Physicians and surgeons: licensure: examination.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, requires the Medical Board of California to issue a physician's and surgeon's certificate to a qualified applicant. Under the act, an applicant for a physician's and surgeon's certificate is required to include specified information in the application and to obtain a passing score on an entire examination or on each part of an examination. Existing law requires an applicant to obtain a passing score on all parts of Step 3 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination within not more than 4 attempts in order to be eligible for a certificate. Existing law provides an exception to the 4-attempt requirement for an applicant who holds an unlimited and unrestricted license as a physician and surgeon in another state, and has held that license continuously for a minimum of 4 years prior to the date of application, meets certain postgraduate training requirements and is certified by a specialty board, and is not subject to specified licensure denials or disciplinary action. This bill would expand the exception described above to include an applicant who meets certain requirements, including holding an unlimited license as a physician and surgeon in another state, or in a Canadian province, issued as provided, holding an unrestricted license to practice medicine in a state, in a Canadian province, or as a member of the active military, United States Public Health Services, or other federal program for a period of at least 4 years, having satisfactorily completed specified postgraduate training, certification, and examination requirements, and not having been subject to specified licensure denials or disciplinary action. Existing law requires a physician and surgeon to demonstrate satisfaction of continuing education requirements and requires the board to adopt and administer standards for continuing education for licensees. Under existing law, these continuing medical education (CME) standards may be met by educational activities that meet the standards of the board and that serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance that a physician and surgeon uses to provide care, or to improve the quality of care provided to patients. Existing law specifically authorizes educational activities with specified content or curriculum. Existing law prohibits educational activities that are not directed toward the practice of medicine, or are directed primarily toward the business aspects of medical practice, from being deemed to meet the standards. This bill, notwithstanding those provisions, would authorize a physician and surgeon to meet the CME standards through courses that satisfy specified criteria, including supporting educational methodology for physicians and surgeons teaching in a medical school, if these courses do not together comprise more than 30% of the total hours of continuing medical education completed by a licensee to satisfy the continuing educational requirement established by the board. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.