00Enrolled HB 102                                                                                                         
01 Relating to the licensure of foreign medical graduates and to applications for a license to                             
02 practice medicine; and providing for an effective date.                                                                 
03                           _______________                                                                               
04    * Section 1.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                         
05 to read:                                                                                                                
06       LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.  (a)  The legislature finds that foreign                                         
07 medical graduates can be competent and qualified to provide medical care to residents of the                            
08 state; there is a shortage of physicians in the state, and additional discretion to license foreign                     
09 medical graduates is needed.                                                                                            
10       (b)  It is the intent of the legislature to provide additional discretion to the State                            
11 Medical Board to license foreign medical graduates while ensuring that foreign medical                                  
12 graduates possess the necessary training and skill to practice medicine competently.                                    
13    * Sec. 2.  AS 08.64.200(a) is amended to read:                                                                     
14            (a)  Except for foreign medical graduates as specified in AS 08.64.225, each                                 

01       physician applicant shall                                                                                         
02                 (1)  submit a certificate of graduation from a legally chartered medical                                
03       school accredited by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Council                                 
04       on Medical Education of the American Medical Association;                                                         
05                 (2)  submit a certificate from a recognized hospital or hospitals                                       
06       certifying that the applicant has satisfactorily performed the duties of resident                                 
07       physician or intern for a period of                                                                               
08                      (A)  one year if the applicant graduated from medical school                                       
09            before January 1, 1995, as evidenced by a certificate of completion of the first                             
10            year of postgraduate training from the facility where the applicant completed                                
11            the first year of internship or residency; and                                                               
12                      (B)  two years if the applicant graduated from medical school                                      
13            on or after January 1, 1995, as evidenced by a certificate of completion of the                              
14            first year of postgraduate training from the facility where the applicant                                    
15            completed the first year of internship or residency and a certificate of                                     
16            successful completion of one additional year of postgraduate training at a                                   
17            recognized hospital;                                                                                         
18                 (3)  submit a list of negotiated settlements or judgments in claims or                                  
19       civil actions alleging medical malpractice against the applicant, including an                                    
20       explanation of the basis for each claim or action; and                                                            
21                 (4)  not have a license to practice medicine in another state, country,                             
22       province, or territory that is currently suspended or revoked for disciplinary reasons.                           
23    * Sec. 3.  AS 08.64.225 is amended to read:                                                                        
24            Sec. 08.64.225.  Foreign medical graduates.  Applicants who are graduates of                               
25       medical colleges not accredited by the Association of American Medical Colleges and                               
26       the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association shall                                        
27                 (1)  meet the requirements of AS 08.64.200(a)(3) and (4) and                                            
28       08.64.255;                                                                                                        
29                 (2)  have successfully completed                                                                        
30                      (A)  three years of postgraduate training as evidenced by a                                    
31            certificate of completion of the first year of postgraduate training from the                                

01            facility where the applicant completed the first year of internship or residency                             
02            and a certificate of successful completion of two additional years of                                        
03            postgraduate training at a recognized hospital; or                                                       
04                      (B)  other requirements establishing proof of competency                                       
05            and professional qualifications as the board considers necessary to ensure                               
06            the continued protection of the public adopted at the discretion of the                                  
07            board by regulation; and                                                                                 
08                 (3)  have passed examinations as specified by the board in regulations.                                 
09    * Sec. 4.  AS 08.64.225 is amended by adding new subsections to read:                                              
10            (b)  Requirements establishing proof of competency under (a)(2)(B) of this                                   
11       section may include                                                                                               
12                 (1)  current licensure in another state and an active medical practice in                               
13       that state for at least three years; or                                                                           
14                 (2)  current board certification in a practice specialty by the American                                
15       Board of Medical Specialties.                                                                                     
16            (c)  In this section, "recognized hospital" means a hospital that has been                                   
17       approved for internship or residency training by the Accreditation Council for                                    
18       Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of                                     
19       Canada.                                                                                                           
20    * Sec. 5.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).