GME Policy and Procedure
XIII.  Licensing
Purpose
Definitions
Applicants Who Meet Cut-Off Date
Exceptions
Sample Unlicensed Resident Acknowledgment Form
  
13.1 Purpose
This policy establishes a mechanism to pay residents who have made a good faith effort to obtain a valid medical license, but have not done so by the time they are to begin their programs.  The policy also establishes conditions to help ensure that residents do not engage in medical practice prior to receiving licenses.

  
13.2 Definitions
A. Valid License
A valid license is defined as: (1) an  Illinois temporary license specific to the University of Illinois program and with an effective date not later than the resident's first day of work; (2) an Illinois permanent license; or (3) for any resident who may be assigned to a Veterans Administration Hospital rotation, a permanent license from any U.S. state, as long as the resident is assigned only to the VA rotation.  No license is valid past its expiration date.
B. Completed Application
A license application will be considered complete if:  The resident entered appropriate responses on all forms and attachments as specified in the application instructions; signed the application; and included payment for the application fee.  The resident will be encouraged to follow up on forms which require completion by medical school and licensing agencies, but completion of these forms will not be required under this definition.

  
13.3 Applicants Who Meet Cut-Off Date
A. Cut-Off Date
The University of Illinois Office of Graduate Medical Education will notify each physician accepted into a residency program that he/she must be able to document that they submitted a completed license application no later than 60 days prior to their projected start date in order to be paid from the first day of their program.   Each currently employed resident will also receive written notice no later than 120 days prior to temporary license expiration that he/she must be able to document that they applied for a renewal or permanent license no later than 60 days prior to the expiration date in order to be paid following license expiration.
Program Directors will be notified via regular reports as to the status of each incoming resident's license application, and whether the resident completed the application prior to the cutoff date.
B. Requirement for Pay
A Resident must have met the 60 day cutoff and obtained a valid license prior to the commencement date of his/her Resident Agreement in order for said agreement to remain valid and for him/her to be paid unless said requirement is expressly waived as set forth in Section IV of the Resident Agreement.  If the resident fails to meet these conditions and they have not been expressly waived, the Resident Agreement will automatically become null and void and the Resident will not be entitled to participate in his/her program or to receive pay unless and until a new Resident Agreement has been issued and signed by all appropriate parties.


C. Resident Letter
Each resident not licensed but having met the 60 day cutoff for initial application or renewal will sign a statement which informs him/her that:
1. He/she is not currently eligible to participate in any way in clinical activities in any institution affiliated with their program.  Evidence that the resident examined or treated patients will be cause for non-issuance of a new Resident Agreement.
2. Unless the licensing precondition has been waived, his/her Resident Agreement is no longer valid and, as such, he/she will not be paid nor receive any benefits unless and until a new Resident Agreement has been issued and signed by all appropriate parties.  If the Licensing precondition has been waived, he/she will be paid for the first 30 days of his/her contract, after which time if he/she has not provided a copy of a valid license, the resident will be placed on unpaid leave until he/she provides such a copy.  Under those circumstances, the resident must make arrangements for continuation of benefits at his/her own expense following the 30 day pay period.
3. During that 30 days, he/she may attend lectures and conferences, but will not be permitted to work in any clinical capacity for the University or in his/her program.  The Program Director may count this period as vacation.
4. If a new Resident Agreement is issued and signed by all appropriate parties, the commencement date indicated therein shall be the correct commencement date of the Resident into the program.
5. If the licensing precondition has not been waived, the Program Director may decide not to issue a new Resident Agreement if the resident has failed to obtain a valid license as of the commencement date of the original Agreement.  That decision shall not be subject to appeal.  If the licensing precondition has been waived and the original Resident Agreement has commenced, the Program Director, after first consulting with the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, may terminate any resident who has not obtained a license thirty days after said commencement date.

  
13.4 Exceptions
All exceptions to this policy will be made in writing by the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education

  
Unlicensed Resident Acknowledgment
Sample Form


Name
_______________________________________________________________

Program
_______________________________________________________________

Resident Agreement start date
___________________

Date to be placed on payroll
___________________

Date to be removed from payroll if license has not been received
___________________


By signing below, the resident and program director indicate their understanding that, until the resident is licensed,  the resident is not eligible to participate in any way in clinical activities in any institution affiliated with their program.  Evidence that the resident examined or treated patients will be cause for dismissal from the University. The resident may attend lectures and conferences, or may engage in non-patient care related research.  The Program Director may count this period as vacation.

The resident's activities during the unlicensed period will be

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________


__________________
_____________
__________________
_____________
Program Director
Date
Resident
Date


An excerpt from GME Policy #13: Licensing [section 13.3, above] may be found on the back of this form.


Policy and Procedure     XIII. Licensing
Approved: July 14, 1992
Joint Committee on Graduate Medical Education
Reviewed: February 28, 1997 GMEC
July 9, 1999 GMEC
April, 2004