§ 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.)