Section 2102

When a physician wishes to participate in a clinical internship, residency or fellowship program, he/she must meet basic requirements of the Medical Board of California. Applicants are directed to contact the clinical department at UCSD Medical Center, in which they seek academic appointment, to confirm the availability of a position and to request program application material.

The physician must submit an application for licensure to the Medical Board and must receive a Postgraduate Authorization Letter from the Medical Board which authorizes eligibility for commencement of internship, residency or fellowship in an accredited training program.

Physicians who are eligible for licensure or who wish to meet licensure requirements should submit an application to the Medical Board of California, Division of Licensing, for registration under Section 2102 of the Business and Professions Code, outlined below.

A physician whose application is based on a medical education acquired in a country other than the United States or Canada and who either (1) is a United States citizen or (2) has filed a declaration of intention to become a United States citizen or a petition for naturalization or comparable document or (3) was admitted or licensed to practice medicine and surgery in a country or other state of the USA wherein licensure requirements are satisfactory to the Division of Licensing, shall provide evidence satisfactory to the Division of compliance with the following requirements to be issued a physician's and surgeon's certificate.

1. Completion in a medical school or schools a resident course of professional instruction satisfactory to the Division and has been issued a document acceptable to the Division which shows final and successful completion of the course.


2. Certification by the ECFMG
   
   ECFMG certification is required by the Division of Licensing for those who have not successfully completed the FLEX exam prior to June 1986. ECFMG certification is required by UCSD for any international scholar who wishes to participate in an internship or residency at UCSD.


3. Pass a written licensing examination
   
   To qualify for licensure in California, international scholars must have successfully completed:
   
   1. All parts of FLEX, or
   2. All parts of the Qualifying Examination of the Medical Council of Canada, or
   3. USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3, or
   4. NBME I and II (or NBME/USMLE hybrid) combined with FLEX Component 2 or USMLE Step 3.
   USMLE is the only licensure exam that is currently being given. The test is coordinated in California under the auspices of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc.
   
   Please direct any questions you may have regarding USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3 to:
   
   

   Federation of State Medical Boards
   Federation Place
   400 Fuller Wiser Road, Suite 300
   Euless, Texas 76039 3855
   Tel: 817/868 4000
   FAX: 817/868 4098
   Web: http://www.fsmg.org

   
   Refer to Appendix 1 for the acceptable combination of exams required by the Medical Board of California as a prerequisite to beginning postgraduate training in this State and to qualify for licensure in California.


4. Satisfy one of the following requirements:
   
   In order to qualify for licensure, the physician will be required to meet one of the following requirements:
   
   1. completion of a minimum of two years of ACGME/CCME postgraduate training, or;
   2. completion of 12 months of ACGME/CCME postgraduate training and current certification by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties or a specialty board approved by the Division of Licensing, or;
   3. completion of 12 months of ACGME/CCME postgraduate training and successful completion of the computerized clinical competency exam (SPEX) in the State of California.