SECTIONS 3513-3519.5 - California Statutes

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE

SECTION 3513-3519.5

3513. The committee shall recognize the approval of training
programs for physician assistants approved by a national accrediting
organization. Physician assistant training programs accredited by a
national accrediting agency approved by the committee shall be deemed
approved by the committee under this section. If no national
accrediting organization is approved by the committee, the committee
may examine and pass upon the qualification of, and may issue
certificates of approval for, programs for the education and training
of physician assistants that meet committee standards.

3514.1. (a) The committee shall formulate by regulation guidelines
for the consideration of applications for licensure as a physician's
assistant.
(b) The committee shall formulate by regulation guidelines for the
approval of physician's assistant training programs.
(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2001.

3516. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a physician
assistant licensed by the committee shall be eligible for employment
or supervision by any physician and surgeon who is not subject to a
disciplinary condition imposed by the board prohibiting that
employment or supervision.
(b) No physician and surgeon shall supervise more than four
physician assistants at any one time, except as provided in Section
3502.5.
(c) The board may restrict a physician and surgeon to supervising
specific types of physician assistants including, but not limited to,
restricting a physician and surgeon from supervising physician
assistants outside of the field of specialty of the physician and
surgeon.

3516.5. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and in
accordance with regulations established by the board, the director of
emergency care services in a hospital with an approved program for
the training of emergency care physician assistants, may apply to the
board for authorization under which the director may grant approval
for emergency care physicians on the staff of the hospital to
supervise emergency care physician assistants.
(b) The application shall encompass all supervising physicians
employed in that service.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any
one emergency care physician while on duty to supervise more than
four physician assistants at any one time.
(d) A violation of this section by the director of emergency care
services in a hospital with an approved program for the training of
emergency care physician assistants constitutes unprofessional
conduct within the meaning of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section
2000).
(e) A violation of this section shall be grounds for suspension of
the approval of the director or disciplinary action against the
director or suspension of the approved program under Section 3527.

3517. The committee shall require a written examination of
physician assistants in the manner and under the rules and
regulations as it shall prescribe, but the examination shall be
conducted in that manner as to ensure that the identity of each
applicant taking the examination will be unknown to all of the
examiners until all examination papers have been graded. Except as
otherwise provided in this chapter, or by regulation, no physician
assistant applicant shall receive approval under this chapter without
first successfully passing an examination given under the direction
of the committee.
Examinations for licensure as a physician assistant may be
required by the committee under a uniform examination system, and for
that purpose the committee may make those arrangements with
organizations furnishing examination material as may, in its
discretion, be desirable. The committee shall, however, establish a
passing score for each examination. The licensure examination for
physician assistants shall be held by the committee at least once a
year with such additional examinations as the committee deems
necessary. The time and place of examination shall be fixed by the
committee.

3518. The committee shall keep current, two separate registers, one
for approved supervising physicians and one for licensed physician's
assistants, by specialty if applicable. These registers shall show
the name of each licensee, his or her last known address of record,
and the date of his or her licensure or approval. Any interested
person is entitled to obtain a copy of the register in accordance
with the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing
with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil
Code) upon application to the committee together with a sum as may be
fixed by the committee, which amount shall not exceed the cost of
this list so furnished.

3519. The committee shall issue under the name of the Medical Board
of California a license to all physician assistant applicants who
meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Provide evidence of one of the following:
(1) Successful completion of an approved program.
(2) Successful completion in a medical school approved by the
Division of Licensing of a resident course of professional
instruction which meets the requirements of Sections 2088 and 2089.
(b) Pass any examination required under Section 3517.
(c) Not be subject to denial of licensure under Division 1.5
(commencing with Section 475) or Section 3527.
(d) Pay all fees required under Section 3521.1.

3519.5. (a) The committee may issue under the name of the board a
probationary license to an applicant subject to terms and conditions,
including, but not limited to, any of the following conditions of
probation:
(1) Practice limited to a supervised, structured environment where
the applicant's activities shall be supervised by another physician
assistant.
(2) Total or partial restrictions on issuing a drug order for
controlled substances.
(3) Continuing medical or psychiatric treatment.
(4) Ongoing participation in a specified rehabilitation program.
(5) Enrollment and successful completion of a clinical training
program.
(6) Abstention from the use of alcohol or drugs.
(7) Restrictions against engaging in certain types of medical
services.
(8) Compliance with all provisions of this chapter.
(b) The committee and the board may modify or terminate the terms
and conditions imposed on the probationary license upon receipt of a
petition from the licensee.
(c) Enforcement and monitoring of the probationary conditions
shall be under the jurisdiction of the committee and the board. These
proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.