2025 Minnesota Statutes

147.037 LICENSING OF FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES.

Subdivision 1.Requirements.

The board shall issue a license to practice medicine to any person who satisfies the requirements in paragraphs (a) to (g).

(a) The applicant shall satisfy all the requirements established in section 147.02, subdivision 1, paragraphs (a), (e), (f), (g), and (h).

(b) The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is a graduate of a medical or osteopathic school approved by the board as equivalent to accredited United States or Canadian schools based upon its faculty, curriculum, facilities, accreditation, or other relevant data. If the applicant is a graduate of a medical or osteopathic program that is not accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association, the applicant may use the Federation of State Medical Boards' Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) or its successor. If the applicant uses this service as allowed under this paragraph, the physician application fee may be less than $200 but must not exceed the cost of administering this paragraph.

(c) The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant has been awarded a certificate by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates, and the applicant has a working ability in the English language sufficient to communicate with patients and physicians and to engage in the practice of medicine.

(d) The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board of the completion of one year of graduate, clinical medical training in a program accredited by a national accrediting organization approved by the board. This requirement does not apply to an applicant who is admitted pursuant to the rules of the United States Department of Labor and:

(1) who was admitted as a permanent immigrant to the United States on or before October 1, 1991, as a person of exceptional ability in the sciences according to Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, section 656.22(d); or

(2) who holds a valid license to practice medicine in another country and was issued a permanent immigrant visa after October 1, 1991, as a person of extraordinary ability in the field of science or as an outstanding professor or researcher according to Code of Federal Regulations, title 8, section 204.5(h) and (i), or a temporary nonimmigrant visa as a person of extraordinary ability in the field of science according to Code of Federal Regulations, title 8, section 214.2(o).

(e) The applicant must:

(1) have passed an examination prepared and graded by the Federation of State Medical Boards, the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) program in accordance with section 147.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (2), or the Medical Council of Canada; and

(2) if the examination in clause (1) was passed more than ten years ago, either:

(i) pass the Special Purpose Examination of the Federation of State Medical Boards (SPEX) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Variable-Purpose Examination of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (COMVEX). The applicant must pass the SPEX or COMVEX within no more than three attempts of taking the SPEX, COMVEX, or a combination of the SPEX and COMVEX; or

(ii) have a current certification by a specialty board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada; or

(3) if the applicant fails to meet the requirement established in section 147.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (2), because the applicant failed to pass within the permitted three attempts each of steps or levels one, two, and three of the USMLE or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA), the applicant may be granted a license provided the applicant:

(i) has passed each of steps or levels one, two, and three within no more than four attempts for any of the three steps or levels with passing scores as recommended by the USMLE or COMLEX-USA program;

(ii) is currently licensed in another state; and

(iii) has current certification by a specialty board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

(f) The applicant must not be under license suspension or revocation by the licensing board of the state or jurisdiction in which the conduct that caused the suspension or revocation occurred.

(g) The applicant must not have engaged in conduct warranting disciplinary action against a licensee or have been subject to disciplinary action other than as specified in paragraph (f). If an applicant does not satisfy the requirements stated in this paragraph, the board may issue a license only on the applicant's showing that the public will be protected through issuance of a license with conditions or limitations the board considers appropriate.

Subd. 1a.

MS 2020 [Repealed by amendment, 2022 c 99 art 2 s 4]

Subd. 1b.Limited license.

(a) A limited license under this subdivision is valid for one 24-month period and is not renewable or eligible for reapplication. The board may issue a limited license, valid for 24 months, to any person who satisfies the requirements of subdivision 1, paragraphs (a) to (c) and (e) to (g), and who:

(1) pursuant to a license or other authorization to practice, has practiced medicine, as defined in section 147.081, subdivision 3, clauses (2) to (4), for at least 60 months in the previous 12 years outside of the United States;

(2) submits sufficient evidence of an offer to practice within the context of a collaborative agreement within a hospital or clinical setting where the limited license holder and physicians work together to provide patient care;

(3) provides services in a designated rural area or underserved urban community as defined in section 144.1501; and

(4) submits two letters of recommendation in support of a limited license, which must include one letter from a physician with whom the applicant previously worked and one letter from an administrator of the hospital or clinical setting in which the applicant previously worked. The letters of recommendation must attest to the applicant's good medical standing. The board may accept alternative forms of proof that demonstrate good medical standing where there are extenuating circumstances that prevent an applicant from providing letters.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, a person has satisfied the requirements of subdivision 1, paragraph (e), if the person has passed steps or levels one and two of the USMLE or the COMLEX-USA with passing scores as recommended by the USMLE program or National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners within three attempts.

(c) A person issued a limited license under this subdivision must not be required to present evidence satisfactory to the board of the completion of one year of graduate clinical medical training in a program accredited by a national accrediting organization approved by the board.

(d) An employer of a limited license holder must pay the limited license holder at least an amount equivalent to a medical resident in a comparable field. The employer must carry medical malpractice insurance covering a limited license holder for the duration of the employment. The commissioner of health may issue a correction order under section 144.99, subdivision 3, requiring an employer to comply with this paragraph. An employer must not retaliate against or discipline an employee for raising a complaint or pursuing enforcement relating to this paragraph.

(e) The board may issue a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine to a person who holds a limited license issued pursuant to paragraph (a) and who has:

(1) held the limited license for two years and is in good standing to practice medicine in this state;

(2) practiced for a minimum of 1,692 hours per year for each of the previous two years;

(3) submitted a letter of recommendation in support of a full and unrestricted license containing all attestations required under paragraph (i) from any physician who participated in the collaborative agreement;

(4) passed steps or levels one, two, and three of the USMLE or COMLEX-USA with passing scores as recommended by the USMLE program or National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners within three attempts; and

(5) completed 20 hours of continuing medical education.

(f) A limited license holder must submit to the board, every six months or upon request, a statement certifying whether the person is still employed as a physician in this state and whether the person has been subjected to professional discipline as a result of the person's practice. The board may suspend or revoke a limited license if a majority of the board determines that the limited license holder is no longer employed as a physician in this state by an employer. The limited license holder must be granted an opportunity to be heard prior to the board's determination. Upon request by the limited license holder, the limited license holder may have 90 days to regain employment. A limited license holder may change employers during the duration of the limited license if the limited license holder has another offer of employment. In the event that a change of employment occurs, the limited license holder must still work the number of hours required under paragraph (e), clause (2), to be eligible for a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine.

(g) In addition to any other remedy provided by law, the board may, without a hearing, temporarily suspend the license of a limited license holder if the board finds that the limited license holder has violated a statute or rule that the board is empowered to enforce and continued practice by the limited license holder would create a serious risk of harm to the public. The suspension takes effect upon written notice to the limited license holder, specifying the statute or rule violated. The suspension remains in effect until the board issues a final order in the matter after a hearing. At the time it issues the suspension notice, the board shall schedule a disciplinary hearing to be held pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act. The limited license holder shall be provided with at least 20 days' notice of any hearing held pursuant to this subdivision. The hearing shall be scheduled to begin no later than 30 days after the issuance of the suspension order.

(h) For purposes of this subdivision, "collaborative agreement" means a mutually agreed upon plan for the overall working relationship and collaborative arrangement between a holder of a limited license and one or more physicians licensed under this chapter that designates the scope of services that can be provided to manage the care of patients. The limited license holder and one of the collaborating physicians must have experience in providing care to patients with the same or similar medical conditions. Under the collaborative agreement, the limited license holder must shadow the collaborating physician for four weeks, after which time the limited license holder must staff all patient encounters with the collaborating physician for an additional four weeks. After eight weeks, the collaborating physician has discretion to allow the limited license holder to see patients independently and may, at the discretion of the collaborating physician, require the limited license holder to present patients. However, the limited license holder must be supervised by the collaborating physician for a minimum of two hours per week. A limited license holder may practice medicine without a collaborating physician physically present, but the limited license holder and collaborating physicians must be able to easily contact each other by radio, telephone, or other telecommunication device while the limited license holder practices medicine. The limited license holder must have one-on-one practice reviews with each collaborating physician, provided in person or through eye-to-eye electronic media while maintaining visual contact, for at least two hours per week.

(i) At least one collaborating physician must submit a letter to the board, after the limited license holder has practiced under the license for 12 months, attesting to the following:

(1) the limited license holder has a basic understanding of federal and state laws regarding the provision of health care, including but not limited to:

(i) medical licensing obligations and standards; and

(ii) the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Public Law 104-191;

(2) the limited license holder has a basic understanding of documentation standards;

(3) the limited license holder has a thorough understanding of which medications are available and unavailable in the United States;

(4) the limited license holder has a thorough understanding of American medical standards of care;

(5) the limited license holder has demonstrated mastery of each of the following:

(i) gathering a history and performing a physical exam;

(ii) developing and prioritizing a differential diagnosis following a clinical encounter and selecting a working diagnosis;

(iii) recommending and interpreting common diagnostic and screening tests;

(iv) entering and discussing orders and prescriptions;

(v) providing an oral presentation of a clinical encounter;

(vi) giving a patient handover to transition care responsibly;

(vii) recognizing a patient requiring urgent care and initiating an evaluation; and

(viii) obtaining informed consent for tests, procedures, and treatments; and

(6) the limited license holder is providing appropriate medical care.

(j) The board must not grant a license under this section unless the applicant possesses federal immigration status that allows the applicant to practice as a physician in the United States.

Subd. 2.Medical school review.

The board may contract with any qualified person or organization for the performance of a review or investigation, including site visits if necessary, of any medical or osteopathic school prior to approving the school under section 147.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), or subdivision 1, paragraph (b), of this section. To the extent possible, the board shall require the school being reviewed to pay the costs of the review or investigation.

History:

1985 c 247 s 9; 1986 c 444; 1991 c 106 s 2; 1993 c 21 s 5,6,13; 1994 c 433 s 1; 1995 c 18 s 2; 1999 c 33 s 3; 2004 c 270 s 2; 2007 c 123 s 6; 2008 c 189 s 4; 2016 c 119 s 5; 1Sp2019 c 9 art 10 s 2; 2022 c 99 art 2 s 4; 2023 c 70 art 6 s 11; 1Sp2025 c 3 art 3 s 5