(A) To obtain a permanent license to practice medicine in this State an applicant shall comply with the requirements of this section.

(B)(1) An applicant shall document to the satisfaction of the board graduation from a:

(a) medical school located in the United States or Canada that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or other accrediting body approved by the board;

(b) school of osteopathic medicine located in the United States or Canada accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation or other accrediting body approved by the board;

(c) medical school located outside the United States or Canada.

(2) An applicant who graduated from a medical school located outside of the United States shall:

(a)(i) possess a permanent Standard Certificate from the Education Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG); and

(ii) document a minimum of three years of progressive postgraduate medical residency training in the United States approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or postgraduate training in Canada approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, except that if an applicant has been actively licensed in another state for the preceding five years or more without significant disciplinary action, the applicant need only document one year of postgraduate residency training approved by the board; or

(b)(i) document successful completion of a Fifth Pathway program; and

(ii) complete a minimum of three years progressive postgraduate medical residency training in the United States approved by the ACGME or AOA or postgraduate training in Canada approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons or be board eligible or board certified by a specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the AOA, or another organization approved by the board;

(c) notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the board may waive the ECFMG or Fifth Pathway requirement if the applicant is to have a full-time academic faculty appointment at the rank of assistant professor or greater at a medical school in this State.

(C) An applicant shall document to the satisfaction of the board successful completion of:

(1) all parts of the National Board of Medical Examiners Examination in approved sequence;

(2) all parts of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners Examination in approved sequence;

(3) the Federation Licensing Exam (FLEX) based on standards established by the board;

(4) the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) based on standards established by the board;

(5) the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) in approved sequence;

(6) the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA);

(7) a written state examination of another state medical, osteopathic, or composite board prior to 1976, and current certification by a specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, or another organization approved by the board; or

(8) combinations of the FLEX, National Board of Medical Examiners, and USMLE acceptable to the Composite Committee of the USMLE and approved by the board. These combinations may be accepted only if taken before 1999.

(D) In addition to meeting all other licensure requirements, an applicant shall pass the Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) or the Composite Osteopathic Variable-Purpose Examination (COMVEX), unless the applicant can document within ten years of the date of filing a completed application to the board one of the following:

(1) National Board of Medical Examiners examination;

(2) National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners examination;

(3) FLEX;

(4) USMLE;

(5) MCCQE;

(6) SPEX;

(7) COMVEX;

(8) COMLEX-USA;

(9) ECFMG;

(10) certification, recertification, or a certificate of added qualification examination by a specialty board recognized by either the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or another organization approved by the board; or

(11) one hundred fifty hours of Category I continuing medical education in the three years preceding the date of the application by an applicant who is currently certified by a specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, or other organization approved by the board, which certification is not time limited and does not require recertification by examination. Such Category I continuing medical education must be approved by the American Medical Association or American Osteopathic Association, or other national organization approved by the board, as appropriate. Seventy-five percent of these hours must be related to the applicant's area of specialty. This is the only exception to the ten year requirement of this subsection that does not require an examination or reexamination.

(E) The additional examination required pursuant to subsection (D) must be waived if the applicant is to practice in a position within the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, or the Disability Determination Services Unit of the State Agency of Vocational Rehabilitation. A license issued pursuant to this waiver is immediately invalid if the individual leaves that position or acts outside the scope of employment within the department. A change in agency may be approved upon presentation to the board of a copy of a contract in which the individual has been offered a position within the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, or the Disability Determination Services Unit of the State Agency of Vocational Rehabilitation.

(F) In addition to the following standards, the board shall establish minimum standards of performance to be attained on examinations for an applicant to qualify for licensure:

(1) For FLEX examinations taken before June 1, 1985, the following standards apply:

(a) An applicant for permanent licensure shall obtain, in one sitting, a FLEX weighted average score of at least seventy-five on the examination.

(b) FLEX examinations taken before June 1, 1985, were administered in three days and the days were referred to as Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. In case of failure, the results of the first three takings of each day must be considered by the board, and the board may consider the results from a fourth taking of any day; however, the applicant has the burden of presenting special and compelling circumstances why a result from a fourth taking should be considered. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the applicant's additional medical education or training, the applicant's score on the third taking, or other special or compelling circumstances. Under no circumstances may the board consider results received after the fourth taking of Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3, except that a subsequent taking may be considered by the board for an applicant who currently holds a certification, recertification, or a certificate of added qualification by a specialty board recognized by the ABMS, AOA, or another organization approved by the board.

(2) For FLEX examinations taken after June 1, 1985, the following standards apply:

(a) An applicant for permanent licensure shall obtain a score of seventy- five or more on both Component I and Component II. An applicant shall pass both components within five years of the first taking of any component of this examination.

(b) FLEX examinations taken after June 1, 1985, were administered as Component I and Component II. In case of failure, the results of the first three takings of each component must be considered by the board. The board may consider the results from a fourth taking of any component; however, the applicant has the burden of presenting special and compelling circumstances why a result from a fourth taking should be considered. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the applicant's additional medical education or training, the applicant's score on the third taking, or other special or compelling circumstances. Under no circumstances may the board consider results received after the fourth taking of Component I or Component II, except that a subsequent taking may be considered by the board for an applicant who currently holds a certification, recertification, or a certificate of added qualification by a specialty board recognized by the ABMS, AOA, or another organization approved by the board.

(3) For the United States Medical Licensing Examination or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, or the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination, the applicant shall pass all steps within ten years of passing the first taken step. The results of the first three takings of each step examination must be considered by the board. The board may consider the results from a fourth taking of any step; however, the applicant has the burden of presenting special and compelling circumstances why a result from a fourth taking should be considered. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the applicant's additional medical education or training, the applicant's score on the third taking, or other special or compelling circumstances. Under no circumstances may the board consider results received after the fourth taking of any step, except that a subsequent taking may be considered by the board for an applicant who currently holds a certification, recertification, or a certificate of added qualification by a specialty board recognized by the ABMS, AOA, or another organization approved by the board.

(G) With respect to postgraduate medical residency training requirements, the following standards apply:

(1) Graduates of approved medical or osteopathic schools located in the United States or Canada shall document the successful completion of a minimum of one year of postgraduate medical residency training approved by the board.

(2) Graduates of medical schools located outside the United States or Canada shall document a minimum of three years of progressive postgraduate medical residency training approved by the board, except that these graduates who have completed at least two and one-half years of progressive postgraduate medical residency training in the program in which they are currently enrolled may be issued a license upon certification from the program of their good standing and expected satisfactory completion. These graduates who have been actively licensed in another state for the preceding five years or more without significant disciplinary action need only document one year of postgraduate residency training approved by the board. A foreign graduate may satisfy the three year postgraduate training requirement with at least one year of approved training in combination with certification by a specialty board recognized by the ABMS, AOA, or another national organization approved by the board.

(3) The board may accept a full-time academic appointment at the rank of assistant professor or greater in a medical or osteopathic school in the United States as a substitute for and instead of postgraduate medical residency training. Each year of this academic appointment may be credited as one year of postgraduate medical residency training for purposes of the board's postgraduate training requirements.

(4) For purposes of satisfying postgraduate medical residency training requirements, the board may accept postgraduate training in the United States approved by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association or postgraduate training in Canada approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.

(H) An applicant may be denied licensure if the individual has committed acts or omissions that are grounds for disciplinary action as provided for in Section 40-47-110. The board or department immediately may cancel an authorization that was issued based on false, fraudulent, or misleading information provided by an applicant.

(I) The board may grant or refuse licensure to licentiates of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Medical Council of Canada, or of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners without further examination and may make and establish all necessary rules and regulations for the endorsement of licensure issued by other state boards having substantially equivalent requirements.

(J) An applicant for a permanent license shall document compliance with applicable continued competency requirements.

(K) An applicant shall file a completed application, with required supporting documentation, on forms provided by the department. Primary source verification of an applicant's identity, medical education, postgraduate training, examination history, disciplinary history, and other core information required for licensure in this State must be provided through an independent credentials verification organization approved by the board.

(L) A nonrefundable permanent license application fee must be submitted with the application. Applications will not be processed without the required fee.

(M) The board must not issue a permanent license to a licensed physician of another state of the United States:

(1) whose license is currently revoked, suspended, restricted in any way, or on probationary status in that state; or

(2) who currently has disciplinary action pending in any state.

HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 385, Section 1; 2008 Act No. 411, Sections 3, 4, and 5; 2018 Act No. 221 (H.4698), Section 1, eff May 18, 2018.

Effect of Amendment

2018 Act No. 221, Section 1, in (E), in the first and third sentences, inserted ", or the Disability Determination Services Unit of the State Agency of Vocational Rehabilitation" at the end, and made nonsubstantive changes.