In most countries, only persons with a medical license bestowed either by a specified government-approved professional association or a government agency are authorized to practice medicine. Licenses are not granted automatically to all people with medical degrees. A medical school graduate must receive a license to practice medicine before he or she can be called a physician in a legal sense, a process that usually entails testing or examinations by a medical board. The medical license is the documentation of authority to practice medicine within a certain locality. In the United States, medical licenses are usually granted by each individual state. It should be noted that only those with medical degrees from schools listed in the WHO Directory of Medical Schools or the FAIMER International Medical Education Directory ^[1] are permitted to apply for medical licensure.^[2]

Research conducted by economists suggests medical license requirements harm the efficiency of the health care market. It constrains inputs, inhibits innovation, and increases cost to consumers while largely only benefiting the physicians themselves. (Svorny)

The medical license application process has become so tedious that most physicians utilize a licensing service, like Healthcare Licensing Services,^[3] to help them navigate the application process.

External Links

• Svorny, Shirley. "Licensing Doctors: Do Economists Agree?" (August 2004). http://www.econjournalwatch.org/pdf/SvornyDoEconomistsAugust2004.pdf

References

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