2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 20 - Professional and Occupational Licensing, Certification, Title Protection and Registration. Examining Boards
Chapter 370 - Medicine and Surgery
Section 20-12 - Licensure without examination. Limited practice based on out-of-state or military license.

(a) Except as hereinafter provided, in lieu of the examination required in section 20-10, the department may, under such regulations as the Commissioner of Public Health, with advice and assistance from the appropriate board, may establish and, upon receipt of five hundred sixty-five dollars, accept a license from the board of medical examiners or any board authorized to issue a license to practice osteopathic medicine, osteopathy or its equivalent of any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or the Medical Council of Canada or of any agency in such jurisdictions authorized to issue licenses to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine or osteopathy, provided the applicant obtained such license after an examination substantially similar to or of higher quality than that required for a license in this state, has met all the requirements of section 20-10 except for examination and is a currently practicing, competent practitioner of good professional standing. The department may issue to an applicant approved without examination as hereinbefore provided a license to practice medicine and surgery.

(b) Except as hereinafter provided, the department may, in its discretion, and on receipt of five hundred sixty-five dollars, likewise accept and approve, in lieu of the examination required in section 20-10, a diploma of the National Board of Medical Examiners or a certificate of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, subject to the same conditions as hereinbefore set forth for acceptance, in lieu of examination, of a license from a board of medical examiners or any board authorized to issue a license to practice osteopathic medicine, osteopathy or its equivalent of any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or the Medical Council of Canada, and may issue to such diplomate or certificate holder a statement certifying to the fact that the person named therein has been found qualified to practice medicine and surgery.

(c) In lieu of the examination required in section 20-10, the department may, under such regulations as the Commissioner of Public Health, with advice and assistance from the appropriate board, may establish, and upon the receipt of one hundred fifty dollars, accept and approve the application of any physician for a temporary license to practice solely in any state facility, and issue such license, subject to the same conditions set forth in subsection (a) of this section for the acceptance of a license from another jurisdiction or the application of a person who has been a resident student in and a graduate of a medical school listed in the World Health Organization Directory, and has received the degree of doctor of medicine, osteopathic medicine or other academic distinction that, in the judgment of such board, is equivalent to the degree of doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine from such a school and has completed an additional year of postgraduate experience subsequent to the receipt of said degree. Such temporary license shall not be issued for a period longer than twelve months. During the period such temporary license is in effect, such physician shall make application for an examination administered or approved by the department under the supervision of the appropriate board.

(d) No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint. The department shall inform the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, established pursuant to section 20-8a annually of the number of applications it receives for licensure under this section.

(e) Any physician or surgeon who holds a license in good standing in another state may practice as a youth camp physician in this state without a license for a period not to exceed nine weeks.

(f) Any physician licensed or otherwise authorized to practice medicine by the armed forces of the United States may practice as a physician without a license in a free clinic in this state provided (1) the physician does not receive payment for such practice, and (2) the physician carries, either directly or through the clinic, professional liability insurance or indemnity against liability for professional malpractice equal to or greater than that required of state-licensed physicians under section 20-11b.

(1949 Rev., S. 4364(b), (c); 1953, 1955, S. 2192d(b), (c); 1959, P.A. 616, S. 3; 1961, P.A. 363, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 45, S. 2; 1971, P.A. 64; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 41; 1972, P.A. 80, S. 4; P.A. 73-673, S. 2, 3; P.A. 76-234, S. 1, 2; 76-276, S. 16, 22; 76-435, S. 72, 82; P.A. 77-519, S. 5, 6; 77-614, S. 352, 610; P.A. 80-484, S. 13, 174, 176; P.A. 81-130, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-171, S. 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 18, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 5, 95; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 99-102, S. 6; P.A. 03-252, S. 20; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 182; P.A. 12-197, S. 10; P.A. 13-208, S. 20.)

History: 1959 act raised fees for accepting license from other state or territory, etc., from $75 and for accepting diploma of National Board of Medical Examiners from $35; 1961 act added provisions re Medical Council of Canada; 1969 act replaced “four graded courses of not less than thirty-two weeks each” with “one hundred and twenty-eight weeks of graded courses” and replaced three-year practice requirement with one-year practice requirement; 1971 acts added Subsec. (c) re youth camp physicians' licenses and increased fee for accepting license from other state or territory, etc. from $100 to $150 and for accepting diploma of National Board of Medical Examiners from $50 to $150; 1972 act required that examinations be of the same quality for acceptance, deleted reference to schools approved under Sec. 20-11, deleted requirement that year of practice be within five years immediately preceding date of application and deleted provisions forbidding acceptance of license in lieu of examination from person failing to fulfill requirements under Sec. 20-3 in Subsec. (a) and deleted exception in Subsec. (b) allowing diplomates of National Board of Medical Examiners to bypass one-year practice requirement; P.A. 73-673 replaced requirement that applicant be resident student for 128 course weeks with requirement that applicant have been a resident student “in and a graduate of a medical school” listed in the World Health Organization Directory and added requirement that applicant, if noncitizen and has not filed declaration of intent to become citizen, has an approved petition for immigrant visa; P.A. 76-234 added Subsec. (d) re temporary licenses; P.A. 76-276 made provisions applicable to medical examining board as well as homeopathic medical examining board; P.A. 76-435 made technical changes; P.A. 77-519 removed references to citizenship or immigrant status of applicants; P.A. 77-614 gave regulation power to commissioner of health services, rather than boards, but retained boards in advisory capacity, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-484 transferred duties re acceptance and granting of licenses from boards to health services department, replaced certificates of registration with licenses, added residency requirement in Subsec. (a) and required physician to be a “currently practicing competent practitioner of good professional standing” omitting reference to moral character, deleted Subsec. (c) re youth camp physicians' licenses, relettering Subsec. (d) accordingly and added provisions prohibiting issuance of license to applicant against whom disciplinary action is pending or who is subject of unresolved complaint and requiring that board be informed of number of applicants for licensure on annual basis; P.A. 81-130 added Subsec. (d) setting forth conditions under which physician licensed in another state may practice as a youth camp physician; P.A. 85-171 amended Subsec. (a) to require compliance with Sec. 20-10 and deleted some requirements re eligibility of foreign applicants; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 raised license fees in Subsecs. (a) and (b) from $150 to $450; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-435 set out part of former Subsec. (c) as new Subsec. (d) and relettered former Subsec. (d) as new Subsec. (e), effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-102 added references to boards authorized to issue license to practice osteopathic medicine or osteopathy or equivalent, made technical changes and added new Subsec. (f) re practice based on military license; P.A. 03-252 amended Subsec. (e) by adding requirement that physician be board-certified in pediatrics or family medicine, effective July 9, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to increase fees from $450 to $565; P.A. 12-197 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing provision re physician licensed in another state with provision re physician or surgeon holding a license in good standing in another state and deleting provision re board certification and state standards for licensure; P.A. 13-208 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “boards established under sections 20-8 and” with “Connecticut Medical Examining Board, established pursuant to section”.

See Sec. 19a-88b re renewal of license of person serving in U.S. armed forces.

Cited. 207 C. 346.

Under former statute, not necessary to present diploma required in Sec. 20-11. 11 CS 212. “May accept” is mandatory. Id.; 13 CS 463. A regulation which imposes additional requirements beyond those contained in statute is a nullity. Id.