Specialist ratings

§ 4108. Specialist ratings (a) Within the restrictions herein imposed, the Chief Medical Director may rate any physician appointed under paragraph (1) of section 4104 of this title as a medical or surgical specialist, and, upon the recommendation of the Assistant Chief Medical Director for Dentistry, may rate any doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine, appointed under paragraph (1) of section 4104 of this title as a dental specialist; however, no person shall at any one time hold more than one such rating. (b) No person may be rated as a medical, surgical, or dental specialist unless he is certified as a specialist by an American specialty board, recognized by the Administrator where such boards exist; or if no such boards exist, he has been examined and found qualified by a board appointed by the Chief Medical Director from specialists of the Department of Medicine and Surgery holding ratings in the specialty to which the candidate aspires. Whenever there are insufficient specialists, rated in the proper specialty, who are readily available to constitute such a board, the Chief Medical Director may substitute consultants with comparable qualifications employed under section 4114 of this title. (c) Any person, rated as a medical, surgical, or dental specialist under the provisions of this section shall retain such rating until it shall be withdrawn by the Chief Medical Director. The Chief Medical Director shall not withdraw any such rating until it shall have been determined by a board of specialists that the person holding such rating is no longer qualified in his specialty. (d) Any person, rated as a medical, surgical, or dental specialist under the provisions of this section, shall receive, in addition to his basic pay, an allowance equal to 15 percent of such pay, but in no event shall the pay plus the allowance authorized by this subsection exceed $16,000 per annum.