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Executive Yuan expected to amend Physicians Act

The Executive Yuan is expected to pass an amendment to the Physician’s Act (醫師法) today after a demonstration by medical students last Sunday called on the government to address what they said were dangers posed by physicians who obtain qualifications abroad, an official said.

Under the proposed amendment, the government will not allow people who obtain their medical degrees in other countries to attend qualification examinations unless their degree certificates are authenticated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and they have successfully completed an internship, the official said.

The official was speaking on condition of anonymity as the amendment will be approved at today’s weekly Cabinet meeting.

Liu Lin-wei (柳林瑋), a medical student at Kaohsiung Medical University and a representative of the Federation of Medical Students in Taiwan, which staged the demonstration, said that the association welcomed the revision and hoped the Executive Yuan would push through the amendment before the legislature concludes its session on June 16.

Lin and four other representatives of the association yesterday submitted a petition to the Executive Yuan.

The Executive Yuan, however, is at odds with the students on whether the amendment would be applied retrospectively.

Lin said individuals who finished their medical education overseas should not be exempted from the new regulation if it clears the legislature.

The students action was sparked by recent debate on regulations that opponents said provided a shortcut to those obtaining less stringent medical degrees in eastern Europe.

“We don’t deny that people studying medicine abroad are capable but there have been increasing numbers of students who have failed medical exams in Taiwan seeking degrees in eastern Europe where they are allowed to register without having passed exams. There they study for only four years and are not required to do an internship,” Lin said.

In Taiwan, medical students must complete a seven-year course and a two-year internship before qualifying for license exams.
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