Medical Regulator Views Offences Involving Dishonesty As Serious

The nine-month licence suspension and formal reprimand for professional misconduct that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario imposed on a Canadian sports doctor show how seriously the regulator takes offences involving dishonesty, says Elyse Sunshine.

Sunshine notes the doctor admitted to providing unapproved treatments in the United States and other misconduct so the only contentious issue before the College was the appropriate penalty for his actions.

“The College was actually seeking revocation of the doctor’s licence, or certificate of registration, in this case. The defence was asking for a lesser penalty,” she tells AdvocateDaily. “The regulator's discipline committee ultimately came up with the nine-month suspension. This is still a significant penalty but not revocation as the College wanted.”

Sunshine comments following the College’s ruling against the doctor, which also included an order to pay the regulator $21,000 in legal costs, reports the Canadian Press. The physician’s client list included golfer Tiger Woods and other star athletes, says the wire service.