend the indefensible. That is, you will be speaking in front of investigators and physicians that have years of experience with these interviews. So, you can expect that they can easily detect if the story you are sharing is untrue.
In addition, they will compare your story with that of other witnesses and claimants. So if your version does not match up with theirs, that will raise a red flag. Therefore, it is best to answer all questions by your memory and the documented facts.
Our advice is that, sometimes, you have to admit that you have committed misconduct and that you are taking the necessary steps so that you do not do this again. This is because recognizing that you did something wrong and showing how you corrected this wrong is better than lying. With lying, you are, more likely than not, going to prolong this process, be charged with misconduct, and lose your license.
How can a lawyer help me prepare for my interview?
Importantly, you may come across an issue where there will be an unknown accusation against you. This unknown accusation may be completely different from the situation that occurred and what you prepared to defend. And so, a lawyer can help you navigate how to go about this situation.
All in all, you can never be too prepared for your interview. Contact a talented OPMC/OPD misconduct defense lawyer when you get the chance. We look forward to hearing from you.
