The common law has long been harsh on those who practice a profession without a license. One rules imposed the professional standard of care in any injuries that result. Thus, even though you might not be a doctor, you will be held to the standard of a doctor for the purposes of a negligence/malpractice case. You can also be charged criminally in most states, as was this couple accused of doing harmful cosmetic surgeries out of a filthy home in New York. Click here for story. Ha Nguyen, 48, and Zbigniew Makowski, 62, are accused of practicing medicine without a license and child endangerment.