Licensure Of Out-Of-State And International Applicants

To practice medicine in Tennessee a person must possess a lawfully issued license from the Board. The Board in its discretion may issue licensure based upon licensure in another state or distinguished faculty status according to the following criteria, process and qualifications: (1) An applicant shall obtain an application form from the Board Administrative Office, respond truthfully and completely to every question or request for information contained in the form and submit it along with all documentation and fees required by the form and this rule to the Board Administrative Office in such a manner that all documents are dated not more than one (1) year prior to the date received in the Board Administrative Office. (2) An applicant shall submit a clear and recognizable, recently taken, bust photograph which shows the full head, face forward from at least the top of the shoulders up. (3) An applicant shall submit evidence of good moral character. Such evidence shall be two (2) recent (within the six [6] months preceding the date the Board received the application) original letters from medical professionals, attesting to the applicant’s personal character and professional ethics on the signatory’s letterhead. (4) An applicant shall submit proof of United States or Canada citizenship or evidence of being legally entitled to live and work in the United States. Such evidence may include notarized copies of birth certificates, naturalization papers or current visa status. (5) An applicant shall submit with the application the application fee as provided in Rule 0880-02- .02(1)(a) and the state regulatory fee as provided in Rule 0880-02-.02(1)(g). (6) If an applicant has ever held a license to practice medicine in any other state or Canada, the applicant shall submit or cause to be submitted the equivalent of a Tennessee Certificate of Endorsement from each such licensing board which indicates the applicant either holds a current active medical license and whether it is in good standing, or has held a medical license which is currently inactive and whether it was in good standing at the time it became inactive. (7) All applicants shall disclose the circumstances surrounding any of the following: (a) Conviction of any criminal law violation of any country, state, or municipality, except minor traffic violations. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-02 THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE (b) The denial of licensure application by any other state or the discipline of licensure in any state. (c) Loss or restriction of hospital privileges. (d) Any other civil suit judgment or civil suit settlement in which the applicant was a party defendant including, without limitation, actions involving medical malpractice, breach of contract, antitrust activity or any other civil action remedy recognized under any country’s or state’s statutory, common, or case law. (e) Failure of any medical licensure examination. (8) Applicants attempting to qualify for licensure based on licensure in another state pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-6-211(a) are subject to the following: (a) An applicant who has successfully completed FLEX or the National Board of Medical Examiners examination in another state but has not become licensed in another state or Canada will not be considered for licensure under this rule but may qualify by complying with all requirements of Rule 0880-02-.03 or Rule 0880-02-.04. (b) An applicant shall cause to be submitted, evidence of successful completion of a medical educational program as follows: 1. For United States or Canada medical school graduates, the documentation required by Rule 0880-02-.03(2) and 0880-02-.03(3). 2. For international medical school graduates, the documentation required by Rules 0880-02-.04(2), (3), (4) and (5) all of which must be translated into English. (c) It is the applicant’s responsibility to request official verification of successful completion of one of the following examinations be sent to the Board Administration Office directly from the examination agency. 1. FLEX - Completed in another state with a passing score as determined pursuant to Rule 0880-02-.08; or 2. The written and/or practical state medical board examination successfully completed in another state prior to December 1972 (date Tennessee began FLEX); or 3. The National Board of Medical Examiners examination with a certificate of endorsement indicating a passing score; or 4. The Canadian Medical Board; or 5. The United States Medical Licensing Examination with a certification of endorsement indicating a passing score. (d) An applicant shall cause to be submitted the equivalent of a Tennessee certificate of endorsement from the licensing board of at least one (1) state or Canada which indicates the applicant holds a current and active medical license which is in good standing. (9) Applicants attempting to qualify for licensure as a distinguished faculty member pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-6-211(b) are subject to the following: GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-02 THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE (a) An applicant shall cause to be submitted evidence of successful completion of a medical education program pursuant to either Rule 0880-02-.03(2) or Rule 0880-02- .04(2). (b) An applicant shall cause to be submitted the following documentation: 1. A certification from an accredited medical college in Tennessee that the applicant has a full-time appointment at the rank of full professor; and 2. Letters of support attesting to the applicants distinguished status from all of the following: (i) The Dean of the medical college appointing the applicant. (ii) All department chairmen at the appointing medical college who are directly involved with the applicant’s faculty assignments. (iii) At least five (5) of the applicant’s academic colleagues from outside of Tennessee in addition to the letters required by paragraph (3) of this rule. The academic colleagues shall include the following: (I) Other nationally or internationally recognized experts in the applicant’s specialty area. (II) Former or current medical school deans; (c) An applicant must cause to be submitted a certification of current and active membership in good standing in at least two (2) medical specialty societies which have restricted and selective membership based on academic and/or practice related criteria; (d) An applicant must cause the following documentation to be submitted: 1. A certification from at least two (2) medical educational institutions either abroad or in the United States that the applicant has been or was invited to be a lecturer or visiting professor along with the applicable dates, lecture topics and/or educational assignments. 2. The dates, location and sponsoring specialty organizations for at least two (2) national or international medical meetings at which the applicant delivered scholarly medical papers along with copies of at least two (2) such delivered papers. The meetings must have been conducted by or for the applicant’s specialty membership; (e) The appointing medical college shall immediately notify the Board at any time that an applicant who obtains distinguished faculty licensure ceases to maintain a full-time appointment at the rank of full professor; and (f) Any license issued to a distinguished faculty member shall automatically expire at any time the licensee fails to maintain a full-time appointment at the rank of full professor and authorized medical practice only in conjunction with the medical college at which the appointment is held. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-02 THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE (10) Any applicant for any type of licensure authorized by this rule shall cause the results of a criminal background check to be submitted to the Board’s administrative office directly from the vendor identified in the Board’s licensure application materials. (11) Submission of any document or set of documents required by this rule or submission of verification of the authenticity, validity and accuracy of the content of any document or set of documents required by this rule directly from the FCVS to the Board Administrative Office shall be deemed to be submission of originals of those documents or sets of documents by the issuing institution(s). (12) Application review and licensure decisions shall be governed by Rule 0880-02-.07. (13) International medical school graduates attempting to qualify for a temporary license under T.C.A. § 63-6-207(h) shall obtain an application form from the Board Administrative Office or from the Board’s website, respond truthfully and completely to every question or request for information contained in the form and submit it along with all documentation and fees required by the form and this rule to the Board’s Administrative Office. (a) An applicant shall cause FCVS to release the applicant’s physician information profile to the Board. An applicant shall cause to be submitted a certificate of successful completion of the U.S.M.L.E. and evidence satisfactory to the Board of successful completion of a one (1) year United States postgraduate training program if sufficient evidence is not included in the FCVS physician information profile. The application will not be approved if the applicant fails to provide, at a minimum, a certificate of completion and a letter attesting to successful completion issued by the director of the postgraduate training program. Successful completion means having no adverse action taken during the duration of the postgraduate training program. (b) An applicant shall submit proof of United States citizenship or of being lawfully present in the United States pursuant to T.C.A. § 4-58-103. (c) An applicant shall cause the results of a criminal background check to be submitted to the Board’s Administrative Office directly from the vendor identified in the Board’s licensure application materials. (d) Demonstrated competency to qualify for the issuance of a temporary license shall be shown through all of the following: 1. An attestation that the applicant does not have criminal history or licensure discipline in any country and that any medical license that the applicant holds in any country is in good standing. Good standing means having no discipline on any medical license and having no pending or open investigations. The applicant shall consent to the use of official verification from other countries, to include but not be limited to, licensure verification and criminal background checks if such forms of official verification are available; 2. Sufficient and satisfactory evidence of having graduated from an international medical school that meets the E.C.F.M.G. requirements and is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools or its equivalent that meets the following curriculum criteria; (i) All courses must have been completed by personal attendance. No international medical school accepting or providing credits for courses taken by correspondence shall be approved. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-02 THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE (ii) Course instruction must consist of the equivalent of at least four (4) academic years with a minimum of thirty-two (32) weeks of relevant medical instruction each academic year. (iii) Acceptable medical educational courses and activities must have been centrally organized, integrated and controlled into a continuous program which was conducted, monitored and approved by the parent institution. 3. An attestation from the applicant that no adverse actions were taken against them in medical school; 4. An applicant shall cause to be submitted an E.C.F.M.G. certification status report if not included in the FCVS physician information profile. 5. Sufficient and satisfactory evidence of successful completion of the postgraduate training program in the field in which the applicant will practice. Successful completion means having no adverse action taken during the duration of the postgraduate training program. Such evidence shall include, but not be dispositive of this requirement, a certificate of completion and a letter attesting to successful completion issued by the director of the program. 6. Sufficient and satisfactory evidence of having no adverse action taken during any post-graduate training program that was attempted. 7. An attestation from a minimum of three (3) physicians from each of the applicant’s postgraduate training programs attesting that the applicant is ready to independently practice medicine. One letter should be from the program director and two letters from the applicant’s supervising physicians; 8. Sufficient and satisfactory evidence that the applicant passed all steps of the U.S.M.L.E. on the first attempt; and 9. Sufficient and satisfactory evidence that the applicant passed all steps of the U.S.M.L.E. within ten (10) years from the date of whichever step of the examination was successfully completed first. (e) Where the Board determines to grant a temporary license, the following shall apply: 1. The temporary license shall be for a duration of three (3) years. 2. The temporary license shall be nonrenewable and cannot be automatically converted to a full and unrestricted license. 3. All rules and regulations of a full and unrestricted license shall apply to a temporary license. (f) A temporary license is subject to the same disciplinary proceedings as a full and unrestricted license and if a temporary licensee commits a violation of the practice act or rules and regulations promulgated thereto, that violation shall be grounds to deny the temporary licensee’s application for a full and unrestricted license and grounds for discipline of the temporary license. (g) A temporary licensee shall be in good standing at the time of application for a full and unrestricted license. Good standing means having no formal discipline or open GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-02 THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE investigations on the temporary license. In order to apply for a full and unrestricted license, a temporary licensee shall: 1. Submit an application to the Board Administrative Office and pay the conversion fee and state regulatory fee. 2. Submit sufficient and satisfactory evidence to the Board that the temporary licensee has actively practiced clinical medicine in Tennessee for two (2) years after the date of issuance of the temporary license. Actively practiced clinical medicine means full-time and continuous employment with an average of thirty- two (32) hours per week. The applicant shall provide at a minimum, completion of a notarized attestation form by each employer that employed the temporary licensee in the last two years after the date of issuance of the temporary license. 3. The applicant shall cause the result of a criminal background check to be submitted to the Board’s administrative office directly from the vendor identified in the Board’s licensure application materials. 4. Submit proof of United States citizenship or of being lawfully present in the United States pursuant to T.C.A. § 4-58-103. (h) The temporary license, if still active, shall automatically expire upon the issuance of a full and unrestricted license.