In digging through the TN Medical Examiners Licensure web page, I discovered a regulation change that would require license applicants to have attended a school that meets LCME admission standards. Query to the TN office confirms that the board has passed this change, and it is awaiting signature by the Atty General. The school attended should have prerequisites of LCME schools - to include a requirement to take the MCAT. To a medical school/licensure novice such as myself, this seems to eliminate many FMGs. Can this be correct? Does anyone have information on this?

No, that is not correct. The LCME DOES NOT require a school to require the MCAT. The LCME specifically leaves admissions criteria up to each individual school. Call the LCME yourself for verification.

__________________
BTS4202
St. Christopher's COM
4th Year
http://www.mdparadise.com

"If there really is a God, He has a lot of explaining to do"
- Dennis Leary

Thank you for the quick response! That's something to watch for in querying state boards - especially if you're a rookie at this. Even they can provide you with inaccurate information!

Good catch, thanks!

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Saba Forum Moderator
Saba University School of Medicine, MSIV
Interests: Pediatrics, Psychiatry

this is why we need regulation! the broad and scattered way in which this is determined is biased agaisnt some schools and not others.

also just becxause it is up to the discretion of the boared doesn't mean they all don't require it.

did you know that the passing score for the USMLE is only a suggestion? they say that any state can move the passing score up and own at their discretion yet all follow it.

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OBGYN PGY II
I see light at the end of the tunnel!!!...wait a minute its just another freakin tunnel!

While its reassuring to hear that MCAT is not a requirement for LCME accreditation, what admissions standards do you think this regulation is referring to? I actually emailed the LCME last week, and they thought the language was ambiguous.

Rule 0880-2-.04 Licensure Process-International Medical School Graduates, is
amended by adding the following language as new subparagraph (3) (d) and renumber
the remaining subparagraphs accordingly:
(3) (d) The schools admission standards must meet or exceed those of medical schools
accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-6-101, and 63-6-207.

Given the MCAT information that bts provided, apparently TN may be unclear as to their intent as well.

Thanks again,
Linda

Such a vague rule could be used to deny licensure to students from schools in many countries. I wouldn't be suprised to see the medical board enforce it sporadically using a variety of interpretations, when it suits their prejudices (whether the prejudices are well-founded or not). This is traditionally the way state med boards seem to have operated.

__________________
Saba Forum Moderator
Saba University School of Medicine, MSIV
Interests: Pediatrics, Psychiatry

Thanks for your insight.

In reference to the MCAT requirment...this requirement would be immposible to pass since many schools in the states have combined **/MD prgrams. TN is one of those states that has a school that offers the combined program. Also many of these students who are in the combined program are not required to take the MCAT, just maintain a certain GPA. So in other words, the students who attend these programs whould also be exluded from obtaining a licensure. Therefore I do not think nor see it possible for the boards to require it.


Basically it would be like the state the school is in telling you to come to the program, pay them money and then turn around and tell you that you will never be allowed to practice medicine in that same state.

Just my thoughts and minimal knowledge about the issue!

We had our attorney give us a legal opinion on this proposed new rule and its implication(s) for FMGs. The legal view seems to be that this law is too vague and cannot stand a court challenge. Any state regulation of professional licensing must be specific enough to ,at least, put the applicant on notice as to the sepcifics of the licensing requirements and ways with which to meet them. Here aresome possible factors to keep in mind:

1) avoid schools who accept students in the four-year program without previous university studies( some Eastern European schools do just that)

2) avoid schools that do not have admissions standards. The medical board may require this of your medical school as part of your application process. LCME requires a solid admissions process but leaves the specifics to each medical school

3) The board may require your school to submit admissions data for several years before accepting your application. This may be difficult for newer schools

4)Your medical school may be required to have its admissions guidlines in writting and submit them to the board. The board may also require the school to provide evidence of how they have implemented these guidlines in the past.

5) attrition data is another important information that your school should be able to supply to the board. Schools with high attrition rates may have problems with TN. Attrition rate is usually a good indicator of the admissions process, and it is very low in LCME accredited schools.

You should make sure that your medical school is always able to provide this type of an information in support of your licensing application. We think that the attorney general in TN will suggest changes to the language of the proposed rule, but the general intent of this regulation will most likely surface again in a different form.

Going to established universities is your best insurance policy. Always keep in mind that medical boards may set licensing guidlines so long as they are reasonable, not discriminatory, and specific enough to put applicants on notice as to what they need to do in order to qualify.

The above "5" points are just examples of how the medical board in TN might go about implementing the new rule. Don't panic! When it comes to choosing a medical school, be selective about where you invest your time and money.

Best Wishes,

The Medical University Of Varna
Faculty of Medicine
North American Office
www.varnamed.org