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.