Present law provides that a person desiring to practice medicine or surgery in this state must make application in writing to the board of medical examiners ("board") or via online application, which, if the person is an international medical school graduate, must be accompanied by a number of documents and evidence. One such piece of evidence is evidence of satisfactory completion of a three-year post-graduate training program approved by the American Medical Association or its extant accreditation program for medical education, or its successor. Such a person may apply to the board for licensure or testing within 12 months of completion of the post-graduate training program if satisfactory performance in such program is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board.
This bill revises the evidence described above to, instead, be one of the following:
(1) Evidence of satisfactory completion of a one-year U.S. post-graduate training program approved by the American Medical Association or its extant accreditation program for medical education, or its successor;
(2) Evidence of temporary licensure of limited duration by the board; or
(3) Evidence of licensure by the board to an applicant who has a certificate of license from another state or country to practice medicine in this state and who qualifies as distinguished faculty members at a rank of full professor.
ON APRIL 18, 2024, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1936, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill as follows:
(1) Authorizes the board of medicine ("board") to issue a foreign training license of limited duration to an international medical school graduate who has successfully completed a licensing examination approved under state law, upon finding sufficient evidence that the international medical school graduate demonstrates competency as determined by the board, and (i) completed a postgraduate training program of a minimum of three years in the graduate's licensing country; and (ii) has otherwise practiced as a medical professional performing the duties of a physician for the last three years outside the United States;
(2) Requires an applicant under (1), above, to submit sufficient evidence that the applicant is an international medical school graduate and has an offer for employment as a physician at a healthcare provider that operates in this state and has a postgraduate training program accredited by the accreditation council for graduate medical education in place;
(3) Requires that an international medical school graduate who is granted a foreign training license under (1), above, only provide medical services at a healthcare provider that has in place a postgraduate training program accredited by the accreditation council for graduate medical education;
(4) Authorizes the board to grant a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine to a foreign training licensee under (1), above, who is in good standing and has actively practiced medicine in this state for two years after the date of foreign training licensure;
(5) Defines, as used in the bill, a "healthcare provider" as an individual, entity, corporation, person, or organization, whether for profit or nonprofit, that furnishes, bills, or is paid for a healthcare procedure or service delivery in the normal course of business, and includes a health system, hospital, hospital-based facility, freestanding emergency facility, and urgent care clinic;
(6) Authorizes the board to issue a temporary license of limited duration to an international medical school graduate who has successfully completed a licensing examination approved under state law, upon finding sufficient evidence that the international medical school graduate demonstrates competency as determined by the board and has completed a one-year postgraduate training program in the United States;
(7) Establishes that (3), above, does not apply to an international medical school graduate who is granted a temporary license under (6), above; and
(8) Authorizes the board to grant a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine to a temporary licensee under (6) who is in good standing and has actively practiced medicine in this state for two years after the date of temporary licensure.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 63-6-207