54-1803. DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter:

(1) "Practice of medicine" means:

(a) The investigation, diagnosis, treatment, correction, or prevention of or prescription for any human disease, ailment, injury, infirmity, deformity or other condition, physical or mental, by any means or instrumentality that involves the application of principles or techniques of medical science; or

(b) Offering, undertaking, or holding oneself out as able to do any of the acts described in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(2) "Board" means the state board of medicine.

(3) "Physician" means any person who holds a license to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or osteopathic medicine, provided further, that others authorized by law to practice any of the healing arts shall not be considered physicians for the purposes of this chapter.

(4) "Supervising physician" and "alternate supervising physician" mean a physician who is registered with the board as set forth in board rule and who is responsible for the direction and supervision of the activities of and patient services provided by a physician assistant or graduate physician assistant.

(5) "License to practice medicine " means a license issued by the board to a person who has graduated from an acceptable school of medicine and who has fulfilled the licensing requirements of this chapter.

(6) "License to practice osteopathic medicine " means a license issued by the board to a person who either graduated from an acceptable osteopathic school of medicine subsequent to January 1, 1963, or who has been licensed by endorsement of a license to practice osteopathic medicine issued by another state and who has fulfilled the licensing requirements of this chapter.

(7) "Acceptable school of medicine" means any school of medicine or school of osteopathic medicine that meets the standards or requirements of a national medical school accrediting organization acceptable to the board.

(8) "Intern" or "resident" means any person who has completed a course of study at an acceptable school of medicine and who is enrolled in a postgraduate medical training program.

(9) "Physician assistant" means any person who is a graduate of an acceptable physician assistant training program and who is qualified by specialized education, training, experience and personal character and who has been licensed by the board to render patient services under the direction of a supervising and alternate supervising physician.

(10) "Graduate physician assistant" means a person who is a graduate of an approved program for the education and training of physician assistants and who meets all of the requirements in this chapter for licensure, but who:

(a) Has not yet taken and passed the certification examination and who has been authorized by the board to render patient services under the direction of a supervising physician for a period of six (6) months; or

(b) Has passed the certification examination but who has not yet obtained a college baccalaureate degree and who has been authorized by the board to render patient services under the direction of a supervising physician for a period of not more than five (5) years.

History:

[54-1803, added 1977, ch. 199, sec. 4, p. 537; am. 1998, ch. 177, sec. 1, p. 659.; am. 2010, ch. 89, sec. 1, p. 170; am. 2019, ch. 26, sec. 3, p. 53.]