Missouri proposes 'assistant physician' role for rural areas

The bill, if signed by Gov. Jay Nixon, would allow medical school graduates to see patients before completing their residencies. The governor has already signed legislation, however, that tries to coax doctors and nurses out of retirement to care for patients again, and allows dentists to give some flu vaccines.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Medical School Grads Could Go Directly To Patient Care In Missouri Under Proposal
It could get easier to be a doctor in Missouri under a proposed law to add the classification of "assistant physician" to the state medical license. Under the measure, an assistant physician would be a graduate of a four-year medical school program who has passed licensing exams but has not completed residency training. Residency programs are the three to seven years after medical school that doctors spend in primary and specialty clinical training (Bernhard, 6/23).

The Associated Press: Missouri Legislation Would Allow Assistant Docs 
Medical school graduates could start seeing patients sooner under legislation that is intended to address doctor shortages in parts of Missouri. The bill pending before Gov. Jay Nixon would create a classification of "assistant physician" for graduates who have passed licensing exams but have not completed residency training. They would be allowed to provide primary care and prescribe drugs in rural or urban areas that are considered to be medically underserved. Nixon has not said whether he will sign the legislation (6/23).

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: New Illinois Law Taps Retired Doctors, Nurses
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Saturday aimed at bringing doctors and nurses out of retirement to help as volunteers in free medical clinics. Quinn also signed into law a measure allowing dentists to give flu vaccines under certain circumstances. Both laws, which take effect immediately, are intended to expand access to care as thousands of Illinois residents are gaining insurance coverage under the nation's health care overhaul (6/21).