Licensure & DEA

Medical Licensure Policy

The State of California Business and Professions code Sections 2065 and 2066, states the following:

All graduates of foreign or domestic medical schools are allowed to train in an ACGME accredited training program for a maximum of two years without medical licensure.   Graduates of foreign medical schools who have trained in a ACGME accredited program in another state; the period of time of that training reduces the amount of time allowed for unlicensed training in California.

Residents who continue to train after the two-year licensing exemption has expired may be fined by the Medical Board in amounts ranging from $100 to $2500 depending upon the severity of the violation.

The policy of the program will be as follows:

• All resident physicians must obtain California medical licensure before the end of the second year of clinical training. Accomplishing this requires that USMLE Parts I, II, and III are successfully completed by May of the first year of training.
• In the event that licensure is not obtained by the end of the second year of training, the trainee will be immediately suspended from the program. No credit for residency training will be given for the time under suspension.
• Reinstatement to the program will require adequate documentation of licensure.
• The forms may be obtained from the Medical Board website: http://www.mbc.ca.gov/.

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Certification

• Our policy is to comply with Federal statutes governing the use of DEA certification. This includes Resident physicians in Core Surgery and General Surgery Training Programs, all institutions.
• Trainees are expected to obtain DEA certification as soon as possible, after they have obtained medical licensure in the State of California.
• First-year trainees without medical licensure may write and sign outpatient prescriptions only if such prescriptions will be filled within the facility to which they are assigned.
• Trainees without DEA certification are forbidden from using the DEA and medical license numbers of other resident physicians to write outpatient prescriptions.
• Outpatient prescriptions to be filled outside of the institution should be written by a physician, either attending physician or resident physician who possesses valid DEA and medical license numbers.