Fighting To Protect Your Veterinarian License

The Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine is very strict when it conducts its investigations, which means it is becoming more common for a veterinarian to have restrictions placed upon their license. In some cases, a veterinarian may have their license suspended or revoked, which means the end of a hard-earned career.

Fortunately, there is a way to reduce the chance of license suspension or revocation, and that is through retaining the services of a Minneapolis veterinarian license defense attorney who is highly experienced in professional license defense. With proper guidance through the investigation process and any other steps that may occur after the investigation, the chance of losing your license is reduced, increasing the chance that you will be able to go back to work as usual.

Veterinary Board Investigation Process

Board of Veterinary Medicine will notify you by postal mail that you are being investigated. There may be rare instances in which notification isn’t received, but that is only in cases where notification could interfere with the board’s investigation. If you receive notification, you may be told that you can respond to the allegations within a specific time frame. You will also be advised that you can retain the services of a Minnesota veterinarian license defense attorney to defend you against the allegations.

As the investigation goes on, the investigator for the board will gather information that is relevant to the case such as witness statements, medical records, medication logs and anything else that is relevant. Once the investigator is finished gathering the information, they will make a recommendation based upon the evidence found as it relates to the allegations. This is the time when the case could be dismissed or allowed to move forward to an informal settlement conference.

Informal Settlement Conference And Agreed Orders

If the case moves on to the informal settlement conference, the board members receive the evidence so that they can ask the veterinarian questions. When the attorney is present during this, evidence can be shown to the board that benefits the veterinarian. This is another point in which the case may be dismissed or allowed to move on to an agreed order.

It is usually by this phase that a violation has been proven, so a settlement offer may be made. Disciplinary action, such as further education or job restrictions, may be proposed. There may even be practice restrictions, supervision requirements and a number of other actions put in place before suspension or revocation is ever on the table. The goal, however, is to work toward no disciplinary action at all. If that is not possible, disciplinary action can be negotiated over license revocation or suspension. When agreeing to an agreed order, the veterinarian signs it, and it then moves on to the board for ratification. If a veterinarian does not agree to the agreed order, then the board’s decision can be appealed.

Contact An Attorney To Fight For You

You take your career very seriously, as it is what you love to do, and it is your livelihood. When it is threatened, you deserve to defend it by hiring a competent and experienced attorney who knows what needs to be said and done before the state licensing board. You will be guided through the process, and action will be taken to prove why you should be able to continue practicing. To find out more about how the Speas Law Firm, P.A., can help, call 612-333-6160 to schedule your initial consultation.