(a) An assistant to physician may surrender his or her license to practice as an assistant to physician or request in writing to the Board of Medical Examiners that a restriction be placed upon his or her license to practice as an assistant to physician within the State of Alabama. The board may accept a surrender or grant such a request for restriction and shall have the authority, if it deems appropriate, to attach such restrictions to the license of the assistant to physician to practice as an assistant to physician within the State of Alabama. Removal of a voluntary restriction on the license of an assistant to physician shall be done only with the approval of the Board of Medical Examiners. If the board accepts the surrender of a license of an assistant to physician, any current registration of the assistant to physician shall be automatically terminated, the license shall be withdrawn, and the assistant to physician shall not be authorized to practice as an assistant to physician within the State of Alabama.

(b) Requests for modification or termination of restrictions on a license or for reinstatement of a revoked or surrendered license to practice as an assistant to physician which are filed with the board within 24 months of the effective date of the restriction, revocation, or surrender may, within the discretion of the board, be dismissed by the board as prematurely filed. A request as described above which is filed with the board more than 24 months following the effective date of the restriction, revocation, or surrender may be granted or may be set for a hearing before the board, and such hearing shall be conducted as a contested case under the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act.

(c) The board shall be without jurisdiction to reinstate the license of an assistant to physician whose license was revoked or voluntarily surrendered if the request for reinstatement is received by the board more than five years after the effective date of the revocation or surrender.