OAR 847-020-0135: Licensure for Distinguished Professors

(1) A physician who does not qualify for a medical license under the provisions of this chapter and who is offered by the dean of an approved medical school in this state a full-time professor of medicine position may apply for a license to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor. (2) A Distinguished Professor licensee may practice medicine only in conjunction with and pursuant to a full-time appointment as a professor of medicine. The license must be renewed annually. The license automatically expires if the full-time professor appointment ends or if the license is not renewed. (3) To qualify for a license to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor, an applicant must: (a) Hold a degree of Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, or the equivalent from an approved school of medicine as described in OAR 847-020-0120 or an international school of medicine as described in OAR 847-020-0130; (b) Be appointed as a full-time professor at the Oregon Health and Science University or the Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest; (c) Be licensed to practice medicine in another state or country; (d) Be in good standing, with no restrictions or limitations upon, actions taken against, or investigation or disciplinary action pending against his or her license in any jurisdiction where the applicant is or has been licensed; (e) Maintain active membership in at least two medical specialty societies that restrict membership based on academic or specialty area; and (f) Have published two or more medical papers in peer-reviewed journals. (4) An applicant for a license to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor must submit documentation as required by OAR 847-020-0150. (5) In addition to the requirements in OAR 847-020-0160, an applicant for a license to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor must ensure that the following documents are sent directly to the Board: (a) Certification of active membership and documentation of the qualifications for membership sent directly from at least two medical specialty societies; and (b) Letters attesting to the applicant’s distinguished status sent directly from: (A) The dean of the school of medicine where the applicant has been appointed a full-time professor of medicine; (B) The department chairpersons at the school of medicine who are directly involved in the applicant’s faculty assignments; and (C) At least five of the applicant’s academic colleagues who work outside of this state and who are nationally or internationally recognized experts in the specialty area in which the applicant practices or are current or former deans of schools of medicine. (6) A physician applying for a license to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor who has not completed postgraduate training within the past 10 years or been certified or recertified by a specialty board within the past 10 years may be required to demonstrate clinical competency by: (a) Completing at least 50 hours of Board-approved continuing medical education each year for the past three years; or (b) Demonstrating ongoing participation in maintenance of certification with a specialty board as defined in 847-020-0100. (7) The Board must ensure that at least two new licenses to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor are available each year. However, the Board may not issue more than eight new licenses to practice medicine as a Distinguished Professor in a four-year period.