Medical License for Docs with Mental Illness

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I wanted to know if any of you knew of state licensing boards that denied licensing to physicians with history of outpatient/inpatient treatments for substance abuse/mental illness?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I wanted to know if any of you knew of state licensing boards that denied licensing to physicians with history of outpatient/inpatient treatments for substance abuse/mental illness?

Any state can deny or revoke your license for misconduct or impairment (e.g. mental illness, chemical dependency). Most states, however, prefer to work with an impaired physician, setting conditions on their continued licensure such as completing a treatment program, being under stricter supervision, etc.
Google "Health professionals service programs" or "health professionals recovery programs" for how this works in your state of interest. Failing to work with a program like this, however, almost always leads to loss of license.

 

[Shalom77]

Not all doctors with a history of mental illness have been impaired professionally. If there is no history of professional impairment there's no need to work with such programs - at least as far as I know.

There was an article in the NY Times about doctors and mental illness several years ago.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpa...4C0A9659C8B63&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=all

It describes that at least for Minnesota (where the doctor who was in part a focus of the story worked) they changed the question on the license renewal to instead of asking if the doctor had been treated for mental illness, to one a question that asks about "having suffered from a mental disorder that impaired the ability to practice medicine with skill and safety." The state I'm licensed in also only asks about impairment but according to this article some states still ask about diagnoses.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Not all doctors with a history of mental illness have been impaired professionally. If there is no history of professional impairment there's no need to work with such programs - at least as far as I know.
...

Thank you. That is, of course, a very important point.

 

[icebreakers]

I know a lot about this topic. feel free to pm me if you like. when you apply for an m.d. license, there is a section that asks for whether or not you have ever been treated for a substance problem. If you check yes. You can still get a license..however it will be slightly delayed and you will have to develop a relationship with a third party department (usually hired by the state) who deals with monitoring health care professionals. There is lots of extra documentation required of past treatment and compliance, third party recommendations (i.e. 1-3 years or monitored recovery within residency training or even practicing- random drugscreens, group meetings, AA meetings and attendance)...recommendations which the state that gives you your license will follow and conditionally give you a license. then their is your GME office at your training institution who will further want to examine your paperwork. Lots of hoops...but its done to allow healthcare professionals to enter back into their line of work while protecting that individual and patients from the harm of relapse. It can be frustrating at times...however, in the past...people were just kicked out of schools, hospitals, training programs. Now...if you are compliant and sober...you are not limited in anyway.

hope this helps

 

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thanks for all the responses. I personally have not had an issue with substance abuse nor mental illness. I just happened to be talking with friends as we prepare for step 3 about the rules of obtaining your medical license in different states when a resident in our program allegedly took a leave of absence secondary to mental illness. I think she's a really nice although I don't know her personally and have not worked with her but I just hope this doesn't keep her from practicing medicine.