The Licensure Committee of the Texas Medical Board (TMB) met at its last scheduled meeting on Thursday August 26, 2010. The Committee heard approximately 39 applicants who were on the agenda in conjunction with their applications for a full Texas medical license / physician registration or a physician-in-training permit (PIT). Due to the size of the agenda the Licensure Committee divided into two sub panels. The meeting began at 8:30 am as opposed to the customary 10:30 am or 12:00 noon start times of previous meetings. A Texas Medical Board attorney was assigned to each sub-panel to serve as advisory counsel to each sub-committee.
The typical issues involved in Texas Medical Board licensure cases were heard which included:
- Issues relating to the provision of false or misleading information on the application concerning academic probation or criminal history;
- Eligibility issues relating to criminal history and good professional character;
- Discipline by peers including residency programs and/or medical schools;
- Clinical competency concerns due to malpractice history;
- Inability to practice due to intemperate use of drugs or alcohol or a history of substance abuse / chemical dependency relapse;
- Inability to safely practice medicine due to a physical or medical condition;
- Time out of the clinical practice of medicine;
- A combination of any of the above.
About one-half of the applicants were represented by attorneys. Our firm’s physician licensing lawyers represented four applicants and all were granted their full Texas medical license or physician in training permit. In general the applicants fared better than the last meeting, but there were a number of denials and determinations of ineligibility. A review of these determinations and the minutes associated with each allow for the conclusion that it is necessary to pre-file rebuttal material with Staff well in advance of the meeting and for each doctor to have a good plan of attack for their few moments in the spotlight.
If you are a physician and are faced with the reality of going before the Texas Medical Board in conjunction with your application for a Texas medical license representation from an experienced Texas physician licensing attorney may help make the difference between the granting of your license and a license denial. Please feel free to call the Leichter Law Firm for a free consultation regarding your physician licensing case with the Texas Medical Board -512 495-9995.