Licensure Retirement/Inactivation And Reactivation

(1) Inactivation of License - Individuals who submitted an application for the inactivation of their license under previous rule: As of the effective date of this rule, the Board will no longer accept applications for the inactivation of a license. Individuals who are currently in inactive status will be given until their current expiration date to either reinstate or voluntarily retire their license. The reinstatement fee will be waived for those individuals who submit an application for reinstatement before their expiration date. (2) Licensure Retirement (a) Licensees who wish to retain their licenses but not actively practice medicine may avoid automatic revocation of licensure and/or compliance with the licensure renewal process by doing the following: 1. Obtain from, complete and submit to the Board Administrative Office an affidavit of retirement form. 2. Submit any documentation which may be required by the form to the Board Administrative Office. (b) Upon successful application for retirement of licensure with completion and receipt of all proper documentation to the Board’s satisfaction, the Board shall register the license as retired. Any person who has a retired license may not practice medicine in Tennessee. (3) Reactivation - Any licensee whose license has been retired or placed on inactive status may re-enter active practice by doing the following: (a) Fully complete and submit the Board’s Renewal/Reinstatement/Reactivation Application along with payment of the licensure renewal fee as provided in Rule 0880- 02-.02 to the Board’s Administrative Office. If retirement was pursuant to Rule 0880-02- .09(1)(f) and reactivation was requested prior to the expiration of one (1) year from the date of retirement, the Board may require payment of the late penalty and past due renewal fees as provided in Rule 0880-02-.02; and (b) Submit, along with the application, documentation of successful completion of twenty (20) hours of continuing medical education in compliance with Rule 0880-02-.19 for each period of twelve (12) months or less preceding the reactivation request, up to forty (40) hours. An applicant for reinstatement who has been out of clinical practice for more than two years may be required to complete re-entry requirements to be determined by the board based on the applicant’s period of clinical inactivity, record of CME, and other relevant factors. (c) If requested, after review by the Board or a designated Board member, appear before either the Board, or a duly constituted panel of the Board, or another Board member, or the Board Designee for an interview regarding continued competence in the event of licensure retirement or inactivity in excess of two (2) years or the receipt of derogatory information or communication during the reactivation process and/or be prepared to meet or accept other conditions or restrictions as the Board may deem necessary to protect the public. An applicant who is currently under investigation may be required to appear before a screening panel of the Board. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-02 THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE (d) In the case of a physician holding an inactive license, the licensee shall provide evidence of the active practice of medicine in another state during the full period the licensee held an inactive Tennessee license. Additionally, the licensee may be requested to provide such other details surrounding his or her inactive status as the Board may require. (e) If licensure retirement was in excess of five (5) years, or the inactive licensee was not continuously and actively engaged in the practice of medicine in another state during the period he or she held an inactive Tennessee license, the licensee may be required to successfully complete the FLEX “Special Purpose Examination” as administered by the Board and/or meet such other requirements the Board feels necessary to establish current levels of competency. (4) 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).