SB 1395
Initials AG/BG Page 1 Health & Human Services
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
Senate: RAGE DPA/SE 6-0-1-0 | 3rd Read 19-8-3-0
SB 1395: requirements; international medical graduates
Sponsor: Senator Shope, LD 16
Committee on Health & Human Services
Overview
Requires graduates from an unapproved school of medicine who apply to the Arizona Medical
Board (AMB) for licensure as a physician to be enrolled in, rather than successfully complete,
an additional approved 24 months of hospital internships, residency or clinical fellowship
program.
History
The AMB's primary duty 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 this state.
Applicants pursuing a license to practice medicine in Arizona must: 1) graduate from an
approved school of medicine or receive a medical education of equivalent quality; 2)
successfully complete an approved 12-month hospital internship, residency or clinical
fellowship program; 3) have a professional record that indicates no actions of conduct that
would constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including not having a license revoked and
not being currently under investigation, suspensions or restriction; 4) submit various forms
of document verification to the AMB, such as licensure from every state the applicant has
ever held a medical license and a full set of fingerprints for obtaining a state and federal
criminal records check; and 5) pass steps one, two and three of the U.S. medical licensing
examination (A.R.S. §§ 32-1422 and 32-1425).
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 Council for Foreign Medical Graduates,
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 complete an
approved 24-month hospital internship, residency or clinical fellowship program, in addition
to the 12 months statutorily required, 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).
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note SB 1395
Initials AG/BG Page 2 Health & Human Services
Provisions
1. Specifies that a graduate from an unapproved school of medicine wishing to apply to the
AMB for licensure as a physician to be enrolled in, rather than successfully complete, an
approved 24-month hospital internship, residency or clinical fellowship program, unless
otherwise specified. (Sec. 1)
2. Makes a technical change. (Sec. 1)