Advisory Commission on Alternate Licensing Models Hosts Symposium to Discuss Pathways to Licensure for Fully-Trained International Physicians

WASHINGTON, D.C.– On June 18, more than 175 individuals representing state medical licensing boards and organizations involved with medical education, accreditation, and certification joined members of the public in Washington, D.C. for a one-day symposium hosted by the Advisory Commission on Alternate Licensing Models. The Advisory Commission is co-chaired by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), IntealthTM, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and was formed earlier this year to provide guidance to states seeking to improve access to care by streamlining the licensure of international physicians who have already trained and practiced outside the United States.

The symposium provided a forum for attendees to exchange ideas and discuss considerations for legislative, regulatory, and procedural implementation of such alternative pathways for medical licensure. The conversations built on discussions the Advisory Commission held at its inaugural meeting on April 5, 2024, also in Washington, D.C., in response to a growing number of state legislatures interested in modifying traditional post-graduate training requirements for licensure or creating new licensure categories in an effort to improve access to care amidst a nationwide physician shortage.

The Advisory Commission will use input and feedback from the symposium to further inform its collaborative analysis and subsequent recommendations. Draft recommendations are anticipated to be released as early as this summer and will include a period of time for public commentary before being finalized.

About FSMB

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national non-profit organization representing the
medical boards within the United States and its territories that license and discipline allopathic and
osteopathic physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals. The FSMB serves as
the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and
advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and
regulatory best practices. The FSMB serves the public through Docinfo.org, a free physician search tool
which provides background information on the more than 1 million doctors in the United States. To learn
more about the FSMB, visit www.fsmb.org.

About Intealth

Intealth is a private, nonprofit organization that brings together the expertise and resources for advancing
quality in health care education worldwide in order to improve health care for all. Through strategic
integration of its divisions, ECFMG® and FAIMER®, Intealth offers a flexible and multi‐layered portfolio of
services. These services enhance and support the education and training of health care professionals,
verify their qualifications required to practice, and inform the development of health workforce policies

around the world. By leveraging these combined competencies, Intealth powers innovation in areas
critical to the health professions. Learn more at www.intealth.org.

About ACGME

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is an independent, 501(c)(3), not-
for-profit organization that sets and monitors voluntary professional educational standards essential in

preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care to all Americans. Graduate medical
education (GME) refers to the period of education in a particular specialty (residency) or subspecialty
(fellowship) following medical school; the ACGME oversees the accreditation of residency and fellowship
programs in the US.

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The deadlines for submitting certain required documentation in support of a Pathways application
also have been extended from January 31, 2024 to February 15, 2024. Please read
the announcement for more information.