65-28a04. Licensure as a physician assistant, requirements; refusal to license; continuing education; registration to licensure transition. (a) No person shall be licensed as a physician assistant by the state board of healing arts unless such person has:

(1) Presented to the state board of healing arts proof that the applicant has successfully completed a course of education and training approved by the state board of healing arts for the education and training of a physician assistant or presented to the state board of healing arts proof that the applicant has acquired experience while serving in the armed forces of the United States which experience is equivalent to the minimum experience requirements established by the state board of healing arts;

(2) passed an examination approved by the state board of healing arts covering subjects incident to the education and training of a physician assistant; and

(3) submitted to the state board of healing arts any other information the state board of healing arts deems necessary to evaluate the applicant's qualifications.

(b) The board may refuse to license a person as a physician assistant upon any of the grounds for which the board may revoke such license.

(c) The state board of healing arts shall require every physician assistant to submit with the renewal application evidence of satisfactory completion of a program of continuing education required by the state board of healing arts. The state board of healing arts by duly adopted rules and regulations shall establish the requirements for such program of continuing education as soon as possible after the effective date of this act. In establishing such requirements the state board of healing arts shall consider any existing programs of continuing education currently being offered to physician assistants.

(d) A person registered to practice as a physician assistant immediately prior to the effective date of this act shall be deemed to be licensed to practice as a physician assistant under this act, and such person shall not be required to file an original application for licensure under this act. Any application for registration filed which has not been granted prior to February 1, 2001, shall be processed as an application for licensure under this act.

History: L. 2000, ch. 162, § 4; February 1, 2001.