DWI and Your Medical License

Being arrested and charged with an offense such as DWI can be stressful for anyone, and many individuals facing such charges worry about the professional implications that these charges can have. It can be hard to travel to work if your license is revoked, and if your co-workers or bosses find out about the charge, it could cause professional problems. For physicians, a DWI conviction or charge can be even more detrimental. You may have to worry about not only having your driver’s license suspended, but your medical license, as well. Without this license, you may be unable to practice the one trade in which you are qualified to make a living.

DWI Consequences for Physicians

The good news is that the Texas Medical Board cannot automatically suspend your license or take any disciplinary action because of one incidence of arrest, or even conviction. A single DWI arrest or conviction can be considered a sort of anomaly by the board, and a misdemeanor DWI charge or conviction may not result in any action taken by the Texas Medical Board. However, any time that a physician is arrested for DWI or similar offense involving drinking and driving, the board does open an investigation. Reasons that the board may take disciplinary action include:

• Multiple DWI offenses
• If the DWI or other drinking and driving offense was a felony charge
• If there were extenuating circumstances leading the board to believe that patient lives could have been put at risk, such as the physician being on call or about to start a shift

The board usually conducts their investigation after criminal investigations have ended. Having your charges dismissed in criminal court may lead to an end of the investigation by the medical board.

Contact Us

If you are a licensed medical professional and have been charged with DWI, make sure you have experienced, knowledgeable lawyers to assist you with your legal defense. Contact the San Antonio DWI defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Chris S. Barnett today at 210-587-6464 to learn more about what we can do to help you.