4 Ways Doctors Can Lose Their Medical License

There are just over one million active medical doctors in the United States.

If you’re one of them, thumbs up! Medicine isn’t anyone’s profession. To become a medic, you have to successfully complete rigorous training that spans almost a decade. Not many people can achieve this feat.

Before you can start practice, you must obtain a medical license from your state’s Medical Board.

You probably know that you can lose your health license. What you don’t know is there are various things to can lead to the suspension or cancellation of your license.

Keep reading to learn more!

Failing to Keep Up with Continuing Education Requirements

There are some professionals that don’t have license renewal requirements. Plumbing is a good example. Once you’re licensed, that’s it.

In medicine, that’s not the case. Physicians across the United States must adhere to continuing education requirements. Although these requirements vary from state to state, you typically must complete a specified number of hours of continuing medical education one or two years before license renewal.

If you don’t meet these requirements, your license won’t be renewed. As such, you won’t be able to practice as a doctor.

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Insurance Fraud

Medical insurance fraud costs the United States about $68 billion every year. This fraud cannot happen without the input of doctors.

As you can guess, engaging in insurance fraud is a sure way to lose your license and probably end up doing jail time. As a doctor, you should always comply with insurance codes. You should not charge your patients fraudulently.

If you do and there’s proof that you’ve committed insurance fraud, it’s going to end badly for you. However, it’s not uncommon for physicians to be falsely accused of fraud, and their licenses canceled as a result. If this happens to you, hire professional license defense lawyers to fight for you.

Unethical Behavior

There are nine principles of medical ethics. Physicians must observe these ethics all the time.

Therefore, if you’re found to engage in unethical behavior, such as discriminating your patients because of their race, age, gender, or religion, there will be grounds for your license revocation.

Medical malpractice can also lead to license cancellation. For instance, if you misdiagnose a patient, they can sue you in a court of law. If you’re convicted as a result, it’s likely that you’ll lose your license.

Substance Abuse

As a doctor, you know better about the effects of drugs and substance abuse on the human body. Yet, one study established that 69 percent of doctors use antidepressants and painkillers to cope with stress.

Yes, medicine is a stressful occupation. However, if you abuse alcohol, hard drugs, prescription medicines, and other harmful substances, you risk falling into an addiction. In most states, substance abuse is one of the reasons physicians lose their licenses.

Don’t Lose Your Medical License

You broke a sweat to complete medical school and become a doctor. You also completed a rigorous licensing exam and started to practice. Why engage in activities that risk your medical license?

Keep reading our blog for more career tips and insights.