What percentage of doctors lose their license?

[geretts]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all,

I think one of the worst case scenarios is losing your license to practice medicine after spending $250,000 and 7+ years of your life learning how to become a doctor.

How many doctors wind up in this situation? Is this something that you are worried about? What options do you have if you lose your license?

 

[theseeker4]

Hi all,

I think one of the worst case scenarios is losing your license to practice medicine after spending $250,000 and 7+ years of your life learning how to become a doctor.

How many doctors wind up in this situation? Is this something that you are worried about? What options do you have if you lose your license?

Not worried about it. Not sure the rate, but unless you are abusing drugs on the job and refuse to get help, or defrauding insurance companies, or committing gross negligence, or something of the like, you are very unlikely to be stripped of your license. Why would you be worried about this?

 

[Alucard6]

Not a common thing to happen, you really have to go out of your way to lose your medical license. I am sure if you have gotten to the point where you have been practicing for 5+ years you know not to do anything stupid to even put you in that situation.

 

[Narmerguy]

A small amount, though it varies by state. It was mentioned in Waiting For Superman (documentary about education) that 1-in-57 doctors lose their licenses. Here's an article that fact checks that: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonie-haimson/factchecking-waiting-for-_b_802900.html

The 1-in-57 is only for illinois. In Texas the rate is smaller (~0.1% or 1-in-1000)

 

[aich]

A small amount, though it varies by state. It was mentioned in Waiting For Superman (documentary about education) that 1-in-57 doctors lose their licenses. Here's an article that fact checks that: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonie-haimson/factchecking-waiting-for-_b_802900.html

The 1-in-57 is only for illinois. In Texas the rate is smaller (~0.1% or 1-in-1000)

That's a great documentary. I know two in Texas that have lost their license.

 

[BiochemMaster]

Not that many. It matters on intention only (usually). Just don't do anything wrong. Your best bet is to go into something like anesthesiology if your feelings get the best of you. This allows for you to never intentionally get the thought of hurting someone because you would not know them.

 

[smpbound]

Losing your license is actually the least of it. The trend is now that doctors get prosecuted for criminal negligence.

 

[masaraksh]

Not worried about it. Not sure the rate, but unless you are abusing drugs on the job and refuse to get help, or defrauding insurance companies, or committing gross negligence, or something of the like, you are very unlikely to be stripped of your license. Why would you be worried about this?

I think what you're saying is a little naive. Sure, I you do any of those things you will likely lose your license. But there are other factors. Gawande does a good job of describing a few specific doctors. In his book 'Better'. Burn out happens, life happens, priorities shift, appeal of medicine can decline, people change, the practice environment can change too.

 

[theseeker4]

I think what you're saying is a little naive. Sure, I you do any of those things you will likely lose your license. But there are other factors. Gawande does a good job of describing a few specific doctors. In his book 'Better'. Burn out happens, life happens, priorities shift, appeal of medicine can decline, people change, the practice environment can change too.

I am not familiar with the book, but what you are describing all sound to me like reasons people voluntarily leave medicine, not being stripped of your license against your will. I am sure there are a handful of anecdotes about doctors who truly did nothing wrong and were for some reason stripped, but how often does that happen, by the numbers? My guess is there are a lot of other things much more likely to happen to you that would ruin your life than being unjustly stripped of your license to practice medicine.....

 

[QofQuimica]

As the others have already said, it is very uncommon for physicians to lose their licenses.

Nearly every major risk in your life (malpractice, early death, house fires, disability, etc.) can be insured against. Losing your license as a result of unprofessional behavior is the one big uninsurable risk that you face as a physician. The solution to that problem is to avoid situations that could give even the appearance of impropriety. Don't yell at subordinates and throw things. Don't grope the nurses. Don't badmouth your colleagues. Don't violate HIPAA rules. Don't start drinking excessively or taking drugs (and if you're already having a problem with alcohol/drugs, get help on your own instead of waiting for someone to force you to do it.) Don't sleep with your patients. I could go on, but hopefully you already knew these were the kinds of things that physicians (or anyone else, really) ought to avoid doing.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Not that many. It matters on intention only (usually). Just don't do anything wrong. Your best bet is to go into something like anesthesiology if your feelings get the best of you. This allows for you to never intentionally get the thought of hurting someone because you would not know them.

Wut?

 

[mehc012]

Not that many. It matters on intention only (usually). Just don't do anything wrong. Your best bet is to go into something like anesthesiology if your feelings get the best of you. This allows for you to never intentionally get the thought of hurting someone because you would not know them.

You do realize that in order to put people to sleep, the anesthesiologist has to speak to them while they're awake, right?

 

[Mad Jack]

Not that many. It matters on intention only (usually). Just don't do anything wrong. Your best bet is to go into something like anesthesiology if your feelings get the best of you. This allows for you to never intentionally get the thought of hurting someone because you would not know them.

OP is worried about accidentally losing their license, not becoming a serial killer.

 

[tmn]

Not that many. It matters on intention only (usually). Just don't do anything wrong. Your best bet is to go into something like anesthesiology if your feelings get the best of you. This allows for you to never intentionally get the thought of hurting someone because you would not know them.

 

[DermViser]

Not that many. It matters on intention only (usually). Just don't do anything wrong. Your best bet is to go into something like anesthesiology if your feelings get the best of you. This allows for you to never intentionally get the thought of hurting someone because you would not know them.

You, sir, are an idiot.

 

[greenlion]

As the others have already said, it is very uncommon for physicians to lose their licenses.

Nearly every major risk in your life (malpractice, early death, house fires, disability, etc.) can be insured against. Losing your license as a result of unprofessional behavior is the one big uninsurable risk that you face as a physician. The solution to that problem is to avoid situations that could give even the appearance of impropriety. Don't yell at subordinates and throw things. Don't grope the nurses. Don't badmouth your colleagues. Don't violate HIPAA rules. Don't start drinking excessively or taking drugs (and if you're already having a problem with alcohol/drugs, get help on your own instead of waiting for someone to force you to do it.) Don't sleep with your patients. I could go on, but hopefully you already knew these were the kinds of things that physicians (or anyone else, really) ought to avoid doing.

Agreed. Except probably none of those things would result in permanently losing your license. It pretty much has to be in the order of a criminal felony.