Florida Senate - 2017 SB 706
By Senator Campbell
38-01388-17 2017706__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to licensure of internationally
3 trained physicians; amending s. 458.311, F.S.;
4 establishing licensure requirements for certain
5 foreign-trained physicians; authorizing the Board of
6 Medicine to impose licensure restrictions,
7 limitations, or conditions on certain foreign-trained
8 physicians; providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraphs (f) and (h) of subsection (1) and
13 subsection (7) of section 458.311, Florida Statutes, are amended
14 to read:
15 458.311 Licensure by examination; requirements; fees.—
16 (1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a physician, who
17 does not hold a valid license in any state, shall apply to the
18 department on forms furnished by the department. The department
19 shall license each applicant who the board certifies:
20 (f) Meets one of the following medical education and
21 postgraduate training requirements:
22 1.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic medical school or
23 allopathic college recognized and approved by an accrediting
24 agency recognized by the United States Office of Education or is
25 a graduate of an allopathic medical school or allopathic college
26 within a territorial jurisdiction of the United States
27 recognized by the accrediting agency of the governmental body of
28 that jurisdiction;
29 b. If the language of instruction of the medical school is
30 other than English, has demonstrated competency in English
31 through presentation of a satisfactory grade on the Test of
32 Spoken English of the Educational Testing Service or a similar
33 test approved by rule of the board; and
34 c. Has completed an approved residency of at least 1 year.
35 2.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic foreign medical school
36 registered with the World Health Organization and certified
37 pursuant to s. 458.314 as having met the standards required to
38 accredit medical schools in the United States or reasonably
39 comparable standards;
40 b. If the language of instruction of the foreign medical
41 school is other than English, has demonstrated competency in
42 English through presentation of the Educational Commission for
43 Foreign Medical Graduates English proficiency certificate or by
44 a satisfactory grade on the Test of Spoken English of the
45 Educational Testing Service or a similar test approved by rule
46 of the board; and
47 c. Has completed an approved residency of at least 1 year.
48 3.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic foreign medical school
49 which has not been certified pursuant to s. 458.314;
50 b. Has had his or her medical credentials evaluated by the
51 Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, holds an
52 active, valid certificate issued by that commission, and has
53 passed the examination utilized by that commission; and
54 c. Has completed an approved residency of at least 1 year;
55 however, after October 1, 1992, the applicant shall have
56 completed an approved residency or fellowship of at least 2
57 years in one specialty area. However, to be acceptable, the
58 fellowship experience and training must be counted toward
59 regular or subspecialty certification by a board recognized and
60 certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
61 4.a. Is a graduate of an allopathic foreign medical school
62 that is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools
63 produced by the World Federation for Medical Education and the
64 Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education
65 and Research, in collaboration with the World Health
66 Organization; that is accredited by an accrediting agency
67 recognized by the governmental body of the foreign jurisdiction;
68 but that is not certified pursuant to s. 458.314;
69 b. If the language of instruction of the foreign medical
70 school is other than English, has demonstrated competency in
71 English through presentation of a satisfactory grade on the Test
72 of Spoken English of the Educational Testing Service or a
73 similar test approved by rule of the board;
74 c. Has completed an approved residency or fellowship of at
75 least 1 year in one specialty area, which must be counted toward
76 regular or subspecialty certification by a board recognized and
77 certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties; and
78 d. Has held an active physician license and practiced
79 medicine in a foreign jurisdiction for at least 10 years
80 immediately preceding the application for licensure under this
81 section.
82 (h) Has obtained a passing score, as established by rule of
83 the board, on the licensure examination of the United States
84 Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE); or a combination of the
85 United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), the
86 examination of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the
87 United States, Inc. (FLEX), or the examination of the National
88 Board of Medical Examiners up to the year 2000; or for the
89 purpose of examination of any applicant who was licensed on the
90 basis of a state board examination and who is currently licensed
91 in at least one other jurisdiction of the United States or
92 Canada, and who has practiced pursuant to such licensure for a
93 period of at least 10 years, use of the Special Purpose
94 Examination of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the
95 United States (SPEX) upon receipt of a passing score as
96 established by rule of the board. An applicant meeting the
97 medical education and postgraduate training requirements in
98 subparagraph (f)4. may meet the examination requirement of this
99 paragraph by obtaining a passing score on an examination
100 determined by the board to be substantially equivalent to, or
101 more stringent than, the United States Medical Licensing
102 Examination (USMLE). However, for the purpose of examination of
103 any applicant who was licensed on the basis of a state board
104 examination prior to 1974, who is currently licensed in at least
105 three other jurisdictions of the United States or Canada, and
106 who has practiced pursuant to such licensure for a period of at
107 least 20 years, this paragraph does not apply.
108 (7) Upon certification by the board, the department shall
109 impose conditions, limitations, or restrictions on a license if
110 the applicant is on probation in another jurisdiction for an act
111 that which would constitute a violation of this chapter. The
112 board may certify an applicant for licensure who has met the
113 medical education and postgraduate training requirements under
114 subparagraph (1)(f)4. and all other licensure requirements with
115 a condition, limitation, or restriction, including, but not
116 limited to, a probationary period of practice, a scope of
117 practice limitation, or a supervision requirement, which shall
118 be imposed by the department for a duration specified by the
119 board.
120 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.