Texas medical licensure - clerkships

[Mrs. Meyer]

I have been receiving many questions regarding the performance of clinical rotations in Texas. Under current board rules, if a medical school in Texas enrolls you as a visiting student you may perform 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations in the state. Anything outside of that will start you down the road to ineligibility. Be sure if you do a rotation in Texas at a Texas medical school that you depart from the clerkship with a letter in hand from the Registrar that you indeed were enrolled as a visiting student. And remember this is a current board rule - I have no way of predicting the future.

In regard to clinical rotations performed in the United States each and every rotation must be performed in an approved setting. One area that seems to trip up so many applicants is the part of Texas law that states the rotation must have been performed in a hospital that had an approved residency in the same subject - the key is same subject.

Your education must be 130 weeks in length and you must have certain basic science and clinical science courses. Those are listed in the board's rules, Chapter 163 under the definition of Substantially Equivalent. you can find the rules at www.tsbme.state.tx.us

Please read Chapter 163 carefully when planning your medical education. Although we have no way of predicting the future of licensure in Texas, by reviewing this chapter continually you will be well on the way to becoming eligible for licensure.

Denise Meyer
Manager, Physician Licensure
denise.meyer@tsbme.state.tx.us

[FrenchFrie]

im having concerns on this definition, how does St. Christopher fall under this...basically in general for TX

http://www.tsbme.state.tx.us/rules/rules/163.htm#1633

163.1.10

(10) Graduate of an acceptable unapproved foreign medical school - An applicant who is a graduate of a school or college located outside the United States or Canada whose school or college:

(A) is not currently undergoing the approval process of the Medical Board of California; and,
(B) is either:
(i) substantially equivalent to a Texas medical school; or
(ii) has not been disapproved by the Medical Board of California.

[tRmedic21]

... is the 'substantially equivalent' one. This term is defined at the beignning of the section.

Specifically, it is listed as number 14 under section 163.1 Definitions.

Hope this helps. :)

[Mrs. Meyer]

You need to take the definition of substantially equivalent, go step by step and see if St. Christopher's meets all the requirements.

[azskeptic]

In effect, does this mean that a school specifically shown as not allowed by California,such as UHSA-Antigua, would also be not allowed?

[Picard]

What if the school is approved by the state of California???
Is there such a category of acceptable and APPROVED foreign school? Are these graduates (from schools approved by California) treated as US/Canadian grads for TX licensing purpose?

P

[Mrs. Meyer]

In effect, does this mean that a school specifically shown as not allowed by California,such as UHSA-Antigua, would also be not allowed?

that is correct - dm

[Mrs. Meyer]

What if the school is approved by the state of California???
Is there such a category of acceptable and APPROVED foreign school? Are these graduates (from schools approved by California) treated as US/Canadian grads for TX licensing purpose?

P

If the school is approved and meets Texas rules and statute the applicant should have no problems in regard to medical education.

Texas has no category for acceptable and approved foreign medical schools.

Graduates of IMG schools fall under IMG rules and statutes as well as general requirements.

dm

[Houstonian]

Be sure if you do a rotation in Texas at a Texas medical school that you depart from the clerkship with a letter in hand from the Registrar that you indeed were enrolled as a visiting student. And remember this is a current board rule - I have no way of predicting the future.

Please read Chapter 163 carefully when planning your medical education. Although we have no way of predicting the future of licensure in Texas, by reviewing this chapter continually you will be well on the way to becoming eligible for licensure.

Denise Meyer
Manager, Physician Licensure
denise.meyer@tsbme.state.tx.us

Ms. Meyer,

Could you please confirm nothing has changed recently with regards to completing 4th year elective rotations in Texas under ACGME approved programs as long as you are documented as a Visiting Student with the associated Medical School?

Thanks!

[alpeeee]

Ms. Meyer,

I am currently finishing my 2nd month of elective rotations at UT-Southwestern. I actually just went to the registrar's office and asked them for a letter to prove I was here registered as a visiting student. They said they do not write those letters of verification anymore. They directed me to go to the actual department in which I did the rotation in and get a letter stating I was here as a visiting student from this date to this date. My question is will this suffice??

Thank You