Reinstating Your Medical License After a Criminal Conviction

 Posted on July 12, 2019 in Medical License Defense

Becoming a physician is a long and difficult process. You go to school for nearly 10 years, hold internships, practice medicine as a resident and you might even further your career by specializing in a specific field, which takes even more training. The last thing you would want is for something small and unrelated to put your medical license in jeopardy. In the state of Illinois, physicians are held to a higher standard than is the general population. Physicians are expected to be upstanding citizens, which is why even a small and/or unrelated criminal charge can have a large impact on one’s medical career. If you are convicted of a crime, your license will probably be revoked, but there are things you can do to mitigate the situation.

Crimes and Your Medical License

Prior to 2017, any felony conviction meant an automatic denial for new medical license applicants or revocation for current medical license holders. Under the current law, any person who was convicted of a criminal charge may petition to have his or her license reinstated if five years have passed since the conviction or three years have passed since the individual was released from confinement, whichever is later.

Not all who petition to have their license reinstated will have that petition granted. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) will examine a variety of factors when making a determination of whether or not to reinstate a license. These factors include:

• The seriousness of the offense
• Whether or not there were multiple offenses
• Any prior disciplinary history the petitioner has
• The impact the offense had on any victims
• The motive for the offense
• Whether or not there is a lack of contrition for the offense
• The level of cooperation between the petitioner and investigative authorities
• Whether or not the misconduct was self-reported
• The date of the conviction
• Any evidence of voluntary remedial actions or other acts of rehabilitation

Contact an Illinois Medical License Defense Attorney Today

The thought that you could never return to your chosen career can be terrifying. Even if you were convicted of a crime that was completely unrelated to your career, you could have your medical license revoked. If you have had your license revoked due to a criminal conviction or you are facing criminal charges, you should contact an Illinois medical license defense lawyer today. At The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc., we can help you defend your medical license or petition to have your license reinstated. Call our office today at 630-310-1267 to set up a free consultation.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=325&ChapterID=5

https://www.idfpr.com/News/2016/LicensePathFelonyPetition.asp