PRINTER'S NO. 547
No. 497 Session of 1987
INTRODUCED BY ITKIN, DORR, PISTELLA, TIGUE, HALUSKA, COHEN,
PRESTON, TRELLO, MAIALE, OLASZ, VEON AND HOWLETT, MARCH 2,
1987
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 2, 1987
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112),
2 entitled "An act relating to the right to practice medicine
3 and surgery and the right to practice medically related acts;
4 reestablishing the State Board of Medical Education and
5 Licensure as the State Board of Medicine and providing for
6 its composition, powers and duties; providing for the
7 issuance of licenses and certificates and the suspension and
8 revocation of licenses and certificates; providing penalties;
9 and making repeals," further providing for the definitions of
10 "clinical clerk" and "foreign medical college"; and further
11 establishing standards for medical training.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. The definition of "clinical clerk" in section 2
15 of the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as the
16 Medical Practice Act of 1985, is amended and the section is
17 amended by adding a definition to read:
18 Section 2. Definitions.
19 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
20 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
21 context clearly indicates otherwise:
22 * * *
1 "Clinical clerk." An undergraduate student in good standing
2 in an accredited medical college or a qualifying United States
3 citizen who is an undergraduate student in a foreign medical
4 college, who is assigned to provide medical services in a
5 hospital by the medical college and the hospital.
6 * * *
7 "Foreign medical college." A medical school located outside
8 the United States and Canada, which is listed by the World
9 Health Organization, or its successor, or which is otherwise
10 recognized as a medical school by the competent authorities of
11 the jurisdiction in which it is located.
12 * * *
13 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
14 Section 11.1. Foreign medical students serving clinical
15 clerkships.
16 (a) General rule.--Each undergraduate student enrolled in a
17 foreign medical college shall, as a prerequisite to serving as a
18 clinical clerk in a Pennsylvania hospital:
19 (1) Obtain a satisfactory score on the medical sciences
20 knowledge profile examination, or other examination approved
21 by the board.
22 (2) Have successfully completed at least two years
23 undergraduate training in an eligible foreign medical
24 college.
25 (b) School clinical clerkship programs.--Nothing contained
26 in this section shall be construed to prohibit foreign medical
27 students who are registered, on a temporary basis, in a medical
28 college from serving as clinical clerks in Pennsylvania
29 hospitals under a clinical clerkship program maintained as part
30 of the undergraduate curriculum of the medical college in which
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1 the foreign medical student is temporarily registered.
2 (c) Construction of section.--It is the intent of the
3 General Assembly that the provisions of this section be
4 construed liberally in order to ensure the establishment of an
5 accessible, viable program through which United States citizens
6 who are students enrolled in foreign medical schools may obtain
7 clinical training in Pennsylvania hospitals.
8 Section 3. Section 23(c) of the act is amended to read:
9 Section 23. Standards for medical training facilities.
10 * * *
11 (c) Refusal of recognition.--In the event that the board
12 determines that a medical training facility has failed to
13 provide adequate facilities, curricula or training or
14 discriminates in any way against a hospital which participates
15 in a clinical clerkship program with a foreign medical college,
16 the board shall not recognize the education or degrees obtained
17 from the medical training facility during the period of
18 inadequacy.
19 Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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