West Virginia Code 30-3E-4 – License to practice as a physician assistant
(a) A person seeking licensure as a physician assistant shall apply to the Board of Medicine or to the Board of Osteopathic Medicine. The appropriate board shall issue a license to practice as a physician assistant with the collaboration of that board’s licensed physicians or podiatrists.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 30-3E-4
- Approved program: means an educational program for physician assistants approved and accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or its successor. See West Virginia Code 30-3E-1
- Collaboration: means overseeing the activities of the medical services rendered by a physician assistant. See West Virginia Code 30-3E-1
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- License: means a license issued by either of the boards pursuant to the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-3E-1
- Physician: means a doctor of allopathic or osteopathic medicine who is fully licensed pursuant to the provisions of either §. See West Virginia Code 30-3E-1
- Physician assistant: means a person who meets the qualifications set forth in this article and is licensed pursuant to this article to practice medicine with a collaborating physician. See West Virginia Code 30-3E-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) A license may be granted to a person who:
(1) Files a complete application;
(2) Pays the applicable fees;
(3) Demonstrates to the board’s satisfaction that he or she:
(A) Obtained a baccalaureate or master’s degree from an accredited program of instruction for physician assistants;
(B) Prior to July 1, 1994, graduated from an approved program of instruction in primary health care or surgery; or
(C) Prior to July 1, 1983, was certified by the Board of Medicine as a physician assistant then classified as Type B;
(4) Has passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
(5) Has a current certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or has a current license in good standing from a state that does not require a physician assistant to maintain national certification;
(6) Is mentally and physically able to engage safely in practice as a physician assistant;
(7) Has not had a physician assistant license, certification, or registration in any jurisdiction suspended or revoked;
(8) Is not currently subject to any limitation, restriction, suspension, revocation, or discipline concerning a physician assistant license, certification, or registration in any jurisdiction: Provided, That if a board is made aware of any problems with a physician assistant license, certification, or registration and agrees to issue a license, certification, or registration notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision or subdivision (7) of this subsection;
(9) Is of good moral character; and
(10) Has fulfilled any other requirement specified by the appropriate board.
(c) A board may deny an application for a physician assistant license to any applicant determined to be unqualified by the board.