(a) Graduates of medical schools in the United States or Canada. To be eligible for full licensure, an applicant who is a graduate from a school in the United States or Canada must:
  (1) be 21 years of age;
  (2) be of good professional character as defined under §163.1(8) of this title (relating to Definitions);
  (3) have completed 60 semester hours of college courses as defined under §163.1(10) of this title;
  (4) be a graduate of:
    (A) an acceptable approved medical school as defined under §163.1(1) of this title; or
    (B) any medical school and at the date of application to the Board or prior to approval for licensure by the Board hold a certificate from a specialty board that is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists;
  (5) have successfully completed a one-year training program of graduate medical training in the United States or Canada as defined under §163.1(9) of this title;
  (6) submit evidence of passing an examination accepted by the board for licensure as defined under §163.6(a) of this title (relating to Examinations Accepted for Licensure); and
  (7) pass the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination.
(b) Graduates of medical schools outside the United States or Canada. To be eligible for full licensure, an applicant who is a graduate from a school outside the United States or Canada must:
  (1) be 21 years of age;
  (2) be of good professional character as defined under §163.1(8) of this title;
  (3) have completed 60 semester hours of college courses as defined under §163.1(10) of this title;
  (4) be a graduate of:
    (A) an acceptable unapproved medical school as defined under §163.1(2) of this title; or
    (B) any medical school and at the date of application to the Board or prior to approval for licensure by the Board hold a certificate from a specialty board that is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists.
  (5) have successfully completed a two-year training program of graduate medical training in the United States or Canada as defined under §163.1(13) of this title;
  (6) submit evidence of passing an examination accepted by the board for licensure as defined under §163.6 of this title;
  (7) pass the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination;
  (8) possess a valid certificate issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG);
  (9) have the ability to communicate in the English language; and
  (10) have supplied all additional information that the board may require concerning the applicant's medical school.
(c) Fifth Pathway Program. To be eligible for licensure, an applicant who has completed a Fifth Pathway Program must:
  (1) be at least 21 years of age;
  (2) be of good professional character as defined under §163.1(8) of this title;
  (3) have completed 60 semester hours of college courses as defined under §163.1(10) of this title;
  (4) hold a certificate from:
    (A) an acceptable unapproved medical school as defined under §163.1(2) of this title; or
    (B) any medical school and at the date of application to the Board or prior to approval for licensure by the Board hold a certificate from a specialty board that is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists.
  (5) have successfully completed a two-year training program of graduate medical education in the United States or Canada as defined under §163.1(13) of this title;
  (6) submit evidence of passing an examination, that is acceptable to the board for licensure;
  (7) pass the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination;
  (8) submit a sworn affidavit that no proceedings, past or current, have been instituted against the applicant before any state medical board, provincial medical board, in any military jurisdiction or federal facility;
  (9) have attained a passing score on the ECFMG examination;
  (10) have the ability to communicate in the English language;
  (11) have attained a satisfactory score on a qualifying examination and have completed one academic year of supervised clinical training for foreign medical students as defined by the American Medical Association Council on Medical Education (Fifth Pathway Program) in a United States medical school; and
  (12) have supplied all additional information that the board may require, concerning the applicant's medical school, before approving the applicant.
(d) Alternative License Procedures for Military Service Members, Military Veterans, and Military Spouses.
  (1) An applicant who is a military service member, military veteran, or military spouse may be eligible for alternative demonstrations of competency for certain licensure requirements. Unless specifically allowed in this subsection, an applicant must meet the requirements for licensure as specified in this chapter.
  (2) To be eligible, an applicant must be a military service member, military veteran, or military spouse and meet one of the following requirements:
    (A) holds an active unrestricted medical license issued by another state that has licensing requirements that are substantially equivalent to the requirements for a Texas medical license; or
    (B) within the five years preceding the application date held a medical license in this state.
  (3) The executive director may waive any prerequisite to obtaining a license for an applicant described in this subsection after reviewing the applicant's credentials.
  (4) Applications for licensure from applicants qualifying under this subsection, shall be expedited by the board's licensure division as if they meet the provisions of §163.13 of this title (relating to expedited Licensure Process). Such applicants shall be notified, in writing or by electronic means, as soon as practicable, of the requirements and process for renewal of the license.
  (5) Alternative Demonstrations of Competency Allowed. Applicants qualifying under this subsection, in demonstrating compliance with §163.11(a) of this title (relating to Active Practice of Medicine), must only provide sufficient documentation to the board that the applicant has, on a full-time basis, actively diagnosed or treated persons or has been on the active teaching faculty of an acceptable approved medical school, within one of the last three years preceding receipt of an Application for licensure.
(e) Applicants with Military Experience.
  (1) For applications filed on or after March 1, 2014, the Board shall, with respect to an applicant who is a military service member or military veteran as defined in §163.1 of this title, credit verified military service, training, or education toward the licensing requirements, other than an examination requirement, for a license issued by the Board.
  (2) This section does not apply to an applicant who:
    (A) has had a medical license suspended or revoked by another state or a Canadian province;
    (B) holds a medical license issued by another state or a Canadian province that is subject to a restriction, disciplinary order, or probationary order; or
    (C) has an unacceptable criminal history.

Source Note: The provisions of this §163.2 adopted to be effective November 10, 1999, 24 TexReg 9835; amended to be effective March 7, 2002, 27 TexReg 1487; amended to be effective May 2, 2004, 29 TexReg 3961; amended to be effective November 7, 2004, 29 TexReg 10104; amended to be effective January 25, 2006, 31 TexReg 382; amended to be effective June 28, 2006, 31 TexReg 5098; amended to be effective January 4, 2007, 31 TexReg 10797; amended to be effective July 3, 2007, 32 TexReg 3991; amended to be effective November 29, 2009, 34 TexReg 8530; amended to be effective December 4, 2011, 36 TexReg 8026; amended to be effective July 4, 2012, 37 TexReg 4925; amended to be effective September 30, 2012, 37 TexReg7485; amended to be effective December 23, 2012, 37 TexReg 9772; amended to be effective March 18, 2013, 38 TexReg 1873; amended to be effective January 20, 2014, 39 TexReg 273; amended to be effective January 24, 2016, 41 TexReg 619; amended to be effective July 7, 2016, 41 TexReg 4823; amended to be effective November 26, 2017, 42 TexReg 6510