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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
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HB 2435: internationally trained physicians; licensure
Sponsor: Representative Bliss, LD 1
Committee on Health & Human Services
Overview
Requires applicants who attended a foreign school of medicine, successfully completed all formal graduation requirements and satisfied all requirements of Pathway One through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates to be granted a medical license if the applicant meets all other applicable criteria.
History
Basic Requirements for Medical Licensure
The purpose of the Arizona Medical Board (AMB) is to protect the public from unlawful, incompetent, unqualified, impaired or unprofessional practitioners of allopathic medicine through licensure, regulation and rehabilitation of the profession in Arizona.
An applicant for a medical license in Arizona must: 1) graduate from an approved school of medicine or receive a medical education that the AMB deems to be of equivalent quality; 2) successfully complete an approved 12-month hospital internship, residency or clinical fellowship program; 3) have the physical and mental capability to safely engage in the practice of medicine; 4) have a professional record that indicates that the applicant has not committed any act that would constitute grounds for disciplinary action; 5) not have surrendered a license, currently be under investigation, suspension or restriction or have had a medical license revoked by a medical regulatory board in another jurisdiction that constitutes unprofessional conduct; 6) pay all AMB-required fees; 7) complete an AMB-prescribed training unit; 8) submit a five-year medical employment history including verification of licensure from every state in which the applicant has ever held a medical license; and 9) submit a full set of fingerprints to the AMB for a state and federal criminal records check (A.R.S. § 32-1422). An applicant for a medical license in Arizona who has graduated from an unapproved school of medicine must meet additional outlined requirements.
Students Graduating from an Unapproved Allopathic School of Medicine
In addition to the basic requirements for licensure, any applicant who has graduated from an unapproved school of medicine must meet each of the following requirements: 1) be able to read, write, speak, understand and be understood in the English language; 2) hold a standard certificate issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), complete a Fifth Pathway Program or complete 36 months as a full-time assistant professor or in a higher position in an approved school of medicine; and 3) successfully be enrolled in an approved 24-month hospital internship, residency or clinical fellowship program, in addition to the 12 months, for a total of 36 months of training unless the applicant successfully completed a Fifth Pathway Program or has served as a full-time assistant professor or in a higher position in an approved school of medicine for a total of 36 months (A.R.S. § 32-1423).
Fifth Pathway Program
In addition to completing the basic statutory requirements for medicine and surgery licensure and when graduating from an unapproved allopathic school of medicine, an applicant for a medical license who attended a foreign school of medicine and successfully completed all the formal requirements to receive the degree of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) except internship or social service, and is accordingly not eligible for certification by the ECFMG, may be considered for licensure if they meet the following conditions: 1) satisfactorily completes an approved Fifth Pathway Program of one academic year of supervised clinical training under the direction of an approved U.S. school of medicine; and 2) successfully completes an approved 24-month internship, residency or clinical fellowship program upon completion of the Fifth Pathway Program. A document granted by a foreign school of medicine signifying completion of all formal requirements for graduation from such foreign medical school except internship or social service training, or both, along with certification by the approved U.S. school of medicine of successful completion of the Fifth Pathway Program is deemed the equivalent of an M.D. for purposes of licensure and practicing as a physician in Arizona (A.R.S. § 32-1424).
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Pathway One
ECFMG is a private, non-profit organization that evaluates the qualifications of international medical graduates seeking to enter residency or fellowship programs in the U.S. Pathway One was established for international medical graduates who already hold or have held a license/ registration to practice medicine without supervision in another country on or after January 1, 2021. Individuals who have held only a license that requires supervised practice, such as a training, resident, or restricted license, are not eligible for this Pathway. (ECFMG – Pathway One).
Provisions
1. Requires applicants who attended a foreign school of medicine, successfully completed all formal graduation requirements and satisfied all requirements in ECFMG Pathway One to be granted a medical license if the applicant:
a. holds a valid license to practice medicine that does not require direct supervision;
b. has a federal immigration status that allows the person to work as a physician in the U.S.;
c. has an offer for employment as a physician at any health care provider that operated in a county with a population of less than 1,000,000 persons; and
d. meets the basic requirements for medical licensure. (Sec. 1)
2. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)
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6. Initials AG HB 2435
7. 1/16/2026 Page 0 Health & Human Services
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