Application for license is made in writing to the president of either board of medical examiners which the applicant may elect, with satisfactory proof that the applicant is more than twenty-one years of age, is of good moral character, has obtained a competent common-school education, and has either received a diploma conferring the degree of Doctor of Medicine from some legally incorporated medical college in the United States, or a diploma or license conferring the full right to practise all the branches of medicine and surgery in some foreign country, and has also both studied medicine three years and attended three courses of lectures in different years in some legally incorporated medical college or colleges prior to the granting of the diploma or foreign license; two courses of medical lectures both begun or completed within the same calendar year do not satisfy the requirement; this condition is not applicable to students who shall be in their second year in a medical college, nor to physicians practising at the time of the passage of the act. Such proof is made, if required, upon affidavit, upon making the application and proof and payment of the fee. The president of the board, if satisfied, must direct the secretary to issue an order for examination, and when the applicant shall have passed an examination as to proficiency satisfactory to the board, the president must grant a license to practise medicine and surgery (ib., s. 1, 43).
All of the examinations are conducted so that the name, school of graduation, and preparatory training of the applicant shall not be made known to the board till his examination papers have been graded. An applicant receiving a majority of the votes of the board is considered to have passed a satisfactory examination and is entitled to a license (ib., s. 1, 44).
The board must refuse a license to an applicant radically deficient in any essential branch. In case of a failure, the candidate must have the privilege, after the expiration of one year from his rejection, of another examination by the board to which his application was first made (ib., s. 1, 46).
A license, or a certified copy, must be filed with the clerk of the circuit court of the county or city in which the licensee may practise; the number of the book and page containing the recorded copy must be noted in the body of license.
Evidence.—The records have the same weight as evidence that is given to the record of conveyances of land (ib., s. 1, 48).
Exceptions.—The act does not apply to commissioned surgeons of the United States army, navy, or marine hospital service, to physicians or surgeons in actual consultation from other States, nor to persons temporarily practising under the supervision of an actual medical preceptor, nor to a midwife or person who may render gratuitous services in case of emergency (ib., s. 1, 49, 51).
Penalty.—Practising, or attempting to practise, without a license is a misdemeanor punishable with a fine of from $50 to $200 for each offence, with confinement in jail, in default of payment, till fine and costs are paid; a person so practising is debarred from recovering compensation (ib., s. 1, 50).
Fees.—To secretary of board, before examination, $10 (ib., s. 1, 45).
To clerk of court, for registration, $1 (ib., s. 1, 48).