Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 448 - Medical practices.
448.05 - Qualification for licensure or certification; examinations; application.

448.05 Qualification for licensure or certification; examinations; application.
(1) General requirements. To be qualified for the grant of any license or certificate by the board, an applicant must:
(a) Subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335, not have an arrest or conviction record.
(b) Meet the specific requirements as set out in this section for that class of license or certificate for which applying.
(c) Achieve a passing grade in any examinations required in this section.
(d) Be found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board, except that an applicant for a temporary license or certificate under s. 448.04 (1) (b) 1. and 3., (e), (g), or (i) or a resident educational license under s. 448.04 (1) (bm) must be found qualified by 2 members of the board.
(2) License to practice medicine and surgery.
(a) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (f), an applicant for any class of license to practice medicine and surgery must supply evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
1. That the applicant is a graduate of and possesses a diploma from a medical or osteopathic college that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization and that is approved by the board.
2. That the applicant satisfies one of the following:
a. The applicant has successfully completed and received credit for 24 months of postgraduate training in one or more programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization.
b. The applicant is currently enrolled in a postgraduate training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization; the applicant has successfully completed and received credit for 12 consecutive months of postgraduate training in that program; and the applicant has received an unrestricted endorsement from the postgraduate training program director that includes confirmation that the applicant is expected to continue in the program and complete at least 24 months of postgraduate training.
3. That the applicant satisfies any other requirement established by the board by rule for issuing the license.
(b) Except as provided in pars. (c) to (f), an applicant for a license to practice medicine and surgery who is a graduate of a foreign medical college must supply evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
1. That the applicant is a graduate of and possesses a diploma from a foreign medical college credentialed by an agency approved by the board.
2. That the applicant has obtained certification by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates or a successor organization.
3. That the applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations.
4. That the applicant satisfies one of the following:
a. The applicant has successfully completed and received credit for 24 months of postgraduate training in one or more programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization.
b. The applicant is currently enrolled in a postgraduate training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization; the applicant has successfully completed and received credit for 12 consecutive months of postgraduate training in that program; and the applicant has received an unrestricted endorsement from the postgraduate training program director that includes confirmation that the applicant is expected to continue in the program and complete at least 24 months of postgraduate training.
5. That the applicant satisfies any other requirement established by the board by rule for issuing the license.
(c) The board may promulgate rules specifying circumstances in which the board, in cases of hardship or in cases in which the applicant possesses a medical license issued by another jurisdiction, may grant a waiver from any requirement under par. (a) or (b). The board may grant such a waiver only in accordance with those rules.
(d) An applicant for a resident educational license under s. 448.04 (1) (bm) shall provide the board with all of the following:
1. Proof that the applicant has been accepted into a postgraduate training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or a successor organization.
2. Written confirmation from the institution sponsoring the postgraduate training program into which the applicant has been accepted confirming that the applicant has been or will be appointed to a position in the program.
3. Proof that the applicant is a graduate of and possesses a diploma from a medical or osteopathic college that is approved by the board.
(e) An applicant for a restricted license to practice medicine and surgery as a visiting physician under s. 448.04 (1) (bg) shall provide the board with all of the following:
1. Proof that the applicant is a graduate of and possesses a diploma from a medical or osteopathic college that is approved by the board.
2. Proof that the applicant is licensed to practice medicine and surgery outside this state.
3. Proof that the applicant teaches medicine, engages in medical research, or practices medicine and surgery outside this state.
4. Documentation that the applicant intends to teach, research, or practice medicine and surgery at a medical education facility, medical research facility, or medical college in this state, which must include a signed letter from the dean or president of the facility or college.
5. Proof that the applicant satisfies any other requirement established by the board by rule for issuing the license.
(f) The board shall grant a compact license as provided under s. 448.980.
(2c) Administrative physician license. An applicant for an administrative physician license must supply evidence satisfactory to the board that he or she satisfies the requirements for a license to practice medicine and surgery under sub. (2) (a) or (b), subject to any waiver granted under sub. (2) (c), other than any requirement established by the board by rule relating to the active practice of medicine and surgery.
(3) License to practice perfusion. An applicant for a license to practice perfusion must supply evidence satisfactory to the board that he or she has successfully completed an educational program in perfusion recognized by the board and accredited by the Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or its successor.
(5r) Certificate as respiratory care practitioner. An applicant for a certificate or a temporary certificate to practice respiratory care shall submit evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is a graduate of a school with a course of instruction in respiratory care approved by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Respiratory Care or the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care or the successor organization of any of the foregoing.
(5w) Anesthesiologist assistant license. An applicant for a license to practice as an anesthesiologist assistant shall submit evidence satisfactory to board that the applicant has done all of the following:
(a) Obtained a bachelor's degree.
(b) Satisfactorily completed an anesthesiologist assistant program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or by a predecessor or successor entity.
(c) Passed the certifying examination administered by, and obtained active certification from, the National Commission on Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants or a successor entity.
(6) Examinations.
(a) Except as provided in pars. (am) and (ar), the board shall examine each applicant it finds eligible under this section in such subject matters as the board deems applicable to the class of license or certificate which the applicant seeks to have granted. Examinations may be both written and oral. In lieu of its own examinations, in whole or in part, the board may make such use as it deems appropriate of examinations prepared, administered, and scored by national examining agencies, or by other licensing jurisdictions of the United States or Canada. The board shall specify passing grades for any and all examinations required.
(am) When examining an applicant for a license to practice perfusion under par. (a), the board shall use an examination at least as stringent and comprehensive as the certification examination used by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion or its successor.
(ar) When examining an applicant for a license to practice as an anesthesiologist assistant under par. (a), the board shall use the certification examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants or a successor entity. The board may license without additional examination any qualified applicant who is licensed in any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia and whose license authorizes the applicant to practice in the same manner and to the same extent as an anesthesiologist assistant is authorized to practice under s. 448.22 (2).
(b) The board may require an applicant who fails to appear for or to complete the required examinations to reapply for licensure or certification before being admitted to subsequent examinations.
(c) An applicant who fails to achieve a passing grade in the required examinations may request reexamination, and may be reexamined not more than twice at not less than 4-month intervals, and shall pay a reexamination fee for each such reexamination. An applicant who fails to achieve a passing grade on the 2nd such reexamination may not be admitted to further examination until the applicant reapplies for licensure or certification and also presents to the board evidence of further professional training or education as the board may deem appropriate.
(7) Application. Application for any class of license or certificate shall be made as a verified statement in a form provided by the department and at such time and place as the board may designate, and shall be accompanied by satisfactory evidence setting out the qualifications imposed by this section. Application for any class of license to practice medicine and surgery also shall be accompanied by a verified statement that the applicant is familiar with the state health laws and the rules of the department of health services as related to communicable diseases.
History: 1975 c. 383, 421; 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 380; 1981 c. 391 s. 211; 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 229; 1991 a. 180; 1993 a. 105, 107; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 1995 a. 171, 172, 245; 1997 a. 27, 67, 175; 1999 a. 180; 2001 a. 89; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2011 a. 160; 2013 a. 240; 2015 a. 116, 269; 2017 a. 227; 2019 a. 49 s. 1; 2019 a. 156; 2021 a. 23.
An unlicensed 1st-year resident should be held to the standard of care applicable to an unlicensed 1st-year resident based on the unique restrictions applicable, in this case that he had no authority or privileges to provide primary obstetrical care and was not supposed to act as the primary attending physician, but was to assess and report findings and differential diagnoses to an upper level senior resident or to the attending obstetrician. Phelps v. Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Inc. 2005 WI 85, 282 Wis. 2d 69, 698 N.W.2d 643, 03-0580

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