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I know a family medicine residency is 3 years but is it possible to practice medicine without going through a residency?
Is it legal to set up a family practice once you graduate medical school?
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........... No"
Licensure and certification. All States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories license physicians. To be licensed, physicians must graduate from an accredited medical school, pass a licensing examination, and complete 1 to 7 years of graduate medical education. Although physicians licensed in one State usually can get a license to practice in another without further examination, some States limit reciprocity. Graduates of foreign medical schools generally can qualify for licensure after passing an examination and completing a U.S. residency.
M.D.s and D.O.s seeking board certification in a specialty may spend up to 7 years in residency training, depending on the specialty. A final examination immediately after residency or after 1 or 2 years of practice also is necessary for certification by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The ABMS represents 24 boards related to medical specialties ranging from allergy and immunology to urology. The AOA has approved 18 specialty boards, ranging from anesthesiology to surgery. For certification in a subspecialty, physicians usually need another 1 to 2 years of residency."
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm
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Need at least an intern year to be licensed. I think some states will let you practice with only that one year, but it seems idiotic to not just do the extra two...
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What law could a person possibly be arrested under if he or she were to do so?
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In other words you can set up a family practice after one year of internship? Sweet!
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the technical requirements vary by state, but generally you need to pass steps I, II & III in order to practice medicine as well as having completed a full year of supervised practice in an accredited residency program (eg internship).
after one year of residency you can legally practice medicine. doing so will make you an idiot for a variety of reasons. hospitals won't touch you, patients with half a brain won't touch you, and, hopefully, no insurance company will touch you. you'll be relegated to crappy clinics.
after one year of residency you can legally practice medicine. doing so will make you an idiot for a variety of reasons. hospitals won't touch you, patients with half a brain won't touch you, and, hopefully, no insurance company will touch you. you'll be relegated to crappy clinics.
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If you knew how little you know after an internship year you'd think different.
Are you just interested in giving back-alley abortions or something? What kind of a question is that?
The law would be something along the lines of "Practicing medicine without a license." Obviously, it's illegal to practice medicine in the United States without a license in the state where you will be providing the medical service. All US states require a residency (someone above said you might not have to complete it, just do the 1st year, I don't know about that, but either way) to be licensed.
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Is it so wrong to ask a question according to your beliefs? Or must we all remain silent?
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Don't you have to finish residency to take Step 3? Don't you have to pass Step 3 to be licensed?
edit: This is an honest question. There may be a way around it...?
edit: This is an honest question. There may be a way around it...?
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Wow it's just a question....jerk
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Thanks for defending me. I mostly asked this question out of curiosity.
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After you do your internship year (and get certified), you can theoretically practice whatever type of medicine you want - legally.
The catch though is that not only is it impossible to get malpractice insurance, but you won't be getting paid for anything, since insurance companies need you to have completed your residency in whatever specialty it is that you're practicing. Obviously, if you're making your patients pay you cash, then the sky is your limit.
That's why you can see general surgeons doing plastics (even though they never completed a plastics residency) or even family docs doing botox injections. The list goes on.
As Pinkertinkle mentioned though, most med students don't know know crap when they finish medical school. Med school is sort of an introduction to medicine - it is in your residency that they teach you how to actually practice medicine (or so I've heard).
The catch though is that not only is it impossible to get malpractice insurance, but you won't be getting paid for anything, since insurance companies need you to have completed your residency in whatever specialty it is that you're practicing. Obviously, if you're making your patients pay you cash, then the sky is your limit.
That's why you can see general surgeons doing plastics (even though they never completed a plastics residency) or even family docs doing botox injections. The list goes on.
As Pinkertinkle mentioned though, most med students don't know know crap when they finish medical school. Med school is sort of an introduction to medicine - it is in your residency that they teach you how to actually practice medicine (or so I've heard).
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As mentioned already, the law would be "practicing w/o a license."
You could, in theory, complete an intern year, pass your certification exams, and then go "hang a shingle" as they say and start your own practice.
Problem is, medicine is a business. No other practice would hire you, since you'd be woefully underqualified. No malpractice insurance company would give you a policy, since you'd be a liability. Most med insurance companies wouldn't contract with you for reimbursement. Most patients wouldn't come to you.
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Here in the U.S., the days of doing 1 year of internship and practicing as a general practitioner (GP) are over. Now, more and more states are changing the licensing requirements to mandate a completion of a residency. Also, you will have a very difficult time getting insurance reimbursement if you are not board-certified (or eligible). The only way to be certified or eligible is if you complete a residency.
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You take Step III during intern year. But as others have said, while you'll be licensed after intern year, you'd be a fool to practice without competing a residency.
OP, if you want to be a FM physician, what's the big deal about doing the extra two years after intern year? Without it, you'll be a walking lawsuit.
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I don't see what the big deal is I currently practice medicine and I've never even been to medical school. It's called "black market medicine" and it's awesome, I can sell my medical services behind the scenes. I set my own prices, never have to worry about insurance and regulations and licensure and malpractice, have the freedom to do what I want because it's my own business. It's really a great alternative to the conventional route, I highly recommend it. And if I ever decide to apply to regular medical school, it's a great EC and source of clinical experience.
I'm living my dream of being my own boss and helping people at the same time!
I'm living my dream of being my own boss and helping people at the same time!
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OP, I take it you've never been to Chinatown. I too would be willing to start my own clinic, regardless of whether or not I'm a licensed MD or medical school graduate - if it means serving the underserved and helping the immigrant population in my city. Unfortunately, I could go to jail for that and so far as a I know, no one has ever gotten into medical school after being busted for practicing medicine without a license.
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What exactly is your belief system though? The question, to me, sounded like it was coming from a fast-talking hustler. If it was actually an earnest question, then I apologize, but surely you can see why I would interpret the question the way I did.
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what if you go into the military can you practice doing something before an internship there?
Im not planning on it, just curious.
Im not planning on it, just curious.
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At the moment, yes. General medical officer positions are open to people who have only completed an internship year.
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No, you have to complete an internship year. GMO's (like the above poster pointed out), complete at least one year (sometimes two) internship then practice.
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Lol, the progression is nice. I can't wait for the next episode:
- Stealing Supplies from Medical School and Selling them On Ebay?
- Sell a Kidney to Lower Student Debt?
- Practice 'Medisin', a Legally Distinct Entity?
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The insurance issues are the ones that make this impractical. In theory, as mentioned, you can hang up a shingle after an internship year and passing the steps. In practicality, you can't do anything without insurance and can't get insurance for any sort of reasonable rate with only one year of graduate training. I'd forget about this plan.
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ChubbyChaser said:
Perrotfish said:
Why are you saying yes?
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Practicing medicine without a license.
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Some clarification to a term misused more than once above.
Certification means, in most medical parlance, being Board Certified (BC). You cannot be BC if you are not Board Eligible (BE), which requires completing a residency, having a unrestricted medical license. Thus, you cannot be "certified" by completing just one 1 year of internship.
You may be "certifiable" but you are not certified. 😉
Being licensed and being BC are not the same thing. Having a full and unrestricted license requires passing all USMLE/COMLEX steps and doing whatever minimum requirements your state has for graduate medical training. All states require at least 1 year; for foreign grads, it may be as much as 3 years.
As others have noted, trying to practice medicine with only 1 year of residency training is foolhardy. We are entering an era of MORE requirements, not less.
- you will find getting hospital privileges next to impossible if you are not BE
- most malpractice insurers will not cover someone who is not BE if you are actually practicing medicine
- most insurers will not certify you as a preferred provider if you are not BE
Thus, a cash only practice is about your only option. There are patients out there who do not verify credentials and would come to you if you offered a service they needed, for the right price and you are not by law required to have malpractice insurance. But you'd be stupid to practice without it (except in extreme circumstances like Florida where the premiums outweigh what you would have to pay in damages).
Certification means, in most medical parlance, being Board Certified (BC). You cannot be BC if you are not Board Eligible (BE), which requires completing a residency, having a unrestricted medical license. Thus, you cannot be "certified" by completing just one 1 year of internship.
You may be "certifiable" but you are not certified. 😉
Being licensed and being BC are not the same thing. Having a full and unrestricted license requires passing all USMLE/COMLEX steps and doing whatever minimum requirements your state has for graduate medical training. All states require at least 1 year; for foreign grads, it may be as much as 3 years.
As others have noted, trying to practice medicine with only 1 year of residency training is foolhardy. We are entering an era of MORE requirements, not less.
- you will find getting hospital privileges next to impossible if you are not BE
- most malpractice insurers will not cover someone who is not BE if you are actually practicing medicine
- most insurers will not certify you as a preferred provider if you are not BE
Thus, a cash only practice is about your only option. There are patients out there who do not verify credentials and would come to you if you offered a service they needed, for the right price and you are not by law required to have malpractice insurance. But you'd be stupid to practice without it (except in extreme circumstances like Florida where the premiums outweigh what you would have to pay in damages).
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