Chap. 417.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 8 of an act entitled an
act to resulate the practice of medicine and surgery in the State of Vir-
ginia and to repeal all acts or parts of acts of the general assembly of
Virginia, and any section or sections of the Code of Virginia in conflict
with the provisions thereof, especially an act entitled an act to regulate
the practice of medicine and surgery in the State of Virginia, approved
February 22, 1894, and sections 1744, 1745, 1476, 1747, 1748, 1749, 1750.
1751 and 1752 of the Code of Virginia of 1887; and all amendments there-
to, approved March 13, 1912. {H B 241]

Approved March 27, 1918.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section eight of an act entitled an act to regulate the practice of
medicine and surgery in the State of Virginia, and to repeal all acts
or parts of acts of the general assembly of Virginia, and any section
or sections of the Code of Virginia in conflict with the provisions
thereof, especially an act entitled an act to regulate the practice of
medicine and surgery in the State of Virginia, approved February
twenty-second, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, and sections seven-
teen hundred and forty-four, seventeen hundred and forty-five, seven-
teen hundred and forty-six, seventeen hundred and forty-seven,
seventeen hundred and forty-eight, seventeen hundred and forty-
nine, seventeen hundred and fifty, seventeen hundred and fifty-one
and seventeen hundred and fifty-two of the Code of Virginia, of
eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and all amendments thereto.
Approved March thirteenth, nineteen hundred and twelve, be amend-
ed and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

8. Admission to examination; power of board.—All applicants
for certificates to practice medicine in this State after the passage
of this act must successfully pass an examination before the board
of medical examiners established by this act. The said board shall
admit to examination any candidate who pays a fee of twenty-five
dollars, and submits evidence verified by affidavit and satisfactory
to the board, that he or she:

a) Is twenty-one years of age or more.

b) Is of good moral character.

c) Had prior to beginning his or her first year of medical study
the general education required preliminary to receiving the degree
of bachelor or doctor of medicine of this State. This preliminary
education shall meet the requirements of the board of education of
the State of Virginia, and a certified statement from the superin-
tendent of said board shall accompany the candidate’s application.

(d) Has studied medicine not less than four school years, in-
cluding four satisfactory courses of at least eight months each in
four different calendar years in a medical school registered as main-
taining a standard satisfactory to the State board of education.
Virginia medical schools and Virginia medical students shall not be
discriminated against by the registration of any medical school out
of the State whose minimum graduation standard is less than that
fixed by statute for Virginia ‘medical schools. The above clause of
sub-section (d) shall not apply until April first, nineteen hundred
and fourteen.

The board may, in their discretion, accept as the equivalent of
the first year of requirement (d) evidence of graduation from a
registered college course; provided that such college course shall
have included not less than the minimum requirements prescribed by
the board and by the State board of education for such admissions
to advanced standing.

The board may also, at their discretion, admit conditionally to
the examination in anatomy and histology, physiology and em-
bryology and chemistry, applicants nineteen years of age, or more,
certified as having studied medicine at some registered medical col-
lege not less than two years, including two satisfactory courses of
at least eight months each, in two different calendar years, and of
having passed in all of those medical branches at the said college.
but the said college must be registered as maintaining at the time
a standard satisfactory to the State board of education; provided.
further, that such applicant must meet requirements b and c.

The board may also, at their discretion, accept as the equivalent
of any part of requirements c and d, five or more years of legal and
reputable practice, and such candidate shall be exempted from tak
ing the examinations in anatomy and histology, and physiology
embryology and chemistry.

(e) Has either received the degree of bachelor or doctor of
medicine from some registered medical school, or a diploma ot1
license conferring full right to practice medicine in some foreign
country, unless admitted conditionally to the examinations as speci-
fied above, in which case all qualifications, including the full period
of study, the medical degree and the final examinations must be met.
The degree of bachelor or doctor of medicine shall not be conferred
in this State before the candidate has filed with the institution con-
ferring it the certificate of the State board of education that before
beginning the first annual medical course counted toward the degree,
he had either graduated from a registered college or satisfactorily
completed a full course in a registered academy or high school; or
had a preliminary education considered and accepted by the State
board of education as fully equivalent, or held a State board of
education medical student certificate; or passed State board of educa-
tion examinations securing sufficient academic counts, in accordance
with the standard of the association of American medical colleges,
or their full equivalent, before beginning the first annual medical
course counted toward the degree; provided, however, that when an
applicant has failed to pass a satisfactory examination, he may ap-
pear before the board again once within one year without paying an
additional fee; provided, that any person who shall produce before
the said examining board a certificate from the judge of the circuit
court and the Commonwealth’s attorney of the county in which he
resides stating that in their opinion, from evidence produced before
them, he was a practicing physician prior to the first day of Janu-
ary, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, then said examining board
shall give to said person a certificate allowing said person to practice
medicine in Virginia.