Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law May 17 that adds "graduate physicians" as a healthcare practitioner category.
HB 1311 aims to remove barriers to medical school graduates who were not placed into a residency program from providing primary care services under the supervision of licensed primary care physicians.
To qualify, graduate physicians must have completed step one and step two of the United States Medical Licensing Examination or an equivalent exam approved by the board of medical examiners within the last two years. Graduate physicians can only practice in medically underserved rural areas or pilot project areas established for them to practice.
Tennessee joins Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana and Utah in allowing graduate physicians to practice primary care using their knowledge and experience from medical school.