Section 2135.7.

(a) Upon review and recommendation, the board may determine that an applicant for a physician and surgeon's certificate who acquired his or her medical education or a portion thereof at a foreign medical school that is not recognized or has been previously disapproved by the board is eligible for a physician and surgeon's certificate if the applicant meets all of the following criteria:

(1) Has successfully completed a resident course of medical education leading to a degree of medical doctor equivalent to that specified in Sections 2089 to 2091.2, inclusive.

(2) (A) (i) For an applicant who acquired any part of his or her medical education from an unrecognized foreign medical school, he or she holds an unlimited and unrestricted license as a physician and surgeon in another state or federal territory and has held that license and continuously practiced for a minimum of 10 years prior to the date of application.

(ii) For an applicant who acquired any part of his or her professional instruction from a foreign medical school previously disapproved by the board, he or she holds an unlimited and unrestricted license as a physician and surgeon in another state or federal territory and has held that license and continuously practiced for a minimum of 20 years prior to the date of application.

(B) For the purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A), the board may combine the period of time that the applicant has held an unlimited and unrestricted license in other states or federal territories and continuously practiced therein, but each applicant under this section shall have a minimum of five years continuous licensure and practice in a single state or federal territory. For purposes of this paragraph, continuous licensure and practice includes any postgraduate training after 24 months in a postgraduate training program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or postgraduate training completed in Canada that is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

(3) Is certified by a specialty board that is a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

(4) Has successfully taken and passed the examinations described in Article 9 (commencing with Section 2170).

(5) Has not been the subject of a disciplinary action by a medical licensing authority or of adverse judgments or settlements resulting from the practice of medicine that the board determines constitutes a pattern of negligence or incompetence.

(6) Has successfully completed three years of approved postgraduate training. The postgraduate training required by this paragraph shall have been obtained in a postgraduate training program accredited by the ACGME or postgraduate training completed in Canada that is accredited by the RCPSC.

(7) Is not subject to denial of licensure under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475) or Article 12 (commencing with Section 2220).

(8) Has not held a healing arts license and been the subject of disciplinary action by a healing arts board of this state or by another state or federal territory.

(b) The board may adopt regulations to establish procedures for accepting transcripts, diplomas, and other supporting information and records when the originals are not available due to circumstances outside the applicant's control. The board may also adopt regulations authorizing the substitution of additional specialty board certifications for years of practice or licensure when considering the certification for a physician and surgeon pursuant to this section.

(c) This section shall not apply to a person seeking to participate in a program described in Sections 2072, 2073, 2111, 2112, 2113, 2115, or 2168, or seeking to engage in postgraduate training in this state.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 789, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2013.)