|
Policies
Licensure Requirement for Clinical Genetics Applicants
Certification and maintenance of certification for the
specialty of Clinical Genetics is contingent upon medical
licensure. Applicants requesting admission to a certifying
examination must have a valid (current), unrestricted
license to practice medicine in one of the states,
districts, or territories of the United States or a province
of Canada or unrestricted privileges to practice medicine in
the United States Armed Forces.
The
licensure requirement for the initial certification
examination may be waived if, during the academic year, the
applicant is in clinical training in a state, province, or
district in which the medical licensing board does not
permit an unrestricted license for a trainee and the trainee
is covered by an institutional permit. In order to obtain a
waiver, the program director of that training program must
submit a written confirmation of the applicant’s training to
the ABMG Administrative Office by the application deadline.
Following the completion of training, applicants must
fulfill all licensure requirements before their
certification will be finalized.
For Maintenance of Certification only: Individuals
practicing exclusively abroad, i.e., who are not practicing
in the United States or Canada, and who do not hold a US or
Canadian license, must provide proof of licensure in the
country in which they practice.
Should
a medical license become encumbered (i.e., restricted,
revoked, suspended) at any time during the certification
period, the Board shall undertake proceedings consistent
with due process to revoke the certificate(s). Physicians
are responsible for notifying the ABMG of any restriction
placed on any medical license held, and such notification
must occur within 60 days of a final action taken by an
authorized agency. Upon successful reinstatement or remedy
of the encumbered medical license, and upon the ABMG being
notified of such by the former diplomate, and subsequent
verification of such by the ABMG, certification may be
regained by successful completion of the maintenance of
certification process.
A
physician’s license shall be deemed “restricted” for
purposes of this policy if, as a result of final action by a
state or other legally constituted Medical Board (hereafter
“State Medical Board”), the physician:
-
Shall have had his/her license revoked or surrendered
his/her license in lieu of revocation;
-
Shall have had his/her license suspended for a specified
period of time and the suspension is still in effect;
-
May
have been placed on probation and the probationary
period had not expired;
-
May
have been made subject to special conditions or
requirements which are still in effect (including, but
not limited to, supervision, chaperoning during the
examination of patients, additional training beyond that
required of all physicians for the maintenance of
licensure), and regardless of whether or not such
conditions or requirements are imposed by order of the
State Medical Board or are the result of a voluntary
agreement between the physician and the State Medical
Board.
Leave of Absence and Vacations
Of the
required training period, programs may grant up to one
month/year for vacation, parental or family leave, or
illness (including pregnancy-related disabilities). Training
must be extended to make up any absences exceeding one month
per year of training. Vacation leave is essential and cannot
be forfeited in order to shorten the training period
Application for the Examination within 5
years of Completing Training
Effective July 1, 2008, all residents and/or fellows
entering a residency and/or fellowship training program must
apply for certification within five years of completing a
genetics residency and/or fellowship training program.
ABMG Certificates
-
Time-Limited ABMG Certificates
ABMG began issuing 10-year, time limited, certificates
in 1993. The expiration date for these certificates is
December 31 of the given year. Maintenance of
Certification (MOC) procedures and requirements are
described on the ABMG website under Recertification. MOC
is required for all new diplomates. Certificates issued
prior to 1993 have no time-limited stipulations;
however, holders of these pre-1993 certificates are
encouraged to voluntarily participate in the MOC
program. Participation in MOC is required of all
diplomates. The ABMG reserves the rights to change MOC
requirements as mandated by the ABMS and other
professional organizations at any time.
Examinees who pass the general examination and at least
one specialty examination will become diplomates of the
ABMG for a period of ten years (expiring December 31)
from the date of the certifying examination.
Certificates will be mailed to diplomates in the spring
following the examination. This information becomes
public information and is listed in the official ABMS
Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists
published by Elsevier Science and other authorized ABMS
publications and in the ASHG/GSA/ABMG online directory.
Certification is a voluntary process by which the ABMG
grants recognition to examinees who have met
predetermined qualifications specified by the ABMG.
Certification and the certificate recognize those
examinees that have successfully completed the Board’s
educational requirements and demonstrated their skills
and abilities at the time of evaluation. Certification
is not a guarantee of the competence of a geneticist.
-
Revocation of ABMG Certificates
Any certificate issued by the ABMG shall be subject to
revocation at any time should the ABMG determine in its
sole judgment that a candidate who has received a
certificate was in some respect not properly qualified
to have received it or is in some respect not properly
qualified to retain it.
|
