Pensylvania full licensure during residency!

[cool_vkb]

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Some of my friends who are rotating in PA told me that one needs to pass there step-3 before beginning residency. We are fully licensed even before we begin our residency.

I always knew one can get licensed in PA without residency. But why would residency programs need you to be fully licnesed? I mean usually in residency you are under the supervision of the DPM. so why the need for DEA number etc.

So how does this works in PA? Do the residents take the patient as their own patient or is the supervising doctor still responsible.

Im just having hardtime understanding this concept. Generally everywhere else, residents are not licensed and the final signature is done by the doctor. Now if all residents are fully licensed doctors. ha ha then who is the incharge?

And this also makes me wonder, if i ever get residency in PA then can i use the benefits of my full licensure. Im sure one cannot practice podiatry in terms of money as that will be breaching residency contract but....

Can one volunteer or work for free for NGO/Charities as a fully licensed Podiatrist (like completely independent and treat pts on own. im not talking surgery here, but basic stuff like ingrown nails or prescribing medications or orthotics etc).

 

[347932]

If you have a full license to practice, technically then you are a fully licensed practitioner. However, there are other things to consider i.e malpractice. Most residencies will cover your malpractice but it may not be full malpractice like I carry. Its malpractice insurance for residents which implies that you have supervision when taking care of patients. THAT'S what needs to be checked on. You certainly don't want to practice on your own without the proper malpractice coverage.

When I was in residency in a small program in Texas, we got full malpractice coverage, so when I got my full license I was able to "moonlight" for extra cash with the authorization of the residency director who let me bill for my services through his practice.

 

[densmore22]

While technically you may be "fully licensed," you do not have the capacity to practice "fully licensed." Even though PA may not require you to complete a residency program to practice, if you are in a residency program, the director usually has to approve you at the end of your 3 years so that you can prove that you have the proper training. Then there's the whole hospital priviledge's, getting on insurance's to be a provider, etc. If you wanted to volunteer for a non-profit, you may have to do it as a rotation under your residency. I know at my program, we can do whatever we want, but it's considered under our elective rotations and thus has to be under the auspice of the residency program. That way we have malpractice and the program doesn't lose money when we're out doing something on our own. It's not black and white like you think, there's a lot of grey area in there. For example, my program doesn't require nor the state I'm in to take part III before I start, but I did anyways and passed it, but that doesn't mean I'm unrestricted fully licensed. I have my NPI#, but no DEA number (it's provided to me through my institution and thus, I can write for class II's, but can only have them filled at the hospital where I'm a resident at). I don't know if I answered your question, but again, it's a lot more complicated than passing part 3 and setting up shop.

 

[krabmas]

even though you must pass part 3 this does not garuntee a state lisense. As a resident you may still have just a resident's lisense. You'd have to check. they may require you to finish residency before granting the actual full state lisense.

In CO one of the programs requires you to get your full state lisense prior to beginning the 3rd year, in the 3rd year you run a low income clinic as the primary provider - this is how it was 4 years ago when I was a student there.

 

[Feli]

To my understanding, PA doesn't have educational limited licenses... it's full or nothing. Therefore, you need full pod license to be a resident.

As was mentioned, you always want to make sure you're covered by malpractice insurance to moonlight. Most residency hospitals only cover you when you are doing patient care related to your residency job (not outside office, etc moonlighting)

 

[cool_vkb]

To my understanding, PA doesn't have educational limited licenses... it's full or nothing. Therefore, you need full pod license to be a resident.

As was mentioned, you always want to make sure you're covered by malpractice insurance to moonlight. Most residency hospitals only cover you when you are doing patient care related to your residency job (not outside office, etc moonlighting)

Oh we need malpractice even if we volunteer for free for NGO or Charity for the benifit of poor.

 

[dpmgrad]

As Feli alluded to, all DPMs (residents and practicing Podiatrists) will either get a full license or no license in the state of Pennsylvania. Since there is no residency requirement to obtain a license in Pennsylvania, there is no need for a training license for DPMs in Pennsylvania. In order to obtain the full license in Pennsylvania, one must take and pass NBPME Part 3 exam. DPM residents need to obtain the full license, in order to obtain malpractice insurance for their residency training.

As for moonlighting during residency training, you would need to check with your program. Many programs do not permit residents to moonlight. If the residency program does permit moonlighting, the malpractice insurance from your hospital will NOT cover your moonlighting activity because the patient care activity is not related to your residency training. The place where you are doing moonlighting (this include volunteering opportunities) would need to provide separate malpractice insurance. Especially in Philadelphia area (including the surrounding suburbs) where frivilous malpractice lawsuits are rampant, you will definitely need some sort of malpractice coverage, even if it is a volunteer type moonlighting opportunity to protect yourself. However, if this volunteer activity is an approved residency activity (which would technically mean that it is NOT a moonlighting activity), then it would be covered under your training program malpractice insurance.

I hope that this will clarify things up for the cool_vkb.