SB 579

Under current law, physicians are licensed under the authority of the Medical

Examining Board (MEB), a credentialing board attached to the Department of

Safety and Professional Services. A physician's credential to practice is known as a

license to practice medicine and surgery. This bill makes various changes regarding

the licenses to practice medicine and surgery and related credentials issued by the

MEB. Significant changes in the bill are described as follows:

Regular licenses to practice medicine and surgery

Current law

Current law provides that an applicant for any class of license to practice

medicine and surgery must supply evidence satisfactory to the MEB that the

applicant is a graduate of and possesses a diploma from a medical or osteopathic

college approved by the MEB and has completed postgraduate training of 12 months

in a facility approved by the MEB. Current law also contains provisions for issuing

licenses to practice medicine and surgery to graduates of foreign medical schools that

are not approved by the MEB. Such a graduate of a foreign medical school may be

admitted to examination for a license to practice medicine and surgery if he or she

satisfies certain requirements.

The bill — licensure of accredited medical and osteopathic college

graduates

The bill repeals the provisions described above and replaces them with the

following requirements that an applicant other than a graduate of a foreign medical

college must satisfy in order to be eligible for a regular license to practice medicine

and surgery:

1. That the applicant is a graduate of and possesses a diploma from a medical

or osteopathic college that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical

Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization and

that is approved by the MEB.

2. That the applicant either: a) has successfully completed and received credit

for 24 months of postgraduate training in one or more programs accredited by the

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic

Association, or a successor organization; or b) be currently enrolled in a postgraduate

training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical

Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization; has

successfully completed and received credit for 12 consecutive months of

postgraduate training in that program; and has received an unrestricted

endorsement from the postgraduate training program director that includes

confirmation that the applicant is expected to continue in the program and complete

at least 24 months of postgraduate training.

3. That the applicant satisfies any other requirement established by the MEB

by rule.