Chap. 173.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 1615 of the Code of Vir-
ginia, and to repeal an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 8
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 part of act of the general
assembly of Virginia, and any section or section 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, ap-
proved February 22, 1894, and sections 1744, 1745, 1746, 1747, 1748, 1749,
1750, 1751, and 1752, of the Code of Virginia of 1887; and all amendments
thereto, approved March 13, 1912, approved March 27, 1918. ([S B 128]

Approved March 15, 1920.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tion sixteen hundred and fifteen of the Code of Virginia be amended
and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 1615. Admission to examination; power of board.—All ap-
plications 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 of his or her first year of medical
study the general education required preliminary to receiving the de-
gree of bachelor or doctor of medicine in 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 superintendent
of said board shall accompany the candidate’s application.

(d) Has studied medicine not less than four school years, includ-
ing four satisfactory courses of at least eight months each in four
different calendar years in a medical school registered as maintaining
a standard satisfactory to the State board of education. Such stand-
ard being based upon the grading of the American Medical Associa-
tion and of the American Institute of Homeopathy, respectively.

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 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 admission to advanced
standing.

The board may also, at their discretion, admit conditionally to the
examination in anatomy and histology, physiology, and embriology
and chemistry, applicants nineteen years of age. or more, certified as
having studied medicine at some registered medical college not less
than two years including two satisfactory courses of at least eight
months each, in two different calendar years, and in having passed in
all 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 as above provided, 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 re-
quirentents c and d, five or more years of legal and reputable practice,
and such candidate shall be exempted from taking examinations in
anatomy and histology, and physiology, embriology and chemistry.

(e) Has either received the degree of bachelor or doctor of medi-
cine from some registered medical school, or a diploma or license
conferring full right to practice medicine in some foreign country,
unless admitted conditionally to the examinations as specified above,
in which case all qualifications, including the full period of study,
the medical degree and the final examinations must be met. The de-
gree of bachelor or doctor of medicine shall not be conferred in this
State before the candidate has filed with the institution conferring it
the certificate of the State board of education that before beginning
the first annual medical course counted towards 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 pre-
liminary education considered and accepted by the State board of
education as fully equivalent, or held a State board of education medi-
cal student certificate, or passed State board of education examina-
tions securing sufficient academic counts, in accordance with the stand-
ard of the association of American medical colleges or the Council on
Medical Education of the American Institute of Homeopathy, or
their full equivalent, before beginning the first'annual medical course
counted towards the degree; provided, however, that when an appli-
cant has failed to pass a satisfactory examination, he may appear be-
fore the board again once within one year without paying an addi-
tional 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 January, eighteen hun-
dred and ninety-five, then said examining board shall give to said
person a certificate allowing said person to practice medicine in Vir-
_ginia. '

2. An act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section’ six 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 seventeen hundred and forty-four, seven-
teen hundred and forty-five, seventeen hundred and forty-six, seven-
teen hundred and forty-seven, seventeen hundred and forty-eight,
seventeen hundred and forty-nine, seventeen hundred and fifty, seven-
teen hundred and fifty-one and seventeen hundred and fifty-two of the
Code of Virginia of eighteen hundred and eighty-seven; and all amend-
ments thereto, approved March thirteenth, nineteen hundred and
twelve, approved March twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred and eigh-
teen, is hereby repealed.