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

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 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.