30 Miss. Code. R. 2645-1.9
Hearings shall be held before the full Board at the time and place designated in the summons, unless a continuance is granted for just cause by the Board. A motion for a continuance must be filed with the Board at least fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled hearing, or upon a showing of good cause, at any time prior to the hearing.
It must be recognized that the Board consists of nine (9) practicing physicians representing various regions of the state. Unlike the judiciary, Board members are not in the business of conducting hearings, therefore hearings will be held only during regularly scheduled meetings or other date established by order of the Board. Attorneys representing physicians should take this fact into consideration. A scheduled hearing may be continued if the respondent shows substantial, legitimate grounds for continuing the hearing, based on the balance of:
Where the counsel for respondent has a scheduling conflict on the initial hearing date, continuances will be liberally granted. However, respondent's counsel must submit written proof of the scheduling conflict. Thereafter, no further continuances will be granted based solely on scheduling conflicts.
So that counsel for the respondent and complaint counsel shall be able to adequately prepare for hearing, any motion for a continuance filed within the time limitations specified above, will be immediately considered by the Board's President, who shall have the authority to grant or deny said motion. If granted, the order will be presented to the Board at the scheduled hearing date at which time the order will be formally entered and the rescheduled hearing date set.
It is the responsibility of the respondent to make a prompt decision as to whether to appear before the Board "pro se" (without counsel) or retain counsel for this purpose. Unless due to extraordinary circumstances, the Board will not consider as a valid ground for continuance, the respondent's last minute decision to retain counsel.
30 Miss. Code. R. 2645-1.9