The Advisory Commission on Additional Licensing Models recently convened to further discuss guidance for state medical boards to develop a path to licensure for physicians—often international medical graduates (IMGs)—who are licensed and practicing in countries other than the US and Canada that does not require them to complete postgraduate training in the US. The Commission was established by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), the Accreditation Council for GME (ACGME), and Intealth. As of 2023, eight states have enacted legislation creating licensing pathways for internationally trained physicians that do not require completion of an ACGME-accredited residency training program.
At last week’s meeting, the Commission discussed draft guidance that includes additional-pathway candidates providing services under the supervision of a state-licensed physician for a period of time.
GNYHA Senior Vice President Tim Johnson, discussing ways to make implementing a new model more attractive to hospitals as potential employers, told the Commission that hospitals would need to understand how services provided under the model would be viewed by regulators and payors. Mr. Johnson also noted that hospitals would be more inclined to build an internal infrastructure for a path to licensure under this model if the pipeline for additional-pathway candidates was steady. Additionally, Mr. Johnson recommended that FSMB, ACGME, and Intealth develop resources for hospitals and other employers that address potential implementation concerns.
The meeting also included a panel of state medical board representatives, including Stephen Boese, Executive Secretary of the New York State Board of Medicine. Mr. Boese said the process used by the New York State Education Department’s Office of Professions and the New York State Board of Medicine to verify the credentials of IMG physicians without ACGME residency training is similar to the one used for those who completed traditional postgraduate training in the US to establish eligibility for medical licensure in New York State. The Commission will continue to meet to finalize guidance for state medical boards in the future.