Dr. John Smyth Michel, 56, of Jenkintown, saw charges of felony rape and sexual assault charges dropped against him last week after his accuser failed to appear at trial, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

A then-38-year-old patient had claimed Michel raped her during a 2024 office visit. Michel, the founder and former medical director of Excel Medical Center, faced up to 20 years in prison on the rape charge and loss of his medical license.

The Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicine suspended his license last year after he apologized for having sex with a patient, which is considered a violation of state licensure laws, The Inquirer said. Excel Medical Center’s 12 Philadelphia-area locations are currently closed.

Michel’s accuser claimed that in October 2024 he “raped her with such force that her head banged twice against the exam room wall. She pushed him off her and fell to the ground crying”, The Inquirer wrote. She subsequently filed a police report.

A second woman who had worked for Michel as a medical assistant from 2015 to 2019 accused him of sexual abuse in late 2025.

The former employee claimed that beginning in 2018, Michel “touched her breasts over her clothing on multiple occasions while she was working in the office. He additionally groped her vagina over her clothing before she quit in 2019”, The Inquirer said.

Philadelphia police arrested Michel in February 2025 after prosecutors charged him with three felonies—rape, sexual assault, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse—and two misdemeanors—indecent exposure and assault. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.

Prior to the accusations, he had no criminal complaints and no disciplinary history against his medical license, The Inquirer said.

From the Pennsylvania Department of State’s report:

John Smyth Michel DO, license no. OS014431, of Jenintown , Montgomery County, was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $4,000.00, shall complete at least 15 hours of continuing medical education (”CME”) on the topic of ethics, shall complete an intensive boundaries course, and Michel license shall be suspended for a period of 24 months with the first 6 months to be served on active suspension and the remaining 18 months to be immediately stayed in favor of probation. Additionally, the Respondent shall be subject to practice monitoring during his period of probation because Michel violated the Act in that he committed immoral or unprofessional conduct. (6/11/2025)

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