Florida Senate - 2017                                    SB 1546
       
       
        
       By Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       
       
       36-01227C-17                                          20171546__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to licensure of foreign-trained
    3         physicians; amending s. 458.311, F.S.; revising
    4         licensure requirements for certain foreign-trained
    5         physicians; removing the requirement for a certain
    6         degree from a United States college or university;
    7         authorizing the Board of Medicine to make a certain
    8         determination regarding the medical exams required for
    9         foreign-trained physicians; providing an effective
   10         date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (1) and subsection
   15  (3) of section 458.311, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   16         458.311 Licensure by examination; requirements; fees.—
   17         (1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a physician, who
   18  does not hold a valid license in any state, shall apply to the
   19  department on forms furnished by the department. The department
   20  shall license each applicant who the board certifies:
   21         (f) Meets one of the following medical education and
   22  postgraduate training requirements:
   23         1.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic medical school or
   24  allopathic college recognized and approved by an accrediting
   25  agency recognized by the United States Office of Education or is
   26  a graduate of an allopathic medical school or allopathic college
   27  within a territorial jurisdiction of the United States
   28  recognized by the accrediting agency of the governmental body of
   29  that jurisdiction;
   30         b. If the language of instruction of the medical school is
   31  other than English, has demonstrated competency in English
   32  through presentation of a satisfactory grade on the Test of
   33  English as a Foreign Language Test of Spoken English of the
   34  Educational Testing Service or a similar test approved by rule
   35  of the board; and
   36         c. Has completed an approved residency of at least 1 year.
   37         2.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic foreign medical school
   38  registered with the World Health Organization and certified
   39  pursuant to s. 458.314 as having met the standards required to
   40  accredit medical schools in the United States or reasonably
   41  comparable standards;
   42         b. If the language of instruction of the foreign medical
   43  school is other than English, has demonstrated competency in
   44  English through presentation of the Educational Commission for
   45  Foreign Medical Graduates English proficiency certificate or by
   46  a satisfactory grade on the Test of English as a Foreign
   47  Language Test of Spoken English of the Educational Testing
   48  Service or a similar test approved by rule of the board; and
   49         c. Has completed an approved residency of at least 1 year.
   50         3.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic foreign medical school
   51  which has not been certified pursuant to s. 458.314;
   52         b. Has had his or her medical credentials evaluated by the
   53  Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, holds an
   54  active, valid certificate issued by that commission, and has
   55  passed the examination utilized by that commission; and
   56         c. Has completed an approved residency of at least 1 year;
   57  however, after October 1, 1992, the applicant shall have
   58  completed an approved residency or fellowship of at least 2
   59  years in one specialty area. However, to be acceptable, the
   60  fellowship experience and training must be counted toward
   61  regular or subspecialty certification by a board recognized and
   62  certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
   63         4.a.Is a graduate of an allopathic foreign medical school
   64  listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by
   65  the World Health Organization;
   66         b.Has completed an approved residency or fellowship of at
   67  least 2 years, regardless of whether the applicant was
   68  compensated for the residency.
   69         (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph
   70  (1)(f)3., a graduate of a foreign medical school need not
   71  present the certificate issued by the Educational Commission for
   72  Foreign Medical Graduates or pass the examination utilized by
   73  that commission if the graduate:
   74         (a) Has received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited
   75  United States college or university.
   76         (a)(b) Has studied at a medical school that which is
   77  recognized by the World Health Organization.
   78         (b)(c) Has completed all of the formal requirements of the
   79  foreign medical school, except the internship or social service
   80  requirements, and has passed part I of the National Board of
   81  Medical Examiners examination, or the Educational Commission for
   82  Foreign Medical Graduates examination equivalent, or an
   83  examination determined by the board to be substantially
   84  equivalent to, or more stringent than, the United States Medical
   85  Licensing Examination (USMLE).
   86         (c)(d) Has completed an academic year of supervised
   87  clinical training in a hospital affiliated with a medical school
   88  approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American
   89  Medical Association and upon completion has passed part II of
   90  the National Board of Medical Examiners examination, or the
   91  Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates examination
   92  equivalent, or an examination determined by the board to be
   93  substantially equivalent to, or more stringent than, the USMLE.
   94         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.