Florida Eases Licensing Requirements for Foreign Trained Doctors

Earlier this year, the State of Florida enacted a new law, known as the Live Healthy initiative, that makes it easier for certain physicians trained abroad to become licensed as physicians in that state. The goal of the law is to increase the number of physicians available in Florida, where the median age is one of the highest in the nation. This initiative establishes that a foreign doctor holding a license in a foreign country no longer needs to complete a residency in the United States if that individual has completed a residency program abroad that is “substantially similar” to a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Criteria to Qualify for the Initiative

To practice medicine in Florida as a foreign-trained doctor without completing the traditional U.S. residency requirement, the physician needs to satisfy the following requirements:

• Have an active license to practice medicine in a foreign country
• Have actively practiced medicine for the 4 years immediately prior to applying for the Florida license
• Have completed a residency or substantially similar postgraduate medical training that is substantially similar to a residency program accredited by the ACGME
• Have had the individual’s medical credentials evaluated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, hold an active, valid certificate issued by that commission, and have passed the examination used by that commission
• Have an offer for full-time employment as a physician from a health care provider that operates in Florida

Florida Not Unique in Changing Requirements for Foreign Doctors

Florida is not the only state that has made changes to the requirements for a physician trained abroad to become licensed in that state, by either shortening the residency requirement or removing it altogether. Specifically, Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, and Washington already have enacted such legislation. Many other states are considering similar bills.

Conclusion

Given the widespread shortage of physicians across the nation, it is hardly surprising to see changes being made in the hope of attracting more foreign trained physicians. As long as states continue to ensure that doctors are held to a high standard of care, such provisions can help further evidence how immigration creates a stronger America.

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