NC to allow foreign trained dr's to practice with no licensing exams.

How about witch doctors?

This is insane and a slap in the face to doctors born here who spent 6 figures in medical school and years of school and training to practice medicine

What reason is there to not require foreign licensed doctors to pass our tests? This only makes sense if certain nations have similar standards and testing but places like India don’t

North Carolina has enacted a law (SB 336) effective January 1, 2026, that allows internationally trained doctors to obtain an employee license to practice medicine in hospitals or medical practices located in rural parts of the state without the need to complete U.S. residency or pass the USMLE exams. Key points of this law include:

- The applicant must have a full-time job offer from a hospital or medical practice in a rural county of North Carolina where a fully licensed physician is physically present to supervise.
- The applicant must have an active or recently active medical license in good standing from a foreign country.
- The applicant must have completed at least 130 weeks (~2.5 years) of medical education at an internationally recognized medical school and be eligible for ECFMG certification.
- The applicant must have completed two years of postgraduate training accredited in the applicant’s country, or have at least 10 years of active medical practice after graduation.
- The applicant must demonstrate competency through passing an approved medical licensing exam or specialty board certification recognized by the North Carolina Medical Board.
- The license is issued as an "internationally-trained physician (ITP) employee license."

The purpose of this law is to address physician shortages, especially in rural areas, by allowing qualified foreign-trained doctors to practice under supervised conditions without the full traditional U.S. licensing requirements such as completing residency or USMLE exams. This pathway aims to facilitate rural healthcare workforce growth while maintaining oversight for patient safety[1][3].

Additional requirements may include supervision by a fully licensed physician at the practice location and a focus on rural health service areas. The law represents one of the more progressive state approaches to easing licensing barriers for international medical graduates.

This summary is based on the North Carolina bill SB 336 and related medical board regulations effective in 2026.

Sources
[1] North Carolina State Bill Lets Doctors Skip Exams & Residency! LINK
[2] Hundreds of international doctors due to start medical residencies ... LINK
[3] [PDF] States with Enacted and Proposed Additional Licensure Pathways ... LINK
[4] [PDF] requirements for a license to practice medicine through a special ... LINK
[5] To solve for doctor shortages, states ease licensing for foreign ... - NPR LINK
[6] Doctors Can Work in North Carolina Without USMLE! - YouTube LINK
[7] North Carolina General Statutes § 90-9.2 (2023) - Requirements for ... LINK
[8] To Solve Doctor Shortages, Some States Ease Licensing for Foreign ... LINK
[9] North Carolina Enacts Comprehensive Healthcare Workforce Reforms LINK
[10] North Carolina Licensing Guides for Immigrant Physicians LINK

1: They still are only on a visa status, with a temp license to practice from the state

2: They must work in a rural/underserved area to get/keep that temp license

3: They must pass the US licensing requirements after a certain amount of time or they have to go back

Anyone who figures “we don’t have to pay them as much and can charge the same”.

Already posted above- reposting for those of you who don't read good:

quote:

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- The applicant must demonstrate competency through passing an approved medical licensing exam or specialty board certification recognized by the North Carolina Medical Board.

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ETA- the whole headline is clickbait bullshite. Which has become the norm around here.

I don't see hospitals taking on that liability.

ETA: After reading, it's a big nothing burger. They still have to obtain a license, which looks to have adequate standards. It basically just clears them from residency and testing requirements. Im not in the medical field, so I don't know how much of an issue that is. Is there a shortage of trained doctors in rural NC areas?

Liberals, who else comes up with awful policies. There is no winner here. Watch medical malpractice sky rocket and then You know what else sky rockets…. Health insurance premiums. Bunch of dumb fricks.