Medical Students, Interns & Residents Beware: A Finding of “Irregular Behavior” Can Ruin Your Medical Career Before it Starts

George Indest HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

A medical student, intern or resident may receive a letter from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), United States Medical Licensee Examination (USMLE) Secretariat advising them that they are suspected of “irregular behavior” on a Step examination. In the case of graduates of foreign medical schools, this will be a letter from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Although “irregular behavior” is not the same thing as “cheating,” it is often thought of as the same by medical school officials and residency program directors.

A notice of irregular behavior may delay your entry into a residency program, your graduation from medical school and your potential job opportunities. Your examination scores will be held up while the matter is investigated until a Committee review or hearing can be held.

It is imperative that anyone accused of irregular behavior immediately consult with legal counsel experienced in such matters. At The Health Law Firm, we have represented a number of medical students, interns and residents in hearings on irregular behavior and we have consulted with many before on these matters.

Don’t Listen to Bad Advice.

The following are examples of erroneous advice we have heard was given to those accused of irregular behavior:

1. You shouldn’t have a lawyer represent you in such matters because this will make the Committee angry at you.

2. You don’t need a lawyer because you can just explain it yourself.

3. You just write a statement and explain it; the Committee will understand and find in your favor.

4. You do not need to request a hearing on it because if you submit documents, the Committee will review them, find in your favor and no hearing will be necessary.

5. If you request a hearing on the matter, you do not need to attend it in person.

6. If you request a hearing, an attorney is not allowed to represent you at the hearing.

7. You should not worry about the Committee finding against you because you can always appeal the finding or sue in court.

The above advice is wrong. The only advice you should listen to is the advice of an attorney who is experienced in handling matters of irregular behavior.

The Importance of Retaining Experienced Legal Defense.

The biggest problem faced by an individual accused of irregular behavior who does have a valid defense is to concisely and adequately explain the situation. Additionally, you must produce evidence that supports what you are saying.

Someone who is not trained in the legal profession and who is not familiar with such hearings will be unfamiliar with the process even though such hearings are not as formal as court hearings. Additionally, it is easy for a non-lawyer who is not familiar with the rules of the USMLE to fail to address those concerns and get side tracked on irrelevant matters.

Additionally, documents, statements, affidavits, expert witness reports and other documents presented to the Committee as evidence should be well organized, indexed, with a table of contents, pages numbered and summarized. This will better present an organized, easily understood defense. Sending in a few stray documents with no organization or explanation how the documents relate to the issues can be far less than effective.
Consequences of an Irregular Behavior Finding.

If a finding of irregular behavior is made against you, then this usually means that your best score is voided and you must retake it. The Committee may require you to wait a year or more to retake the examination. This can prevent you from obtaining or entering a residency program or it may delay you from graduating. Furthermore, the notation that you were found to have committed irregular behavior will be placed on your Step exam transcript. This will be reported out when your test scores are reported.

As indicated above, many medical decision makers view this as similar to cheating. It may disqualify you for many jobs or residency programs that you would otherwise be considered for.

If the time and money you have spent on your medical career is valued by you, you will act promptly to retain legal counsel experienced in USMLE hearings and procedures to represent you. You wouldn’t perform surgery on yourself. You shouldn’t attempt to represent yourself in such legal matters.

The takeaway message is that retaining an attorney to represent you against irregular behavior allegations could be the difference between a clear record and a mark that will follow you for the rest of your career. Don’t risk jeopardizing your future as a healthcare practitioner. Consult with an attorney as soon as you receive notice of allegations against you regarding irregular behavior.

To learn more on the repercussions of findings of irregular behavior, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Matters of Irregular Behavior Today.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to medical students, residents, interns and fellows in irregular behavior allegations, USMLE issues, academic disputes, graduate medical education (GME) hearings, contract negotiations, license applications, board certification applications and hearings, credential hearings, and civil and administrative litigations.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: Legal representation for allegations of irregular behavior, legal representation for USMLE investigations, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), irregular behavior defense attorney, legal representation for medical students, legal representation for medical residents, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), legal representation for USMLE hearings , legal counsel for USMLE appeals, health law defense attorney, ECFMG defense counsel, ECFMG legal representation, ECFMG hearing attorney, medical student attorney, medical resident lawyer, medical intern attorney, legal representation for civil proceeding, legal representation for criminal proceeding, legal representation for administrative proceeding, medical administrative hearings defense attorney, The Health Law Firm, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, The Health Law Firm reviews, USMLE Committee for Individualized Review (CIR) hearing attorney, ECFMG Committee for Individualized Review (CIR) hearing lawyer

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of The Health Law Firm, P.A., and Florida professional service corporation, since 1999, and is also a registered service mark. Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

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Rutgers University Faces Lawsuit Over Anesthesia Residency Program Head’s Alleged Sexual Harassment

George IndestBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 8, 2017, Rutgers University was hit with a lawsuit in New Jersey state court from former and current school employees. The suit alleges that the university failed to prevent, stop and remedy sexual harassment and retaliation by the director of its anesthesia residency program. Additionally, the suit also alleges that Rutgers “fostered a harassing and discriminatory atmosphere.”

What must be remembered is that residents, interns and fellows fill dual roles. They are employees as well as “students”or graduate medical education (GME) program participants. Therefore, they have the same rights as any other hospital or institution employee.

According to the plaintiffs, they reported their claims to the university in August 2016 and provided ample evidence. Rutgers then followed with an internal probe and issued reports that the allegations were erroneously found. In the report, Rutgers stated that Dr. Jean Daniel Eloy had not violated either the state’s law against discrimination or the university’s policies on sexual harassment.

The Alleged Misconduct.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of current Rutgers University employee Melinda Ball and former employees Rebecca Scholl and Sam Nia. The alleged misconduct occurred when all three plaintiffs were residents in the program that was overseen by Dr. Eloy.

Melinda Ball and Rebecca Scholl claim Dr. Eloy repeatedly sexually harassed them, and retaliated against them because they snubbed his sexual advances, according to the complaint. Dr. Eloy allegedly retaliated against Scholl in various ways, including falsely stating in her semi-annual review that she was “disrespectful, lazy and unprofessional,” the complaint states. Dr. Eloy also allegedly retaliated against Sam Nia, because she attempted to protect Scholl from the sexual harassment and retaliation.

Ball, Scholl and Nia have accused Rutgers of “failing to conduct an adequate investigation into plaintiffs’ complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation; and failing to take appropriate disciplinary action against defendant’s supervisors, managers, agents and employees who discriminated and retaliated against plaintiffs and created a hostile work environment for them,” the complaint states.

To read the complaint filed April 27 in Essex County Superior Court in full, click here.

To read a blog on a similar case of harassment, click here.

Discrimination in Gme Programs More Common than You Think.

Unfortunately, from what our clients have told us, discrimination in different forms is not uncommon in many graduate medical education programs. Although it may be sexually based, as in this case, it may also be based upon an illness or medical condition, sexual persuasion race or national origin. It is illegal to discriminate based on these grounds or even the perception of these grounds when they do not actually exist and most institutions have written policies and standards that prohibit it. Discrimination and harassment can make a residency or other learning experience intolerable and lead to poor performance and failure.

Students, residents, interns and fellows may be reluctant to report incidents of discrimination or harassment because of fears of reprisal. However, you should always report it. You are doing no favors to your self, your peers or the program itself when you fail to report it.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys Representing Medical Students, Residents and Fellows.

The Health Law Firm routinely represents medical students, residents and fellows who run into difficulties and have disputes with their medical schools or programs. We also represent other health providers in investigations, regulatory matters, licensing issues, litigation, inspections and audits involving the DEA, Department of Health (DOH) and other law enforcement agencies. Its attorneys include those who are board certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law as well as licensed health professionals who are also attorneys.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law is an attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: Legal representation for medical students, legal representation for residents, legal representation for fellows, legal representation for disputes with medical programs and institutions, legal representation for discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace attorneys, intentional infliction of emotional distress lawyers, academic review hearing, legal representation for physicians accused of wrongdoing, medical graduate defense attorney, defense lawyer for doctors, legal representation fro physicians, residents and intern legal representation, medical student attorney, medical resident lawyer, medical intern lawyer, civil proceeding, criminal proceeding, administrative proceeding, medical administrative hearings, administrative law, medical student legal defense counsel, medical resident lawyer, medical resident defense attorney, medical intern lawyer, medical intern attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Accused of Irregular Behavior on the USMLE? Here’s What You Need to Know

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

At The Health Law Firm, we frequently receive calls for consultations from medical students and medical school graduates who receive a letter from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), concerning the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The letter may accuse the student or medical resident of “Irregular Behavior” concerning one or more of the USMLE Step examinations. In many cases, the person receiving the letter is a graduate of a foreign medical schools who have applied through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

Irregular behavior can consist of many different actions taken by the applicant, before, during or after taking a USMLE step exam. What you must know is that, in effect, you are being accused of cheating or a similar type of infraction.

Types of Irregular Behavior.

Examples of the types of conduct which we have seen before include:

– Attending a commercial USMLE preparation course that provides some of the actual examination questions.

– Soliciting information on the actual contents or actual questions on the examination.

– Using a smart phone during the examination.

– Talking with another person during the examination.

– Sharing information on the types of questions or cases that were on your examination with another person or on a blog over the internet.

– Leaving the test room and looking up answers in a text during the examination.

– Setting the building on fire during the examination so that you won’t have to complete the examination.

– Forging your Step Exam grade or a document containing it and providing it to your medical school or residency program.

These are just a few. For more examples, please see an article I wrote on this by clicking here.

Most Common Errors You Will Make When Accused of Irregular Behavior.

We have represented students accused of irregular behavior by consulting with them before and after USMLE or ECFMG hearings and on appealing the results. We have represented a number of examinees at the hearings held before the NBME at its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and before the ECFMG, which hearings are also usually held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From our experience in such cases, the following are the most common errors made by the individual when accused by the USMLE or the ECFMG of irregular behavior:

1. Failure to retain the services of an attorney experienced with such cases immediately upon receipt of a letter from the NBME or ECFMG accusing you of irregular behavior. Take this as a formal charge accusing you of, in effect, cheating. THIS IS SERIOUS.

2. Telephoning, writing or e-mailing the NBME or ECFMG to explain “your side of the story.” Such a writing or conversation will be full of admissions that will help prove the case against you and you will not even understand this. (Please note that under U.S. law any statements you make, oral or written, can be used as evidence against you in any civil, criminal or administrative proceeding. This is not the case with statements that your attorney makes on your behalf.)

3. If you submit documents or statements to the NBME or ECFMG in support of your case, these will not be well-organized, well-labeled and in a form simple and easy to understand. In many instances, you will not even understand the legal issues you are facing or how to refute them.

4. You will fail to request or attend in person the hearing before the NBME or ECFMG Committee on Irregular Behavior or Committee on Individual Review (“The Committee”) in Philadelphia. You will mistakenly believe that a written statement and documents alone will carry the day and persuade them not to take adverse action against you.

5. You will fail to take an attorney experienced in such medical administrative hearings to represent you at The Committee hearing in Philadelphia.

6. You will not know how to properly present your evidence or present your own position to The Committee, if you do attend the hearing.

7. You will not know when or what kind of evidence (expert witness reports, statistical expert affidavits, affidavits of fact witnesses), you need to use to prove issues in your case before The Committee.

8. You will fail to understand and correctly respond to the questions that the many different Committee members (usually 12 or more) will ask you during the hearing.

9. You will fail to correctly follow all procedures in order to preserve your rights in the proceedings.

10. You will falsely believe that if you lose at The Committee hearing, it will be easy to win on appeal or somehow sue in court and prove you are right. This is almost never correct. You will have only one real chance at proving your case and this is at The Committee hearing in Philadelphia.

11. You will incorrectly believe that even if you are only suspended from taking the USMLE Step exams again for a short period of time, this will have no effect on your education or career. (Note: Your USMLE transcript will note this fact and this may prevent you from ever getting into a good residency program. See #1 above.)

Invest in Your Future Career.

You and your family have invested tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, on your education so that you can become a physician. You have spent years of sacrifice and studying in order to become a physician. This is not the time to be cheap and to think that the cost of hiring an experienced legal counsel is too high. You could lose everything you and your family has invested in this. Do not be “penny wise and pound foolish.” You will need professional help if you are to get through this successfully. If you don’t care about these matters or you don’t believe this is a serious matter worthy of an investment for attorney’s fees, then go ahead and ignore this advice.

If you are not reading this until after you have lost the case and been found to have committed “irregular behavior” by the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior or by the ECFMG Committee,, I am sorry for you, but it is probably too late to be able to really do anything about it.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys For Irregular Behavior or USMLE Issues Today.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to medical students, residents, interns and fellows in academic disputes, graduate medical education (GME) hearings, contract negotiations, license applications, board certification applications and hearings, credential hearings, and civil and administrative litigations.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), legal representation for medical students, legal representation for medical resident, Committee on Irregular Behavior (CIB) defense attorney, Committee for Individual Review (CIR) defense lawyer, legal representation for allegations of irregular behavior, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) legal defense lawyer, USMLE defense attorney, legal representation for USMLE hearings, USMLE appeals defense attorney, health care defense lawyer, medical student attorney, medical resident lawyer, medical intern attorney, legal representation for civil proceeding, legal representation for criminal proceeding, legal representation for administrative proceeding, legal representation for medical administrative hearings, legal representation for administrative law, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Going to Take the USMLE Step Exams?  Beware of Actions That Can Be Called “Irregular Behavior”-Part 1

George Indest HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

If you are a medical student in or coming to the United States, you are familiar with the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step examinations.  Passing these examinations is required to become licensed in the U.S. and to matching for desired U.S. residency programs. For some foreign medical schools, passing the USMLE Step exams is required to actually graduate and received a medical degree.

This is Part 1 of a two part blog.

Violation of the Technicalities in the USMLE Handbook May Lead to a Charge of Irregular Behavior.

Although the Step examinations themselves are detailed and tough, sometimes the rules and policies concerning administration of the exams is what causes a career-ending problem for the applicant.  We often are retained to represent candidates for the examinations who have received notice from the USMLE that they are being investigated or charged with “irregular behavior.”  To me the term “irregular behavior” is merely a euphemism for “cheating” or “attempting to gain an unfair advantage.”

Consequences Can Be Severe.

If a person is found to have committed “irregular behavior,” her or his transcript of USMLE scores is stamped with the words “Irregular Behavior” and usually a letter explaining that “irregular behavior” is sent with it.  The reporting of USMLE Step exam score will usually be delayed while the investigation and/or hearing is conducted, which may take many months and make you miss important deadlines.  Any medical school, residency program, fellowship program or potential employer who receives the transcript of USMLE scores, also receives the foregoing. In many cases this will eliminate you from consideration for the best residency and fellowship programs.
Often the type of conduct that is charged is conduct that is fully acceptable in other professions and is not considered to be a violation of the rules.  According to the USMLE, there are many types of conduct that can be termed “irregular behavior.”
Irregular behavior includes any action by applicants, examinees, potential applicants, or others when solicited by an applicant and/or examinee that could compromise the validity, integrity, or security of the USMLE examination process.

The USMLE’s Examples of Irregular Behavior.

On its website, and elsewhere the USMLE provides examples of some of the types of actions that it considers to be “irregular behavior.”  These include:

Specific examples of conduct that may be deemed to be irregular behavior include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Seeking, providing, or obtaining unauthorized access to examination materials.  This includes, for example, posting a request on a listserv for questions or cases from an examination.  A posting as simple and innocuous as “Does anyone have anything on the Houston cases?” can lead to a finding of irregular behavior and serious sanctions.  And know that the USMLE has many ways of obtaining the correct identity of the owner of an e-mail address.

2. Providing false information or making false statements on or in connection with application forms, scheduling permits, or other USMLE- related documents.  This might include, for example, that you have been enrolled in a different medical school previously or that you are no longer qualified to take an exam.

3. Taking or attempting to take and examination for which you are not eligible.

4. Taking an examination for someone or engaging someone to take an examination for you.  This is hardly surprising.  This would be considered cheating and fraud anywhere.
In Part 2 of this Blog, I will continue to discuss the types of actions the USMLE considers to be “irregular behavior.”

To learn more, click here to read a prior blog I wrote on the USMLE exam.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys Today.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to medical students, residents, interns and fellows in academic disputes, graduate medical education (GME) hearings, contract negotiations, license applications, board certification applications and hearings, credential hearings, and civil and administrative litigations. To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area.  www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

Warning: “Much of the material above is provided by the USMLE.  No copyright or other rights are claimed for any material belonging to the USMLE, the NBME or others.”

Keywords: National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) representation, medical students representation, medical resident representation, irregular behavior representation, NBME defense attorney, medical student defense attorney, medical resident defense attorney, irregular behavior defense attorney,  United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) defense attorney, USMLE representation, Examination Committee for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) representation, USMLE hearings attorney, USMLE appeals attorney, legal representation for health care professionals, health care attorney, health care lawyer, medical student lawyer, medical student attorney, medical resident lawyer, medical resident attorney, medical intern lawyer, medical intern attorney, civil proceeding attorney, criminal proceeding lawyer, administrative proceeding attorney, medical administrative hearings representation, administrative law attorney, health law defense attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Going to Take the USMLE Step Exams?  Beware of Actions That Can Be Called “Irregular Behavior”-Part 2 of 2

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

In Part 2 of this blog, I will continue to discuss the types of actions the USMLE considers to be “irregular behavior.”  To read Part 1 of this blog, click here.

Specific examples of conduct that may be deemed to be irregular behavior include, but are not limited to the following (continued):

5. Seeking, providing, or obtaining unauthorized assistance during the examination or attempting to do so.  This would include using radio devices to obtain information, using phones or watches to obtain information, bringing pieces of paper with you into the exam that have information written on them, or speaking with other test-takers in a bathroom or hallway about the contents of the exam.  This also includes writing down information from a test to remove from the test location.

6. Making notes of any kind while in the secure areas of the test center, except on the writing materials provided at the test center for this purpose.  This is self-explanatory.

7. Failing to adhere to any USMLE policy, procedure, or rule including instructions of the test center staff.  This might include, for example, to stop when the time is up or to follow any other announced instructions of a test proctor.

8. Verbal or physical harassment of test center staff or other examination staff, or other disruptive or unprofessional behavior during the registration, scheduling, or examination process.  Cursing or other disruptive behavior during the exam might be included in this.  Setting the test center on fire is definitely included in this.

9. Possessing any unauthorized materials, including, but not limited to, photographic equipment, communication or recording devices, fitness and tracking monitors, and cell phones, in the secure testing areas.  The security is just about as good as in a Las Vegas casino.  So don’t try to sneak any hidden communications equipment or spy equipment into the test site.  Also, don’t try to sneak in or use any “cheat sheets,” “crib notes,” notes written on your skin, notes written on the bottom of your shoes;  these have all been tried and failed.

10. Altering or misrepresenting examination scores.  Believe it or not, you always get caught when you do this.  The school or residency program always confirms the test scores with USMLE and reports any discrepancies.

11. Unauthorized reproduction by any means, including, but not limited to, reconstruction through memorization or dissemination of copyrighted examination materials by any means, including the Internet.  The USMLE copyrights each of its tests.  It is very aggressive in enforcing its copyrights through civil and criminal prosecutions, as well as charges of “irregular behavior.”

12. Communicating or attempting to communicate about specific test items, cases, and/or answers with another examinee, potential examinee, or formal or informal test preparation group at any time before, during, or after an examination.  We have seen this happen mostly through Listservs and specifically, the USMLE Forum.  However, there are also other websites of which we have been made aware where summaries of test questions or exams (some rather dated) have been posted.  Stay away from these and do not post anything on them or request any possibly infringing information from them.

13. Failure to cooperate fully in any investigation of a violation of the USMLE rules.  The USMLE states that this is “irregular behavior.”  But we are not sure that we agree with this one, especially if such “cooperation” might lead to incriminating oneself.
The USMLE warns that, although there are a number of reputable test preparation courses out there, it is illegal for a company or individual use, disclose, distribute, or solicit content from recent test takers, or to the otherwise provide access to questions or answers from actual USMLE examinations.  And if the USMLE determines that a test prep course has obtained its actual test questions or materials, watch out.  Not only will the prep course company or owner be in serious trouble, those that enrolled in and took any courses with them will be in trouble.

When in doubt, don’t do it.

What to Do If You Get a Letter from the USMLE Accusing You of “Irregular Behavior.”

If you get a letter from the USMLE (or the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)) advising you that you are suspected of “irregular behavior,” this is the time to consult with an attorney experienced in dealing with such matters, immediately, before responding.  If you are contacted by an investigator for the USMLE or ECFMG investigating someone else suspected of “irregular behavior,” this is also the time to consult with an attorney experienced in dealing with such matters, immediately, before responding;  you may wind up being charged also.

There are only a very few law firms or attorneys in the whole U.S. who have experience in dealing with the USMLE, ECFMG and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME);  we are one of them.  The consequences to your career could be catastrophic unless you seek and obtain good legal advice on what to do.  Don’t wait.

This is Part 1 of a two part blog.  To read Part 1 of this blog, click here.

To learn more, click here to read a prior blog I wrote on the USMLE exam.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys Today.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to medical students, residents, interns and fellows in academic disputes, graduate medical education (GME) hearings, contract negotiations, license applications, board certification applications and hearings, credential hearings, and civil and administrative litigations. To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area.  www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

Warning: “Much of the material above is provided by the USMLE.  No copyright or other rights are claimed for any material belonging to the USMLE, the NBME or others.”

Keywords: National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) representation, medical students representation, medical resident representation, irregular behavior representation, NBME defense attorney, medical student defense attorney, medical resident defense attorney, irregular behavior defense attorney,  United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) defense attorney, USMLE representation, Examination Committee for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) representation, USMLE hearings attorney, USMLE appeals attorney, legal representation for health care professionals, health care attorney, health care lawyer, medical student lawyer, medical student attorney, medical resident lawyer, medical resident attorney, medical intern lawyer, medical intern attorney, civil proceeding attorney, criminal proceeding lawyer, administrative proceeding attorney, medical administrative hearings representation, administrative law attorney, health law defense attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

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