HB243 - Physician Workforce Act

• Reduces postgraduate or residency training requirement for non-accredited medical school graduates from three years to two years to qualify for physician licensure.

• Eliminates the requirement that applicants who have not passed licensing examinations within 10 years must take a prescribed examination to qualify for licensure.

• Authorizes the Board of Medical Examiners to issue one-year permits (renewable for one additional year) to medical school graduates not yet accepted into residency programs to practice medicine under a licensed physician's supervision.

• Permits bridge year graduate physicians to prescribe and administer legend drugs on an approved formulary under a job description signed by their supervising physician, with restrictions on call-in prescriptions for unauthorized drugs.

• Requires the board to convene a working group including representatives from medical associations, residency program directors, and primary health care organizations to draft rules governing bridge year graduate physician practice.