A3987

An Act concerning physician licensing, amending R.S.45:9-8, supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statues, and repealing R.S.45:9-14.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Expanding Physician Access Act of 2025.”

2. (New section) As used in this act:

“Board” means the State Board of Medical Examiners.

“International medical program” means any medical school, residency program, medical internship program, or entity that provides physicians with a medical education or training outside of the United States that is substantially similar to the requirements to practice as a physician in New Jersey.

“Physician” means any individual who has obtained a medical doctorate or substantially similar degree and has completed a residency program or otherwise practiced as a medical professional performing the duties of a physician for at least two years.

3. (New section) a. (1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the board shall grant a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey to any international medical graduate with an offer for employment as a physician at a physician’s office or a licensed health care facility in this State.

(2) The board shall not grant a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey to any international medical graduate unless the individual:

(a) has been granted a medical doctorate or substantially similar degree by a medical program of good standing;

(b) is in good standing with the medical licensing or regulatory institution of his or her resident country;

(d) has practiced as a medical professional performing the duties of a physician in his or her resident country for no less than five years;

(e) possesses basic fluency in the English language;

(f) possesses a federal immigration status that allows him or her to practice as a physician in the United States;

(g) presents evidence of equivalent medical training and satisfactory passage of exams;

(h) successfully passes a background investigation;

(i) pays all required fees for licensure; and

(j) is a resident of and licensed to practice medicine in any of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, or United Kingdom.

b. The procedure for the revocation or reinstatement of a license under this section, and for the appeal of the revocation of a license under this section shall be identical to the license revocation, reinstatement, and appeal procedures that apply to physicians who received their medical education and training in the United States.

c. The board shall automatically convert a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey into a full license to practice medicine in New Jersey after a three year probationary period.

d. An international medical graduates who becomes licensed under this section need not maintain employment with the original physician’s office or licensed health care facility following the completion of the three year probationary period.

4. (New section) The provisions of this act shall be severable, and, if any of its provisions shall be held to be unconstitutional, the decision of the court shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this act.

5. R.S.45:9-8 is amended to read as follows:

45:9-8. Except as otherwise provided in R.S.45:9-1 et seq., every applicant for admission to licensure by examination to practice medicine and surgery shall, in addition to the requirements set forth in R.S.45:9-1 et seq.:

a. (1) Prove to the board that the applicant has received [(a)] a diploma from some legally incorporated professional school or college of the United States[, Canada or other foreign country], which school or college, in the opinion of the board, was in good standing at the time of the issuance of the diploma[, or (b) a license conferring the full right to practice all of the branches of medicine and surgery in some foreign country]; and

(2) Shall further prove that, prior to the receipt of such diploma or license, as aforesaid, the applicant had studied not less than 4 full school years, including four satisfactory courses of lectures of at least eight months each, consecutively or in four different calendar years, in some legally incorporated and registered American [or foreign] professional school or schools, college or colleges in good standing in the opinion of the board, which courses shall have included a thorough and satisfactory course of instruction in medicine and surgery; and

b. (1) The applicant, if he has graduated from a professional school or college after July 1, 1916 and before July 1, 2003, shall further prove to the board that, after receiving such diploma or license, he has completed an internship acceptable to the board for at least one year in a hospital approved by the board, or in lieu thereof he has completed one year of post-graduate work acceptable to the board in a school or hospital approved by the board, unless required by regulation to complete additional post-graduate work; or

(2) The applicant, if he has graduated from a medical school after July 1, 2003, shall further prove to the board that, after receiving his diploma, he has completed and received academic credit for at least two years of post-graduate training in an accredited program and has signed a contract for a third year of post-graduate training in an accredited program, and that at least two years of that training are in the same field or would, when considered together, be credited toward the criteria for certification by a single specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association or another certification entity with comparable standards that is acceptable to the board.

c. If an applicant for licensure has not engaged in practice for a period of more than five years, or the board's review of the application establishes a basis for concluding that there may be clinical deficiencies in need of remediation, the board may require the applicant to submit to, and successfully pass, an examination or an assessment of skills. If that examination or assessment identifies clinical deficiencies or educational needs, the board may require an applicant, as a condition of licensure, to take and successfully complete any educational training, or to submit to any supervision, monitoring or limitations, as the board determines are necessary to assure that the applicant will practice with reasonable skill and safety.

(cf: P.L.2001, c.307, s.6)

6. R.S.45:9-14 is repealed.

7. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes procedures for the licensing of certain international medical graduates.

Under the bill, the State Board of Medical Examiners (board) is to grant a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey to any international medical graduate with an offer for employment as a physician at a physician’s office or a licensed health care facility in this State.

The bill provides that the board is not to grant a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey to any international medical graduate unless the individual:

(a) has been granted a medical doctorate or substantially similar degree by a medical program of good standing;

(b) is in good standing with the medical licensing or regulatory institution of his or her resident country;

(d) has practiced as a medical professional performing the duties of a physician in his or her resident country for no less than five years;

(e) possesses basic fluency in the English language;

(f) possesses a federal immigration status that allows him or her to practice as a physician in the United States;

(g) presents evidence of equivalent medical training and satisfactory passage of exams;

(h) successfully passes a background investigation;

(i) pays all required fees for licensure; and

(j) is a resident of and licensed to practice medicine in any of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, or United Kingdom.

It is the sponsor’s belief that that bill will remove barriers that prevent high-quality, internationally-trained physicians from filling vacancies in New Jersey, including in rural and primary care settings, by eliminating training duplication and recognizing high-quality residency programs that they have already completed. All other care standards and requirements remain unchanged and the State medical board is empowered to continue to perform its role to ensure all internationally-trained applicants have the requisite knowledge and experience to practice medicine in New Jersey.