New licensing law transforms medical training in California

In a recent meeting of the Osteopathic Medical Board of California (OMBC), board members received a comprehensive update on licensing statistics, staffing developments, and upcoming regulatory changes. As of June 30, 2018, the OMBC reported a total of 10,511 licenses under its jurisdiction, including 8,868 active and 573 inactive licenses. Additionally, there are 1,070 licenses in a delinquent status.

During the fiscal year 2017-2018, the board processed 873 applications, resulting in the issuance of 891 licenses. The average approval time for license applications was 44 days, while applications with missing documents took an average of 102 days to complete.

A significant topic of discussion was the introduction of a new postgraduate training license, mandated by Senate Bill 798. This legislation requires all physicians, including both Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs) and Medical Doctors (MDs), to complete 36 months of residency before they can apply for a full, unrestricted medical license in California. This new requirement will take effect on January 1, 2020. The board is currently collaborating with the Breeze team to implement necessary changes to their database and application processes to accommodate this new licensing status.

In terms of outreach, the board plans to conduct educational sessions, starting with Kaiser Permanente, to inform residents about the new application process and upcoming changes.

On the staffing front, the board announced the hiring of Dr. James Lawley as their new in-house medical consultant. However, due to a conflict of interest, Dr. Lawley has resigned from his position as a board member.

The meeting underscored the board's commitment to improving licensing processes and ensuring that physicians are well-informed about regulatory changes that will impact their training and practice in California.