It may be an unfortunate day when you receive notice from the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) or Office of Professional Discipline (OPD) that they have suspended your medical license. With this bad news, you may feel as though your professional career as you knew it is over. However, you must understand that a temporary suspension differs from a permanent revocation. This is not to say that the road ahead will not be challenging, but it still may be possible to reinstate your right to practice medicine. Follow along to find out the best approach to get your medical license reinstated and how one of the proficient OPMC/OPD misconduct defense lawyers at Walker Medical Law can ensure you closely follow this standard procedure.
What should I do during the waiting period in which my medical license is suspended?
Of note, with your medical license suspension comes a waiting period you must undergo before you can even consider applying for its restoration. With limited exceptions, New York State law enforces a waiting period of at least three years. The silver lining here is that you may take these three years to be productive and build your case for medical license restoration.
For example, if the reason for your suspension was alcohol abuse, drug abuse, mental health issues, or otherwise, you may attend the appropriate rehabilitative services. Also during this time, you may participate in Continuing Medical Education programs. Otherwise, you may independently work on staying up-to-date on the latest medical developments. Lastly, you may work on fulfilling the other requirements that the OPMC or OPD has imposed on you, such as completing your community service hours or paying your fines.
What is the best approach to get my medical license reinstated?
The only way you may have a chance of getting your New York State medical license reinstated is by formally petitioning for it. Without further ado, it is in your best interest to follow the below approach as closely as possible:
- You must fill out and submit an application for restoration to the Board of Regents.
- You must submit a check for $750 to the State Education Department.
- You must show up on time to your scheduled hearing with the OPMC or OPD Board.
- You must testify that you have used the three-year waiting period to better yourself personally and professionally.
- You must testify that you have no intention of performing the same medical misconduct that got your license suspended in the first place.
Lastly, and arguably most importantly, you must remember to hire one of the talented OPMC/OPD misconduct defense lawyers. Our team at Walker Medical Law looks forward to working with you.
