This bill implements certain recommendations of the Commission Regarding Foreign- trained Physicians Living in Maine and is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Resolve 2023, chapter 93. The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course and has not taken a substantive position on the bill. The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill. The bill establishes a sponsorship program for international medical graduates. The bill provides funding for up to 10 total positions at any one time at sponsoring institutions responsible for training and employing eligible international medical graduates. Sponsoring institutions are the 4 teaching programs in the State accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. An internationally trained physician is provided a pathway to full licensure as a physician in the State as long as the internationally trained physician successfully does the following:
1. Completes the training provided by the sponsoring institution under a limited license to practice medicine granted by the Board of Licensure in Medicine;
2. Achieves a passing score on Step 3 of the national medical licensing exam; and
3. Practices medicine under a restricted license for minimum of 2 years at a participating health care facility in a Maine physician shortage area.