Getting my training license reinstated 6 years after voluntarily leaving residency

[adamanteus]

I voluntarily left my FM residency in 2018 towards the end of my PGY2 due to personal reasons. No known academic/professionalism issues and was encouraged to stay by the PD, but she was understanding of my reasons for leaving and was very supportive through the process.

1.5 years later the personal issues were addressed and I applied for a medical license to work as a general practitioner in that state. A committee with the state medical board wanted to meet with me about my application, and after the meeting they requested I complete a competency exam before they would agree to grant the license since it had been 18 months since I'd left residency. The test would have cost over $15,000 altogether and I didn't have that kind of money laying around, so they also gave me the option of withdrawing my application which is what I did. I then applied for a license in a neighboring state where my wife's family lives and 3 days later I had a nice shiny new medical license. We moved and I've been working here as a general practitioner for the past 3.5 years.

I applied this year to a residency program (not FM) in the state where I originally went for residency and recently met with the PD of that program who told me my application looks great, the former PD LOR looks great, no red flags, and that I would certainly fall into the category of a top candidate. During our conversation I told him about my attempt in 2020 to get a full medical license in that state and what transpired there. He hinted that he doesn't know much about how that works and suggested I reach out to the medical board and ask if there might be any potential issues that would preclude me from getting my residency training license reinstated if I matched with his program.

I will of course do what he asks, but on one hand I can't help but wonder if shining a big ol'spotlight on this issue is going to raise red flags unnecessarily with the medical board. Wouldn't meeting the qualifications to match into a fairly competitive program be sufficient for the medical board to reinstate a license to start training again? Just wanted to get some other's thoughts on this to make sure I'm looking at it from other, and perhaps opposing, perspectives.

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[GoSpursGo]

I suspect that you would have no issue getting the training license. However, now that the PD has asked you to find out the answer to this question… you’re probably obliged to ask the board and report back.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

ALmost certainly not going to be a problem.

Almost certainly not going to get a clear answer from the BoM, no matter what you do.

 

[adamanteus]

Thank you all for replying. I'll have to make sure I word this email very carefully. Like NAPD said, I have serious doubts I will get any kind of clear answer.

 

[Lee Ik-jun MD]

I honestly think it you won't have a problem getting a training license, since it's supervised.
it's not the same as the one you were trying to get originally.

The only reasonable hiccup I can see, is when you apply for your Full license ( speaking from California) they will need an explanation of your "gap " in-between training. that's it.


good luck with your residency.

 

[MilaIsMyBaby2022]

In my experience, depending on the state, training license is a quicker process than full, unrestricted. Since you are reentering residency, IMO that eliminates the concern of you being away from medicine and applying for a full, unrestricted license.