A fun night out can take a disastrous turn if an impaired person gets behind the wheel of a car. Alcohol can easily convince a person that they’re sober enough to drive when they’re not. Police are trained to spot impaired drivers on the road, and they’re likely to stop you. Worse still is the potential for an accident that could harm you and others.
Unfortunately for those in the medical field, a DUI may have even more consequences. You are required to report any criminal convictions, including DUIs, to the Medical Board of California. It is then up to the board members to decide what kind of punishment, if any, is appropriate.
Potential punishments for a DUI
The medical board sees drunk driving offenses as improper conduct and poor judgment from a healthcare professional. As a result, they decide on the penalties for doctors who are not living up to the standards required to hold a medical license.
Last year, the medical board placed a doctor on five years of probation after he got a second DUI. He will not be able to run a solo practice and his work will be subject to oversight. This case is a good illustration of how seriously the Medical Board of California treats DUIs.
If you find yourself charged with driving under the influence, here are some penalties or punishments you could find yourself subjected to:
- Ban from alcohol: If it appears that a doctor has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, the medical board could mandate that they no longer drink it for a specified period. This punishment could also include therapy to address why they have problems controlling their drinking.
- Limit of work activities: Doctors may face certain restrictions on what medical duties they can perform. The board may also subject them to monitoring to ensure alcohol, or lack thereof, is not impacting their work.
- Revocation of medical license: In severe cases, the Medical Board of California may find a physician unfit to continue their duties as a healthcare worker. The board could decide to revoke a doctor’s license, which would prevent them from practicing entirely in California.
