State Member Board Briefs Open Access

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners announces a bridge year graduate physician program. This program will assist graduates of an accredited school of medicine or osteopathy who applied to, but were not accepted into, an accredited medical residency training program for the first year following medical school graduation. Such individuals may apply for a bridge year graduate physician certificate to practice in training for 1 post-graduate year under the direct supervision of a board-certified physician who has completed training required by the board to be a training physician.

A physician practicing under a bridge year graduate physician certificate shall have prescriptive authority in accordance with state and federal law and board rules, as authorized and supervised by the training physician. The training physician shall issue a report at the end of the bridge year indicating the scope and breadth of the practice of the participating bridge year graduate physician and the instruction and training given to the bridge year graduate physician. The training physician's report shall contain a statement as to whether the bridge year graduate physician would be recommended for a residency position upon reapplication

A bridge year graduate physician certificate will be valid for 1 year and may be renewed for no more than 2 additional 1-year periods upon application to, and discretion of, the board. The board will select the participants for the bridge year graduate physician program and has the authority to accept or reject any applicant. If the number of applicants exceeds the available number of training physicians or training locations, preference may be given to applicants desiring to practice in underserved areas, in primary care or internal medicine, to Louisiana residents, or to graduates of Louisiana medical schools.

Source: Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners Newsletter, April 2023

The number of licensed physician assistants (PAs) in North Carolina recently crossed the milestone of reaching more than 10,000.

PAs are the most rapidly growing group of medical professionals licensed by North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB). Over the last decade, the total number of PAs with an active NC license has more than doubled, from 4,751 at the end of 2012 to just over 10,000 as of April 2023. PAs now account for 17.5 percent of NCMB's total licensee population

Source: North Carolina Medical Board Digital Forum, March/April 2023

The Texas Medical Board has received national recognition for its efforts towards destigmatizing health professionals seeking mental health care and treatment.

The Board was named a “2023 Wellbeing First Champion” by ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare, co-founded by #FirstRespondersFirst (an initiative of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and CAA Foundation) and The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation.

In 2020, the Board adopted recommendations made by the Federation of State Medical Boards, the American Medical Association, and other health organizations, to update licensing application and renewal questions, and limit overly broad probing language that can dissuade health professionals from seeking treatment and reporting their conditions.

Source: Texas Medical Board Press Release, May 11, 2023

For nearly 2 years, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC discussed the possibility of Licensing by Reciprocity for physicians that wish to practice in all 3 jurisdictions. On March 13, 2023, reciprocal licensing became a reality. This expedited pathway is for physicians that are licensed in 1 of the jurisdictions; that license will be accepted by the other 2 jurisdictions. However, each board has different basic requirements for licensure, so each will have its own application questions and specific documentation required for submission.

Additional information is available at http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/med/News/archive/BoardBriefs96.pdf

Source: Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Medicine Board Briefs #96, April 2023