Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 360 - RULES OF GEORGIA COMPOSITE MEDICAL BOARD
Chapter 360-2 - LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
Rule 360-2-.01 - Requirements for Licensure
Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 360-2-.01
Current through Rules and Regulations filed through March 20, 2024
(1) An applicant for a medical license must provide:
(a) An affidavit that the applicant
is a United States citizen, a legal permanent resident of the United States, or
that he/she is a qualified alien or non-immigrant under the Federal Immigration
and Nationality Act. If the applicant is not a U.S. citizen, he/she must submit
documentation that will determine his/her qualified alien status. The Board
participates in the DHS-USCIS SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification
for Entitlements or "SAVE") program for the purpose of verifying citizenship
and immigration status information of non-citizens. If the applicant is a
qualified alien or non-immigrant under the Federal Immigration and Nationality
Act, he/she must provide the alien number issued by the Department of Homeland
Security or other federal immigration agency.
(b) An application that is complete,
including all required documentation, signatures, seals, and fees. An
application shall expire one year from the date of receipt. Any subsequent
application must be accompanied by submission of appropriate documentation and
application fee.
(c) Evidence of
good moral character. Reference Forms shall be valid for six months from the
date of signature. If the application is not approved during the six-month
period, the Board may require a new and more current reference.
(d) Verification of licensure from every
state in which the applicant has ever held any type of medical
license.
(e) Verification of a
passing score on one of the following examinations approved by the Board:
i. Steps 1, 2 and 3 of the United States
Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
ii. Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX
taken on or before June 1, 1985) (combined scores from different FLEX
administrations between January 1, 1978 and January 1,1985 are not accepted)
iii. FLEX Components I and II
(FLEX taken after June 1, 1985)
iv. National Board of Medical Examiners
(NBME)
v. State Medical Board of
Examinations taken before June 30, 1973
vi. Medical Council of Canada Qualifying
Examination (MCCQE) for graduates of Canadian medical schools who completed
post-graduate training in Canada
vii. National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners
(NBOME)
viii. Comprehensive
Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX)
ix. The certifying examination of the Puerto
Rico Medical Board, for graduates of Puerto Rican medical schools who completed
post-graduate training in Puerto Rico.
(f) Verification of medical education by
submitting an official transcript of all medical education directly to the
Board from the school where such education was taken. If the transcript is in a
foreign language, a certified English translation must be furnished. The
transcript shall include the dates the applicant attended the school and the
grades received in all courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the degree
granted. At the Board's discretion, the medical school transcript requirement
may be waived and the results of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
verification service may be accepted if the applicant adequately demonstrates
that all diligent efforts have been made to secure transcripts from the school.
In such a case, the Board may require the applicant to appear for a personal
interview before the Physician Licensure Committee of the Board.
i. Medical schools in the United States,
Puerto Rico and Canada must require a minimum of two years of pre-medical
education and be approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
or the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College
accreditation (AOA COCA), or the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical
Schools (CACMS).
ii. A medical
school located outside the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada and Fifth
Pathway programs must have a program of education in the art and science of
medicine leading to a medical doctor degree or the medical doctor equivalent
that requires a minimum of two (2) years of pre-medical education and includes
at least 130 weeks of instruction. Applicants must have official transcripts
that include at least 130 weeks of instruction.
(g) Verification of post-graduate/residency
training as follows:
i. Graduates of approved
medical schools must show completion of one year of postgraduate training in a
program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
(ACGME), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) or the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or the College of Family Physicians
of Canada (CFPC). The Board may consider current certification of any applicant
by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) as
evidence that such applicant's postgraduate medical training has satisfied the
requirements of this paragraph. Approved Medical Schools are those located in
the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, those listed on the Medical
Schools Recognized by the Medical Board of California (effective
February 4, 2010, adopted by reference), and schools that have been approved by
a regional accreditation authority with standards equivalent to LCME and
approved by the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and
Accreditation (NCFMEA).
ii.
Graduates of medical schools not approved by the Board must show completion of
three years of postgraduate training in a program approved by the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Osteopathic
Association (AOA), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
(RCPSC), or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). The Board may
consider current certification of any applicant by a member board of the
American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) as evidence that such applicant's
postgraduate medical training has satisfied the requirements of this paragraph.
iii. Applicants who were licensed
in another State on or before July 1, 1967 are not required to supply proof of
any postgraduate/residency training.
(h) Verification of residence in the United
States for one year, except for graduates of Canadian medical schools, if the
applicant is an alien.
(i)
Graduates of foreign medical schools outside of Canada must provide proof of
certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
(ECFMG) unless they were licensed by another state before March 1, 1958. This
requirement does not apply to foreign-trained students who furnish proof of the
following:
(i) successful completion of AMA
approved Fifth Pathway program, and
(ii) passing the ECFMG qualifying medical
component examination with a score of 75 or above.
(2) The Board in its discretion may require an applicant for licensure to take and pass the Special Purposes Examination (SPEX) prepared by the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, or other Board-approved competency assessment. The circumstances under which the Board may require a competency examination include, but are not limited to applicants for licensure who have been the subject of disciplinary action in another state; or who would be subject to disciplinary action or corrective action in this state based upon their conduct or condition; or who have previously engaged in the practice of medicine and who have not practiced for a period greater than thirty (30) consecutive months.
(3) Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prevent the Board from denying or conditionally granting an application for licensure.
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-17, 43-34-5, 43-34-21, 43-34-24, 43-34-24.1, 43-34-26, 43-34-27, 43-34-37, 43-34-41.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Georgia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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