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impairment-questions@mbc.ca.gov

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Input Regarding Mental and Physical Health Questions on Licensing Applications

Dear Medical Board of CA,

My name is ****** and I am a ******** (medical degree, role, institution?) *** writing to you about your request for stakeholder feedback on the statement and questions regarding mental and physical health on your licensing applications.

As a ******, I believe it is incredibly important that we not stigmatize seeking help for our mental and physical health. The current language also may discourage physicians with disabilities from applying for licensure for fear of discrimination. I suggest the following edits to your statement and questions:

  1. Reframe these questions as an effort to identify ways to support, rather than penalize, physicians who may need resources. Include a statement affirming the Board’s commitment to providing or helping applicants obtain resources and accommodations where appropriate.
  2. Remove the first and second questions entirely. Whether someone is in a substance use recovery program should be monitored by the Physician Health Program. The parenthetical in the second question “(including, but not limited to emotional, mental, neurological or other physical, addictive, or behavioral disorder)” is vague and ill-defined, and the items listed are not equivalent.
  3. Modify the remaining question to read: “Do you currently have any condition that may require accommodation to safely practice? If so please specify.”

These edits allow for some privacy and remove stigmatizing language. While the Medical Board does have a responsibility to ensure that medical practitioners are safe, part of our ongoing safety is the ability to tend to our own mental and physical health without fear that seeking medical care will impact our eligibility for a license.

Thank you for your consideration.

*******

With gratitude to Arghavan Salles whose edits were incredibly helpful. For reference, this is the original email from Medical Board of CA, dated 7/3/2024

Medical Board of California Seeks Stakeholder Input Regarding Mental and Physical Health Questions on Licensing Applications

The Medical Board of California (Board) will be holding an interested parties meeting via WebEx on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, between 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., to hear from speakers and receive feedback on whether the Board should change its introductory statement and/or questions relating to mental and physical health on its licensing applications, which currently state:

An affirmative answer to any of the questions below will not automatically disqualify you from licensure. The Board will make an individualized assessment of the nature, the severity and the duration of the risks associated with an ongoing medical condition to determine whether an unrestricted license should be issued, whether conditions should be imposed, or whether you are eligible for licensure. Please note that a limited practice license may be available.

·         Are you currently enrolled in, or participating in any drug, alcohol, or substance abuse recovery program or impaired practitioner program?

·         Do you currently have any condition (including, but not limited to emotional, mental, neurological or other physical, addictive, or behavioral disorder) that impairs your ability to practice medicine safely?

·         Do you currently have any other condition that impairs or limits your ability to practice medicine safely?

If any interested party has comments on this matter, please submit them in writing to impairment-questions@mbc.ca.gov no later than Friday, July 19, 2024.

In addition, there will be a public comment period during the interested parties meeting on July 30, 2024. An agenda that includes instructions regarding how to participate in the meeting will be published on the Board’s website and distributed no later than 10 days prior to the meeting. To receive the agenda, please subscribe to the “Board and Committee Meetings” email alert.