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NMI board OK’d to issue license to foreign medical professionals
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Posted on Oct 01 2011
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Reporter
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed into law a measure that approves the licensing of foreign trained medical professionals in the Commonwealth.
House Bill 17-71 was passed by the Legislature in August; it is now Public Law 17-56.
The new law added subchapter 140-50.3 which applies to the licensing of foreign and international medical graduates without U.S. training or a U.S. license.
According to the Legislature, the CNMI needs to address its health care system and provide short- and long-term solutions in order to have a healthy population where common diseases like diabetes and hypertension are eliminated and the life span of every citizen is prolonged.
The law states that the Commonwealth Medical Practice Act provides that “when there is a physician shortage, applicants who are not citizens or nationals of the United States or permanent residents of the Commonwealth may qualify pursuant to the discretion of the Medical Professional Licensing board.”
Although the Commonwealth has consistently experienced a physician shortage, the licensing board has not adopted any regulations for the licensing of medical professionals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The licensing board was established in 1982.
“Since the medical professional licensing board has not adopted licensing regulations necessary to the health and welfare of the residents of the Commonwealth.it is appropriate for the Legislature to adopt appropriate regulations for the licensing of foreign medical professionals,” states the law.
The law prohibits the board from disapproving any foreign medical school or post-graduate training program or from denying an application if, in the opinion of the board, the professional instruction provided by the medical school or the postsecondary training program or instruction received by the applicant is not equivalent to that required of U.S. trained physicians.
The law also prohibits the board from suspending, revoking, placing on probation, or conditioning the license when the foreign-licensed physician is not under the supervision of a CNMI licensed health care professional.
