Can a licensed U.S. doctor (M.D.) practice general medicine in the DR?

cocoleka

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Sep 7, 2007
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I am a licensed internist moving to Santiago in 12 months. Already am building a house with equipped with a space for a medical office. I would like to offer my services mostly to English-speaking expats who would be more comfortable with a US trained physician. I truly enjoy the practice of medicine, do not want to retire, and plan to keep fees to a minimum. What do I need to do to legally practice medicine? Any direction would help.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i am afraid i cannot help with the details but i know american doctor who used to practice medicine here. i understand some exams are involved in order to get the license. you will also have to work for some time in a public hospital with dominican and haitian patients. i'd say that spanish is a must here.

some info from salud publica is here:
DIRECCION GENERAL DE HABILITACION Y ACREDITACION
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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As far as I know you cannot practise medicine here, unless you work with a licensed Dominican doctor, who supervises you. However in order to be able to practise on your own you need to have all of your qualifications approved, and register with Public Health and the Dominican Medical college, which, knowing the way things work here, could take years.

There appear to be 3 websites.

1. Public Health: http://www.msp.gob.do/

2. The Dominican medical college www.cmd.org.do

3. the secretary of state of higher education, science and technology.

Number one appears to have the lists of the doctors, number two has the law and with whom you have to register, and number 3 iswhere you have to have your previous education approved. Below are two links - the first one is a list of downloads - you need formulario 1 - to apply which looks easy enough. Number 2 is the law and I have copied the main bits which basically say that you need to have your education authenticated by the sec of state for higher education etc. It also says they have to be first legalized by the Dominican consulate in your home country.



Documentos y Formularios

Documentos y Formularios

CONSIDERANDO: Que la ley No. 42/01 o Ley General de Salud establece que los extranjeros para ejercer las profesiones de la salud o ?reas afines deber?n cumplir con lo que disponen las leyes del pa?s.





Art?culo 4.- Todo extranjero que solicite su ingreso como Miembro Titular del Colegio M?dico Dominicano, incluir? en su documentaci?n la certificaci?n de notas obtenidas durante su carrera autenticada por el Dpto. de Calificaciones de la Secretar?a de Estado de Educaci?n Superior Ciencias y Tecnolog?a de la Rep?blica Dominicana.

Art?culo 5.- El dep?sito de la documentaci?n deber? acompa?arse de una fotocopia del pasaporte, de dos fotos 2x2, impresas en blanco y negro, el formulario correspondiente de solicitud, y el pago de los derechos correspondientes.

DEL PROCEDIMIENTO DE INGRESO:

Art?culo 6.- Una vez recibido los documentos, el Comit? de Etica y Calificaciones se re?ne y ofrece la calificaci?n de la documentaci?n, misma, debe estar acorde con los requisitos correspondientes.

Art?culo 7.- Una vez producida la aprobaci?n como Miembro Titular, el m?dico extranjero se hace merecedor de todas los derechos consagrados en las normas que rigen al CMD. Igual manera estar? sujeto al cumplimiento de los deberes y obligaciones de la entidad.



La residencia m?dica debe estar reconocida por el Nivel I de las Residencias M?dicas, mediante su organismo T?cnico-Operativo (Consejo Nacional de Residencias M?dicas). Cuando se trate de un centro extranjero, los documentos, tanto de pre-grado como de post-grado, deben estar legalizados por el consulado dominicano en el pa?s donde se realizan los estudios, si los hubiera y certificado por el Canciller?a Dominicana y certificado por la Canciller?a Dominicano

Good luck

Matilda
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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I am a licensed internist moving to Santiago in 12 months. Already am building a house with equipped with a space for a medical office. I would like to offer my services mostly to English-speaking expats who would be more comfortable with a US trained physician. I truly enjoy the practice of medicine, do not want to retire, and plan to keep fees to a minimum. What do I need to do to legally practice medicine? Any direction would help.

Matilda has given you good information, but also check with Hillbilly. He is an expert on this subject.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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BobK, a poster on this board is a US medical doctor and is also an expert. My understanding is that to practice here on your own to make money, you will at least need to be fluent in Spanish and pass some tests. I think there was even more than that needed. It is not as simple as one might think.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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BobK, a poster on this board is a US medical doctor and is also an expert. My understanding is that to practice here on your own to make money, you will at least need to be fluent in Spanish and pass some tests. I think there was even more than that needed. It is not as simple as one might think.

Why should the OP think it was simple? He must be aware that a doctor from here can't just go to the US, open an office and start practicing medicine.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Why should the OP think it was simple. He must be aware that a doctor from here can't just go to the US, open an office and start practicing medicine.

Let's find out. cocoleka, how hard did you think it would be?
 

Jumbo

Bronze
Jul 8, 2005
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Why should the OP think it was simple? He must be aware that a doctor from here can't just go to the US, open an office and start practicing medicine.

Aren't there a lot of Dominican cosmetic centers all over NYC in basement apartments?
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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please, guys, will you? the OP did not say anything about how easy it must be. he asked politely about info. do not make assumptions.

medicine is a universal science. but in order to practice in country X you need to know the X language, X procedures and so on. that there are many who practice illegally is a different matter altogether.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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please, guys, will you? the OP did not say anything about how easy it must be. he asked politely about info. do not make assumptions.

medicine is a universal science. but in order to practice in country X you need to know the X language, X procedures and so on. that there are many who practice illegally is a different matter altogether.

I think it is a valid question. After all the OP is already having a house prepared with an office so he can practice medicine.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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yes, windeguy, the question is valid but no need to assume the OP thought that it will be easy breezy. he is preparing the space for the office and he is preparing himself by asking for help and directions. good for him that he is thinking ahead. hopefully he will achieve his goal.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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The answer is it is not at all easy, and it is very time consuming. You need to take courses, have your own studies validated by a Dominican university, and a whole bunch of other stuff...I think there was an MD over in Coast Ambar that went through the process to practice here. Took more than two years if memory serves.

HB
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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same man i know, HB. he spent a long time working in worst clinics, in worst conditions in order to get some "practice". no pay, i think. somewhat like what medical students have to do here.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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The answer is it is not at all easy, and it is very time consuming. You need to take courses, have your own studies validated by a Dominican university, and a whole bunch of other stuff...I think there was an MD over in Coast Ambar that went through the process to practice here. Took more than two years if memory serves.

HB

Did he already speak fluent Spanish?
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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he speaks spanish but i would call it fluent. probably enough to pass medical exams thou since the medical vocabulary is very similar.
 

Contango

Banned
Dec 27, 2010
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Why on Dr1 is there always a million answers to an OP's original post even before he/she replies to even one.. Joke
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
I am a licensed internist moving to Santiago in 12 months. Already am building a house with equipped with a space for a medical office. I would like to offer my services mostly to English-speaking expats who would be more comfortable with a US trained physician. I truly enjoy the practice of medicine, do not want to retire, and plan to keep fees to a minimum. What do I need to do to legally practice medicine? Any direction would help.

First of all, your entry and stay in the DR must be done under a non-tourist visa. You must first meet the criteria of a legal permanent resident (which includes ability to hold a Cedula and employment benefits in the DR).

For an already practicing professional in their field (Doctor as you), they'll require that you furnish the documentation of your studies/diploma and licenses of practice from where you came from. They will also require a work history from places you practiced medicine at.

Fluent Spanish is a pre-requirement to get licensed to practice in the DR. This means presenting valid proof of having obtained or performed such ability from a language institute or licensing bureau from where you came or in the DR. They will not test you for this, but rather you must validate it with documentation to satisfy the board (unless you know somebody from the inside that will smooth things out for you on that point).

There are some minor stuff that you'll need to undertake in order to achieve validation of your medical diploma and adherence to the local law. That's to say, you'll need to perform your duties in a public institution as any other Doctor must have in the DR in order to then enter private practice and full license.

Validation of your Medical Diploma/studies is the easiest part. The hard part is working in a public hospital for almost two years...

The CMD (Colegio Medico Dominicano) and the UASD are in the first steps of getting your medical license validated for the DR:

Requisitos para revalidar t?tulos profesionales en el departamento de revalidaci?n y convalidaci?n de la Universidad Aut?noma de Santo Domingo UASD:

DOCUMENTOS NECESARIOS:

1-Instancia de solicitud, es una carta con sus datos personales,
explicando porque le interesa revalidar su diploma por
la universidad dominicana, datos de la
instituci?n que le ha otorgado el t?tulo
de grado;

2-Pasaporte, y Tarjeta de residencia
permanente;

3-R?cord de calificaciones otorgado por
la instituci?n donde curs? el grado;

4-T?tulo de grado, para este caso es
necesario que el interesado se dirija
ante las autoridades de educaci?n
superior de su pa?s para que certifique
la veracidad del t?tulo;

5-Certificar el programa de estudio
cursado (pensum) ante las autoridades
de la universidad de su pa?s;

6- Desglose por separado de cada una
de las asignaturas cursadas, firmados
y sellados en cada p?gina por las
autoridades de la universidad;

7-Certificaci?n otorgada por el
ministerio de educaci?n superior de su
pa?s, respecto a la condici?n de la
universidad donde ha cursado sus
estudios superiores, esto no es m?s
que una confirmaci?n de que la
universidad es reconocida oficialmente
como tal;

8)Certificaci?n de no antecedentes
penales, expedida por la autoridad
competente del lugar de residencia
donde el solicitante haya residido en los
?ltimos 3 a?os.

9)Certificado de Nacimiento;

10)Tres (3) fotograf?as recientes,
tama?o 2x2. Dos (2) f?lder 8? X 13 y

11) Formulario debidamente
completado;

12) Pago por el procedimiento y tr?mite.

De cada documento deber? depositarse el original m?s dos copias de cada uno, los documentos 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 y 9 deber?n ser legalizado por el consulado dominicano en el pa?s de domicilio y residencia y homologado en la Secretar?a de Relaciones exteriores dominicana. Los documentos 3 y 4 deber?n ser sellados adicionalmente por la Secretar?a de Educaci?n Superior Ciencia y Tecnolog?a. Los Documentos del punto 2, las copias deben ser a todo color. En caso de que aplique los documentos que est?n en otro idioma que no es el espa?ol deber?n ser traducidos legalmente, certificados por la procuradur?a General de la Rep?blica, en caso de que la traducci?n sea realizada fuera de Rep?blica Dominicana, el consulado dominicano deber? legalizar la traducci?n y la Secretar?a de Relaciones Exteriores homologar la esta legalizaci?n.


La convalidaci?n de materias generalmente la utilizan aquellos que a?n no han finalizado sus estudios superiores en universidades extranjeras y desean continuar con sus estudios en Rep. Dom.

La Revalida es para quienes ya han finalizado los estudios superiores y desean que la Rep.Dom le reconozca el t?tulo o licenciatura que ya ha logrado.





You must note that you MUST BE a PERMANENT resident in the DR to be able to re-validate your license (MD studies)...
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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And to make things more difficult, the most disorganized and lacadaisical academic center in the country is the one judging you!

It is a pain in the butt!


HB
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
But it's doable!

It just takes some time (about two years) and some grit to come about.

The key point is becoming a permanent resident BEFORE you apply for re-validating your license in the DR.