residency and licensure in California

[atth]

I've read a lot about what's required to get a residency or be licensed in california, but i'm still confused. can someone who have gone through the process let me know exactly what's required when it comes to rotations? one source said that i have to do rotations that are acgme approved and HAVE to have a residency in that core while another source said that I only need to do rotations at a hospital that is acgme approved and only have to have a residency program in Family. Can someone clarify this? there is a hopsital I want to do my rotations at and the only residency program they have is in Family Practice. I'm planning on doing all my cores there, but I don't know if it would be ok when I apply for residency or licensure in california....

also does anyone have an email contact for the california licensing board? my cell phone reception sucks where i'm staying at right now so I can't make phone calls...

[CA willy]

I've posted this a number of times before, but here it is again for posterity. These quotes are directly from Ms. Pat Park, International Medical School Liason for the California Medical Board, the body responsible for licensing physicians in the State.

"All applicants must attend a California-recognized medical school (or schools) and complete a total of 72 weeks of clinical clerkships prior to graduation. Of those 72 weeks, 54 weeks of training (including all cores) must be completed in "approved" teaching hospitals. Approved teaching hospitals are those that are "Major" teaching hospitals of their medical school OR hospitals that have an ACGME-accredited residency program in Family Practice. If the hospital doesn't meet either of those criteria, the hospital must have an ACGME-accredited residency in the EXACT SAME clinical subject that the student will complete there."

<this is from me> First of all, Ross is a California-recognized medical school, so that criterion is met. We have to do 78 weeks of rotations (now that AICM has been extended to 12 instead of 9 weeks; it used to be 81), including 50 weeks of core rotations (family, internal, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, and ob/gyn), and 27 weeks of electives. So, if you do your rotations in a hospital directly affiliated with a university medical school, OR at a hospital that has an ACGME-accredited residency in Family Practice (www.acgme.org), OR, if the hospital has an ACGME-accredited residency in the discipline in which you are doing your rotation (for example, if you are doing a surgery rotation and the only accredited residency was in internal medicine, those weeks wouldn't count toward the required 54, but if the hospital has an accredited residency in surgery, those weeks would count), then you meet those criteria.

"The remaining 18 weeks of required clinical training can theoretically be completed in non-approved facilities, including osteopathic hospitals. We call these 18 weeks of "free electives." However, please note: THOSE NON-APPROVED FACILITIES CANNOT BE LOCATED IN CALIFORNIA. Training in non-approved facilities in California constitutes the unlicensed practice of medicine, a misdemeanor criminal offense. Violators will be referred to the Enforcement Division for prosecution." For example:

"Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn is considered an osteopathic hospital, but Wyckoff has an ACGME-accredited Family Practice residency, which makes it an approved teaching hospital for any core or elective clerkship under California law. In contrast, Peninsula Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York is an osteopathic hospital with no ACGME-accredited residencies. An allopathic medical student hoping for licensure in California could complete up to 18 weeks of "free electives" at Peninsula, as long as he or she has already completed 54 weeks of training in approved teaching hospitals."

<me, again> I hope this clarifies things. If not, I'd encourage you to direct your questions to Ms. Park. Her email address is: PPark@medbd.ca.gov

[mtnmadness]

I am potentially doing my Peds core rotation at a hospital that does not have an FP residency but, they have a residency program in Internal Med/Peds. Would this satisfy the requirement for a Peds core?

[Dr.Kovac]

What about doing residency and/or getting liscened in Florida?? I've been looking at the ACGME site but can't find anything. The Florida board of medicine site also isn't very useful. Can anyone steer me in the right direction as to what each state requires.

[FRNC]

For an "official" answer and your own peace of mind, suggest you email Pat Park, the Calif Med. Board Foreign Med. School liason, directly at:

PPark@medbd.ca.gov

She has been very willing to answer questions I've posed to her in the past via direct email.

[MitchDC]

For Ross students, you may also want to read the graduate planning guide which the department of graduate affairs has authored and posted on the Ross website. It is an excellent document and very helpful. Clearly, the State Board of medicine is always the most authoratative source but this RUSM document is a very helpful start.

-M

I've read a lot about what's required to get a residency or be licensed in california, but i'm still confused. can someone who have gone through the process let me know exactly what's required when it comes to rotations? one source said that i have to do rotations that are acgme approved and HAVE to have a residency in that core while another source said that I only need to do rotations at a hospital that is acgme approved and only have to have a residency program in Family. Can someone clarify this? there is a hopsital I want to do my rotations at and the only residency program they have is in Family Practice. I'm planning on doing all my cores there, but I don't know if it would be ok when I apply for residency or licensure in california....

also does anyone have an email contact for the california licensing board? my cell phone reception sucks where i'm staying at right now so I can't make phone calls...