(a)Subject to the other provisions of this article, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, hereafter in this article referred to as the office, shall coordinate the establishment of an international medical graduate physician assistant training program, to be conducted at an appropriate educational institution or institutions. The goal of the program shall be to place as many international medical graduate physician assistants in medically underserved areas as possible in order to provide greater access to care for the growing population of medically indigent and underserved. The method for accomplishing this goal shall be to train foreign medical graduates to become licensed as physician assistants at no cost to the participants in return for a commitment from the participants to serve full time in underserved areas for a four-year period.
(b) By February 1, 1994, or one month after federal funds to implement this article become available, whichever occurs later, the office shall establish a training program advisory task force. The task force shall be comprised of representatives from all of the following groups:
(1) Physician assistant program directors.
(2) Foreign medical graduates.
(3) The California Academy of Physician Assistants.
(4) Nonprofit community health center directors.
(5) Physicians.
(6) The board, at the board’s option.
The office may, instead, serve solely as a consultant to the task force.
(c) The task force shall do all of the following:
(1) Develop a recommended curriculum for the training program that shall be from 12 to 15 months in duration and shall, at a minimum, meet curriculum standards consistent with the board’s regulations. The program shall be subject to the board’s approval. By April 1, 1994, or three months after federal funds to implement this article become available, whichever occurs later, the curriculum shall be presented by the office to the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association, or its successor organization, for approval.
(2) Develop recommended admission criteria for participation in the pilot and ongoing program.
(3) Assist in development of linkages with academic institutions for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the pilot program.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 77. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018