The Poor Record of the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners

Karen Gatlin

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

Dr. Joseph Gluck, a New Jersey pediatrician, was the former director of the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners from 1998 to 2006. It was therefore surprising to hear him recently state that the board does not properly review complaints and has failed to protect the public against incompetent and, perhaps, dangerous physicians. New Jersey has one of the ten worst records in terms of imposing sanctions on physicians who are a danger to the health and safety of the public. Instead of revoking licenses, the board has often imposed a reprimand or suspension, allowing physicians to maintain or resume their practices after a short period of non practice. There needs to be more oversight of the Board to ensure that proper action is taken to protect New Jersey citizens from incompetent or impaired physicians.