The medical passport

Area of Science:

• Medical Regulation
• International Healthcare Mobility
• Physician Licensure

Background:

• The International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities established a Working Group on Medical Passports in 2002.
• The initiative addresses the need for a streamlined process for highly qualified medical practitioners relocating between jurisdictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fast-track registration process for physicians moving internationally.
• To define gold-standard requirements for a medical passport system.

Main Methods:

• Establishing a working group to define core educational, examination, and practice requirements.
• Developing a framework for a "medical passport" for eligible practitioners.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in defining the standards for a medical passport.
• The proposed system aims to facilitate physician mobility and knowledge dissemination.

Conclusions:

• A medical passport system has the potential to ease the movement of qualified physicians globally.
• Further study is required to address outstanding issues before the system can be piloted.