The Medical Board of California has approved City of Hope’s request to change outdated regulations that dictate criteria for licensing institutions to train foreign medical students.

The board made its decision May 6.

Robert Morgan Jr. (Photo by Kaminsky Productions)

“As the regulations stand today, City of Hope could not qualify for a license to train foreign medical students,” said Robert Morgan Jr., M.D., who attended the hearing in Los Angeles. “The state currently doesn’t recognize the only national accrediting body for continuing education programs because the rules were written before that accrediting body was created. The change we requested recognizes that body.”

City of Hope is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The new regulations would allow institutions to use ACCME accreditation as an equal substitute to accreditation from a state medical society, which is what the current rules require.

“We are grateful to the Medical Board for recognizing that the ACCME is an appropriate body for accrediting institutions and for approving the change so quickly,” added Morgan.

Approval by the Medical Board is the first step in a process to change state regulations related to medicine. The regulations still must be approved by two other agencies before they are filed by the secretary of state’s office and become official. Approval by the board, however, is a significant step toward change.