Senate committee advances bill to create licensure pathway for internationally trained physicians

Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee on Tuesday passed Senate File 509, a bill that replaces Minnesota's residency requirement for some internationally trained physicians with a supervised-practice pathway and other safeguards, and referred the measure to the Committee on State Government.

Senator Mann, the bill author, told the committee that under current rules physicians trained abroad who already practiced for years must complete U.S. residency training "all over again," and that shortage of residency slots prevents many qualified doctors from practicing in Minnesota. "It is estimated that there is about 220 to 300 doctors who are ready to practice medicine in Minnesota but can't because of the current requirements," Senator Mann said.

The bill as amended removes the automatic requirement that all internationally trained physicians repeat a full U.S. residency and instead establishes conditions for eligibility. Those conditions, described at the hearing, include graduation from medical school,…