Veterinarians, like any other medical professional, are held to a high standard of professionalism. Veterinarians are expected to provide an appropriate level of care to animals who are entrusted to them, and can face serious discipline if they fail to provide appropriate and professional treatment.
There are many examples of situations where veterinarians have lost their licenses or have had their licenses suspended, ending a career after years of hard work to acquire the credentials and skills necessary to spend a life caring for animals.
If you are at risk of losing your veterinary license, either on a temporary basis or on a permanent basis, it is important that you get professional help from a license defense attorney who can help you to defend your actions so you can protect your professional reputation and maintain your career.
There are many circumstances in which your license to practice veterinary medicine could be at risk based on accusations made against you by animal owners and/or based on an investigation conducted by your state board that oversees licensing for veterinary professionals. Examples of situations where your license could possibly be at risk include:
- Making decisions based on anything other than the needs of the pet and owner, such as recommending unnecessary procedures for financial gain rather than because the pet requires the treatment.
- Botching medical treatment that you provide to an animal, especially if the animal sustains serious or permanent injury or if the animal is killed as a result of the treatment that is provided.
- Dishonesty in interactions with animal owners, including not informing owners of risks of procedures or engaging in dishonest and unethical behavior related to fees that you are charging to patients for veterinary services.
The American Veterinary Medical Association also outlines many other principles which veterinarians should abide by in practicing medicine and providing care to animals. It is vitally important for veterinarians to understand the best practices and principles of their industry and to follow all of the requirements carefully to reduce the risk of adverse action.
The specific consequences of breaching your ethical obligations or providing substandard care will vary depending upon the actions you take and the consequences of those actions to the animal, so you also need to understand the factors that disciplinary boards consider in making decisions about what should happen to your license when complaints are made.
Veterinarians do have rights. They work hard for that professional license, and they should fight hard to protect it when it’s in jeopardy. Our experienced professional license defense attorneys can help.
If you find yourself facing complaints against you and you are concerned at all about facing possible disciplinary action, it is best to be proactive in defending yourself against the accusations. When your career is at risk, you need help from a legal professional who understands how to respond to investigations and who knows how the administrative disciplinary process works.
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