Doctor’s appeal dismissed

A doctor who faked a document to get registration and a job in New Zealand has had his appeal against his conviction dismissed.

Teimur Youssefi had told the Court of Appeal last week he had applied for 54 positions but a conviction for forgery made it impossible to get a job.

Youssefi was disciplined in Malta where he had been working for an ethical breach after a complaint by a patient in 2013. But he did not disclose that to authorities when he applied for registration here.

He altered a document to show that he had not been disciplined in Malta where he had worked.

It was discovered only after he had been working at the Whanganui DHB as a junior doctor, and he was charged with forgery and using a document to gain an advantage.

After an appeal to the High Court, the conviction for the document charge was quashed but remained for forgery. He was also deregistered by the Medical Council. He has since reapplied and been granted registration.

In the Court of Appeal, Youssefi asked for the conviction to be overturned because of the impact on his career and employment and the restriction on overseas travel for ongoing training. He now wishes to be a cardiologist and not being able to travel would mean he would be unable to attend courses and conferences overseas.

The Court said removing the conviction would not mean he did not have to disclose the offending as applications for visitor permits can ask if he had ever been arrested or convicted of an offence.

The Court said the Medical Council already knew about the case and disclosure of his offending for future employers was a matter of record.

It said a conviction was not out of proportion with the gravity of the offending, there had been no miscarriage of justice and dismissed the appeal.