Chap. 168.-An Act to amend and re-enact section 1747 of the Code of Virginia,
regulating the practice of medicine and surgery in Virginia, as amended and
re-enacted by an act approved March 7, 1900.
Approved April 23, 1903.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section sev-
enteen hundred and forty-seven of the Code of Virginia, as amended and
re-enacted by an act approved March seventh, nineteen hundred, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 1747. Examination of applicants for the practice of medicine and
surgery ; re-examination; fees of board.—It shall be the duty of the said
board, at any of its said meetings, to examine all persons making applica-
tion to them, who shall desire to commence the practice of medicine or
surgery in this State: provided, said applicant shall produce before said
board a diploma, or other satisfactory evidence of his graduation in some
medical college, or institution teaching the art of healing human dis-
eases chartered by the State or Territory in which the same is situated:
provided, that any undergraduate taking a graded course in any regularly-
chartered medical college shall be entitled to examination on such branch
or branches as he or she may present a certificate from the said college
of having passed a satisfactory examination, and having once passed a
satisfactory examination on each of such branches before the State board
of medical examiners, no further examination shall be required on such
branch or branches; but an applicant failing to pass a satisfactory ex-
amination on any of such branches shall not be permitted to be examined
on such branch or branches until he or she presents a diploma of gradua-
tion as doctor of medicine from some regularly-chartered college of medi-
cine. And when an applicant shall have passed an examination satisfac-
tory as to proficiency. before the board in session, the president thereof
shall grant to such applicant a certificate to that effect: provided, how-
ever, that any applicant professing a system of medicine which does not
require the use of drugs in the treatment of disease shall be exempt from
standing an examination on materia medica. A fee of ten dollars shall
be paid to said board, through such officers or members as it may designate.
by each applicant before such examination is had. And in case any ap-
plicant shall fail to pass a satisfactory examination he shall not be permit-
ted to stand any further examination within the next six months there
after, nor shall he have again to pay the fee prescribed as aforesaid : pro-
vided, however, no applicant shall be rejected upon his examination on ac
count of his adherence to any particular school of medicine or system of
practice, nor on account of his views as to the method of treatment and
care of diseases: and provided, further, that when in the opinion of the
president of the board any applicant has been prevented by good cause
from appearing before the board, he shall have authority, in his discretion.
to grant a special permit to such applicant to practice medicine or sur-
gery until he shall have an opportunity to appear before the board in ses-
sion for examination, which said special permit shall be revocable at the
discretion of the president; and in no case shall it entitle the holder
thereof to practice after the next regular meeting of said board. The
said board shall have, in their discretion, authority to accept in lien of

examination of an applicant a diploma or other satisfactory evidence of
the graduation of the applicant in some medical college chartered by the
State or Territory in which the same is situated, and a certificate from the
examining board of any other State or Territory of the United States or
the District of Columbia, showing that said applicant has passed a satis-
factory examination as to his proficiency, and obtained license from said
board to practice medicine and surgery in said State, Territory, or district :
provided, that any person who was examined by the State examining board
prior to January first, nineteen hundred, and whose fee for such examina-
tion was duly paid, but who failed to pass said examination, shall have
the right and privilege of taking the examination before the State board,
notwithstanding the provisions of this act.
2. This act shall take effect from its passage.