2020 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 448. Medical practices.
448.03 License or certificate required to practice; use of titles; civil immunity; practice of Christian Science.

448.03 License or certificate required to practice; use of titles; civil immunity; practice of Christian Science.

(1) License required to practice.

(a) No person may practice medicine and surgery, or attempt to do so or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a license to practice medicine and surgery granted by the board.

(b) No person may practice as a physician assistant unless he or she is licensed by the board as a physician assistant.

NOTE: Par. (b) is repealed eff. 4-1-22 by 2021 Wis. Act 23.

(c) No person may practice perfusion, attempt to do so, or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a license to practice perfusion granted by the board.

(d) No person may practice as an anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she is licensed by the board as an anesthesiologist assistant.

(1m) Certificate required to practice. No person may practice respiratory care, or attempt to do so or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a certificate as a respiratory care practitioner granted by the board.

(2) Exceptions. Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed either to prohibit, or to require, a license or certificate under this subchapter for any of the following:

(a) Any person lawfully practicing within the scope of a license, permit, registration, certificate or certification granted to practice midwifery under subch. XIII of ch. 440, to practice professional or practical nursing or nurse-midwifery under ch. 441, to practice chiropractic under ch. 446, to practice dentistry or dental hygiene under ch. 447, to practice optometry under ch. 449, to practice as a physician assistant under subch. VIII, to practice acupuncture under ch. 451 or under any other statutory provision, or as otherwise provided by statute.

NOTE: Par. (a) is shown as amended eff. 4-1-22 by 2021 Wis. Act 23. Prior to 4-1-22 it reads:

(a) Any person lawfully practicing within the scope of a license, permit, registration, certificate or certification granted to practice midwifery under subch. XIII of ch. 440, to practice professional or practical nursing or nurse-midwifery under ch. 441, to practice chiropractic under ch. 446, to practice dentistry or dental hygiene under ch. 447, to practice optometry under ch. 449, to practice acupuncture under ch. 451 or under any other statutory provision, or as otherwise provided by statute.

(b) The performance of official duties by a physician, a person who engages in the practice of a physician assistant, or a perfusionist of any of the armed services or federal health services of the United States.

(c) The activities of a medical student, respiratory care student, perfusion student, anesthesiologist assistant student, or physician assistant student required for such student's education and training, or the activities of a medical school graduate required for training as required in s. 448.05 (2).

(d) Actual consultation or demonstration by licensed physicians or perfusionists or certified respiratory care practitioners of other states or countries with licensed physicians or perfusionists or certified respiratory care practitioners of this state.

(e) Any person other than an anesthesiologist assistant who is providing patient services as directed, supervised and inspected by a physician who has the power to direct, decide and oversee the implementation of the patient services rendered.

NOTE: Par. (e) is shown as amended eff. 4-1-22 by 2021 Wis. Act 23. Prior to 4-1-22 it reads:

(e) Any person other than a physician assistant or an anesthesiologist assistant who is providing patient services as directed, supervised and inspected by a physician who has the power to direct, decide and oversee the implementation of the patient services rendered.

(g) Ritual circumcision by a rabbi.

(h) The gratuitous domestic administration of family remedies.

(i) Any person furnishing medical assistance or first aid at the scene of an emergency.

(j) Any person assisting a respiratory care practitioner in practice under the direct, immediate, on-premises supervision of the respiratory care practitioner.

(k) Any persons, other than anesthesiologist assistants or perfusionists, who assist physicians.

NOTE: Par. (k) is shown as amended eff. 4-1-22 by 2021 Wis. Act 23. Prior to 4-1-22 it reads:

(k) Any persons, other than physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, or perfusionists, who assist physicians.

(L) A person performing autotransfusion or blood conservation techniques under the direction and supervision of a licensed physician.

(m) A person practicing perfusion for not more than 30 days in a year, if the person is certified or eligible to be certified as a clinical perfusionist by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion.

(n) A person employed as a perfusionist by a federal agency, as defined in s. 59.57 (2) (c) 1., if the person provides perfusion services solely under the direction or control of the federal agency by which he or she is employed.

(p) The provision of services by a health care provider under s. 257.03.

(q) The administration of an epinephrine auto-injector in accordance with s. 118.2925 or 255.07.

(r) An individual who is exempt from licensure under sub. (2m).

(2m) Sports physician licensure exemption.

(a)

1. An individual who is licensed in good standing to practice medicine and surgery in another state may, subject to pars. (b) and (c), practice medicine and surgery without a license granted by the board if the individual has a written agreement with a sports team to provide care to team members and coaching staff traveling with the team for a specific sporting event to take place in this state.

2. An individual who is licensed in good standing to practice medicine and surgery in another state may, subject to pars. (b) and (c), practice medicine and surgery without a license granted by the board if all of the following apply:

a. The individual has been invited by a national sport governing body to provide services to team members and coaching staff at a national sport training center in this state or to provide services to athletes and coaching staff at an event or competition in this state that is sanctioned by the national sport governing body.

b. The individual's practice is limited to that required by the national sport governing body.

c. The services to be provided by the individual are within his or her training and expertise.

(b) An individual who is exempt from licensure under par. (a) 1. or 2. may not do any of the following while practicing under the exemption:

1. Provide care or consultation to any person residing in this state, other than a person specified in par. (a) 1. or 2.

2. Practice at a health care facility, as defined in s. 146.997 (1) (c), or at a clinic, as defined in s. 146.903 (1) (b).

3. Prescribe drugs.

(c)

1.

a. Subject to subd. 1. b., an exemption under par. (a) 1. shall be valid only while the individual is traveling with the sports team, subject to a limit of 10 days per sporting event.

b. Upon prior request to the board, the board may grant an individual an extension of 20 additional days per sporting event beyond the limitation specified in subd. 1. a., except that no individual may be exempted by the board under this subd. 1. b. for more than a total of 30 additional days in a given calendar year.

2. An exemption under par. (a) 2. shall be valid during the time certified by the national sport governing body, subject to a limit of 30 days per exemption.

(d) The board may enter into agreements with medical or osteopathic licensing boards of other states to implement this subsection. Agreements under this paragraph may include procedures for reporting potential medical license violations.

(e) The board shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection.

(3) Use of titles.

(a) Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person may use or assume the title “doctor of medicine" or append to the person's name the letters “M.D." unless one of the following applies:

1. The person possesses the degree of doctor of medicine.

2. The person is licensed as a physician under this subchapter because the person satisfied the degree requirement of s. 448.05 (2) by possessing a medical degree that was conferred by a medical school recognized and listed as such by the World Health Organization of the United Nations.

(b) Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person not possessing the degree of doctor of osteopathy may use or assume the title “doctor of osteopathy" or append to the person's name the letters “D.O.".

(e) Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person may designate himself or herself as a “physician assistant" or use or assume the title “physician assistant" or append to the person's name the words or letters “physician assistant" or “P.A." or any other titles, letters or designation which represents or may tend to represent the person as a physician assistant unless he or she is licensed as a physician assistant by the board.

NOTE: Par. (e) is repealed eff. 4-1-22 by 2021 Wis. Act 23.

(f) A person who is not licensed to practice perfusion by the board may not designate himself or herself as a perfusionist, use or assume the title “licensed perfusionist" or the abbreviation “L.P.," or use any other title, letters, or designation that represents or may tend to represent the person as a perfusionist. This paragraph does not apply to any of the following:

1. Any person employed as a perfusionist by a federal agency, as defined in s. 59.57 (2) (c) 1., if the person provides perfusion services solely under the direction or control of the federal agency by which he or she is employed.

2. Any person pursuing a supervised course of study leading to a degree or certificate in perfusion under an accredited or approved educational program, if the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates his or her status as a student or trainee.

3. Any person practicing perfusion under a temporary license issued under s. 448.04 (1) (e), if the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates that he or she is practicing under a temporary license.

(g) No person may designate himself or herself as an “anesthesiologist assistant" or use or assume the title “anesthesiologist assistant" or append to the person's name the words or letters “anesthesiologist assistant" or “A.A." or any other titles, letters, or designation that represents or may tend to represent the person as an anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she is licensed as an anesthesiologist assistant by the board. An anesthesiologist assistant shall be clearly identified as an anesthesiologist assistant.

(5) Civil liability; certain medical procedures and reports.

(a) No person licensed or certified under this subchapter shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from such person's refusal to perform sterilization procedures or to remove or aid in the removal of a human embryo or fetus from a person if such refusal is based on religious or moral precepts.

(b) No physician shall be liable for any civil damages for either of the following:

1. Reporting in good faith to the department of transportation under s. 146.82 (3) a patient's name and other information relevant to a physical or mental condition of the patient which in the physician's judgment impairs the patient's ability to exercise reasonable and ordinary control over a motor vehicle.

2. In good faith, not reporting to the department of transportation under s. 146.82 (3) a patient's name and other information relevant to a physical or mental condition of the patient which in the physician's judgment does not impair the patient's ability to exercise reasonable and ordinary control over a motor vehicle.

NOTE: Par. (b) is shown as amended eff. 4-1-22 by 2021 Wis. Act 23. Prior to 4-1-22 it reads:

(b) No physician or physician assistant shall be liable for any civil damages for either of the following:

1. Reporting in good faith to the department of transportation under s. 146.82 (3) a patient's name and other information relevant to a physical or mental condition of the patient which in the physician's or physician assistant's judgment impairs the patient's ability to exercise reasonable and ordinary control over a motor vehicle.

2. In good faith, not reporting to the department of transportation under s. 146.82 (3) a patient's name and other information relevant to a physical or mental condition of the patient which in the physician's or physician assistant's judgment does not impair the patient's ability to exercise reasonable and ordinary control over a motor vehicle.

(c) A physician who in good faith provides the board with information concerning an allegation that another physician has engaged in unprofessional conduct or acted negligently in treating a patient is immune from liability for any damage that results from any act or omission in providing the information and may not be disciplined by the board for providing the information. In any administrative or court proceeding, the good faith of a physician who provides such information shall be presumed.

(6) Practice of Christian Science. No law of this state regulating the practice of medicine and surgery may be construed to interfere with the practice of Christian Science. A person who elects Christian Science treatment in lieu of medical or surgical treatment for the cure of disease may not be compelled to submit to medical or surgical treatment.

(7) Supervision of anesthesiologist assistants. An anesthesiologist may not supervise more than the number of anesthesiologist assistants permitted by reimbursement standards for Part A or Part B of the federal Medicare program under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 1395 to 1395hhh.

History: 1975 c. 383, 421; 1977 c. 164; 1979 c. 317; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 40, 399; 1989 a. 31, 229; 1991 a. 23; 1993 a. 105, 107, 490; 1995 a. 27, 201; 1997 a. 67, 175, 311; 1999 a. 32, 180; 2001 a. 89; 2005 a. 96, 292; 2007 a. 97; 2009 a. 42, 282; 2011 a. 160, 161; 2013 a. 239; 2015 a. 35; 2017 a. 341; 2019 a. 148; 2021 a. 23.

Restrictions on business corporations providing medical, legal and dental services is discussed. 75 Atty. Gen. 200.