Patch Chat: Should Sex Offender Who Tried to Meet Teenage Boy in White Plains Be Allowed to Practice Medicine Again?

According to Greenwich Time.com—it was more than two years ago that Dr. Clifford Berken of Connecticut ventured to White Plains to meet-up with what he thought was a teenage boy he had sexually explicit conversations with on the Internet.

Berken instead met up with police who arrested and charged him. Greenwich Time.com reports that—since pleading guilty to attempting to disseminate indecent material to a minor in February—the Connecticut Medical Examining Board ruled that Berken would be allowed to practice medicine in the state.

Here are the facts, according to Greenwich Time.com:

• Berken is sentenced to five years probation
• He is a classified sex offender
• He is required to continue to undergo mental health treatment
• He is permanently restricted from treating patients under 18
• He can only examine patients with another staff member in the room
• The Connecticut Department of Health can randomly review him
• He voluntarily refrained from practicing medicine and Connecticut after his arrest, before the decision

The Decision:

Greenwich Time.com said the medical examining board acknowledged that Berken is at risk for having his emotional disorders and mental illness affect his ability to practice medicine while he is recovering.

“However, as both therapists testified, respondent may return to his practice of medicine with certain restrictions in place—so long as he continues to address the emotional disorders, mental illness, family issues and various stressors that adversely affected his ability to cop and severely impaired his judgment,” the decision says, according to Greenwich Time.com.

Board Chairwoman Anne Doremus defended the decision, while Jean Rexford, the director for the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety said she was “appalled,” by it.

For more information, read the full story on Greenwich Time.com by clickinghere.

What do you think?

• Should Berken be allowed to practice medicine? Why or why not?
• Are the restrictions placed on him fair?
• Would you make him your doctor?
• What is a fair ruling for Berken?
• Were his criminal charges too lenient?

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