Following publicized reports of his sexual involvement with three female patients 15 years ago, a psychiatrist affiliated with the Medical School relinquished his license Monday, the day before the Massachusetts Board of Licensing in Medicine was to have held a final hearing to decide the future status of his license.

Claiming that he had already been unfairly "tried and convicted in the press," Dr. Lionel A. Schwartz, 66, said he plans to retire permanently on May 15. In an interview yesterday, Schwartz said the press coverage of the case that began last April had made a fair hearing impossible.

"All of this happened 15 years ago--most of the articles make you think it happened yesterday. Since then I have had extensive rehabilitation. Most people I know have called it real yellow journalism. [The newspapers] give no credit to the fact that I can and have changed," Schwartz said.

In 1986, the first of the three women began the state licensing board's investigation by submitting a formal complaint to the board claiming that Schwartz had had sex with her while she was his patient. Since then, two other women have come forward with similar complaints. One of the women was a Wellesley College student during Schwartz's tenure as chief counselor at Wellesley.

Schwartz has not denied any of these charges.

The board had been conducting confidential hearings on the complaints and was nearing a decision when he relinquished his license, said board spokesperson Margaret Carvan. "Frankly, [Schwartz's resignation] makes the procedure now moot," Carvan said.

Under Massachusetts law, Schwartz' resignmentis irrevocable, she said. It nullifies Schwartz'slicense in Massachusetts, as well as making itvoid in every other state. Schwartz will also bebarred from trying to acquire a new physician'slicense in another state, Carvan added.

Schwartz said that in addition to the unfairpress coverage, he objected to the effective useof the Licensing Board as a legal body because itis not structured like a court of law.

"I'm not excusing what I did, but I dispute theway the board is set up. It's not like a regularcourt--they don't follow any legal rules at all.They allowed two women to appear without beingsworn in or questioned. I was denied due process,"Schwartz said.

Cambridge Hospital officals had said they wouldallow Schwartz to carry out his appointment thereuntil his scheduled departure this July. Schwartzallowed his admitting privileges at McLeanHospital in Belmont to lapse last December.

Dr. Judith Herman, assistant clinical professorof psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, praisedthe courage of the women who came forward in thecase and said it would encourage others to do thesame