§ 1391. Qualifications for medical licensure

(a) Basic requirements.

(1) An applicant for physician licensure as a medical doctor shall meet each of the requirements set forth in subdivisions (2)(A) through (D) of this subsection. A requirement may be met either by satisfying the requirement on its own terms or by qualifying for an exception established in this chapter or by the Board by rule.

(2) An applicant shall submit evidence of identity acceptable to the Board as set forth by rule and shall establish that the applicant:

(A) is at least 18 years of age;

(B) has completed high school, or the equivalent, and at least two years of undergraduate postsecondary school;

(C) has graduated from a medical school accredited by an organization that is acceptable to the Board, or from a medical school that has been approved by the Board by rule, with a degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent as may be determined by the Board; and

(D) is of sound moral character and professional competence as evidenced by:

(i) references submitted in accordance with rules adopted by the Board;

(ii) a personal interview, as may be required in the discretion of the Board; and

(iii) the applicant’s entire personal history, as established by information about the applicant’s academic, licensing examination, employment, professional credentialing, professional certification, professional regulation, civil litigation, and criminal records submitted by the applicant or otherwise obtained by the Board in the application process.

(b) Postgraduate training requirements.

(1) A graduate of a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by a body that is acceptable to the Board shall submit evidence of the successful completion of at least two years of postgraduate training in a U.S. or Canadian program accredited by an organization that is acceptable to the Board and that meets such other requirements as the Board may establish by rule.

(2) A graduate of a Board-approved medical school outside the United States or Canada shall submit evidence of success of completing at least three years of postgraduate training in a U.S. or Canadian program accredited by an organization that is acceptable to the Board and that meets such other requirements as the Board may establish by rule.

(c) Examination. An applicant shall satisfy the Board’s requirements for medical licensing examination as established by the Board by rule. The Board may identify which examinations are accepted, set passing standards, and set limits on time and numbers of attempts for exams. The Board may establish by rule exceptions or alternative means to meet examination requirements.

(d) ECFMG certificate. A graduate of a medical school outside the United States or Canada shall also submit evidence of certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates unless the individual qualifies for licensure as a Fifth Pathway applicant, as established by the Board by rule.

(e) Current medical practice. An applicant for licensure shall have actively engaged in the practice of medicine, as defined by section 1311 of this chapter, within three years prior to the date on which the application for licensure becomes complete. In its discretion, the Board may license an applicant who does not meet this practice requirement but who agrees to such conditions as the Board may reasonably require to verify or confirm the applicant’s readiness to reenter the practice of medicine.

(f) License by faculty appointment.

(1) The Board may issue a license without examination to a reputable physician who is a resident of a foreign country and who furnishes to the Board satisfactory proof of appointment to the faculty of a medical college in Vermont that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The Board may establish additional conditions and requirements by rule for this type of license.

(2) An applicant for a license pursuant to this subsection shall furnish to the Board satisfactory proof that the applicant is at least 18 years of age, has good moral character, is licensed to practice medicine in the applicant’s country of residence, and has been appointed to the faculty of an LCME-accredited medical college located in Vermont. The application shall include detailed information concerning the nature and term of the appointment, the method by which the applicant’s performance will be monitored and evaluated, and any other information the Board may require by rule.

(3) A license issued pursuant to this subsection shall be for a period not to exceed the term of the faculty appointment and may, in the Board’s discretion, be for a shorter period.

(4) A license issued pursuant to this subsection shall expire automatically upon termination for any reason of the licensee‘s faculty appointment. (Amended 1961, No. 256; 1967, No. 307 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 22, 1968; 1969, No. 187 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 1971, No. 14, § 15, eff. March 11, 1971; 1971, No. 184 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. March 29, 1972; 1977, No. 91, § 2; 1977, No. 259 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1989, No. 250 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 39, 40; 2003, No. 34, § 9, eff. May 23, 2003; 2011, No. 61, § 2, eff. June 2, 2011; 2019, No. 126 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)