There are various options for special programs at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in relation to obtaining a Visa. Please browse the selections below for more information.

Special Program Options

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Section 2111 Appointment

General Information

The 2111 Appointment is for a foreign medical school graduate who has an appointment with the DGSOM. The regulations require the physician to have 3 years of postgraduate basic residency training and be board-eligible, board-certified or equivalent in their basic discipline prior to requesting a Section 2111 appointment. The physician must be in the U.S. in the appropriate visa status. The 2111 appointment is only for incidental patient care activities, defined as 20% or less time.

Length of Eligibility
Section 2111 appointments may be renewed annually for up to 3 years.

Terminology
The international physician shall be known as "Section 2111 visiting fellow".

Activities
The Section 2111 visiting fellow may participate in the professional activities of the inviting department.

Limitations to Activities 
The Section 2111 visiting fellow may NOT write prescriptions, bill patients for services, independently sign patient charts, serve as a primary care physician, or present him or herself as having a license to practice medicine in California.

Postgraduate training received under the Section 2111 may not be used to meet California medical licensing requirements. Professional activity is limited to the DGSOM’s affiliated hospitals, medical centers, and clinics.

All J1 researchers sponsored by UCLA cannot scrub in the Operating Room or assistant in surgeries. They can only observe.

Sponsorship/Supervision
The 2111 visiting fellow must be sponsored and supervised by an active DGSOM faculty members, who has a valid California medical licenses. The DGSOM department chair must approve the sponsorship/supervision. The DGSOM faculty supervisor may not be on a J-1 visa. If the DGSOM faculty supervisor is practicing medicine under a Certificate of Registration, he or she may not supervise a physician who is on the UCLA J-1 program.

Please note that there may be federal regulations that place additional restrictions on foreign educated physicians. For example, foreign nationals who enter the U.S. under the visa waiver program, B-1 business, or B-2 tourist non-immigrant visas are not eligible to participate in Section 2111 clinical activity. UCLA sponsored J-1 visas holders must be involved in research or teaching activity. Their clinical activity must be "incidental" to their research and teaching activity.

2111 Key Issues for Medical Board
Please be aware that J-1 research visas will further restrict the 2111 appointment. 

Appointments

• Are not allowed to do any clinical/patient care until an appointment from the School and approval by the Medical Board is received.
• Each appointee has a specific mentor and one or more supervisors.
• The Medical Board prefers to call the trainees "Visiting Fellows" to provide clarity around supervision and to patients.

Teaching

• May teach in research areas.
• May teach in clinical setting but no action may be taken without the attending/ supervisors input and decision.

Patient Care

• No patient care may occur prior to receiving Board approval.
• Only amount of clinical activity and at Medical Center(s) in the original letter of request may be done.
• All clinical activity must be supervised. Level of supervision is dependent on the clinic circumstance and level of potential risk. e.g. 1) Anesthesia - must have an attending present at ALL times. 2) Outpatient follow up - can review with the attending after the patient is seen by the Visiting Fellow but before any decisions are made or the patient released.
• NO night call.
• Supervisor may be any faculty member who has a current unrestricted license.
• Visiting fellow may write notes, orders or prescriptions BUT must be reviewed, approved and cosigned by the supervisor before any action occurs.
• May only do procedures under direct supervision and if this was part of the "training" requested in original letter.

Supervision

• Must be performed by faculty with a valid California medical license.
• Must be on site and in room (see above).
• All documentation of clinical activities must be cosigned.
• Supervision is most closely aligned to that of a third or fourth year medical student, not at the level of an intern, fellow or instructor (regardless of title and education in home country).
• Need to have level of supervision of 2:1 (student / faculty) and the supervisor must have adequate availability and time for review.

Medical Staff

• Are NOT members of any Medical Staff.
• Cannot obtain medical privileges.
• Cannot work independently or suggest they are independent.
• May NOT directly bill or have their "services" billed for.

Credit

• May receive a Non University certificate for "special program".
• No credit for Licensure, Boards or ACGME residency.

Future Plans

• 2111’s must be renewed yearly.
• Maximum of 3 years

Overall
Special program applications will no longer be presented at the Medical Board meetings. Please allow 60-90 day processing time at the Medical Board. 

Appointments are only made after a review of the individual’s credentials.

PART 1: To be completed by the Department

1. Complete the Special Programs 2111/2113 Administrative Processing Sheet
2. Write a letter requesting the Dean’s Office support for a Section 2111. (Sample 2111 Department Letter)
3. Ensure the 2111 Applicant has completed the form and provided the required items.
4. Ensure 2111 Applicant, Faculty Sponsor, and Department Chairman sign the (Limitations and Restrictions for Section 2111 form)
5. Submit applications in a timely manner to the DGSOM Visa and Licensing Office.
6. Read the 2111 General Information

PART 2: To be completed by the Applicant

1. Complete the 2111 Application Form (Available from Visa Office) 
2. Complete the Section 2111 Statement of Limitations.
3. Return the form with the required items to the department that will be recommending you for the 2111. Do not send items directly to the Medical Board or the Dean’s Office.

Completing the 2111 Application Form
Please complete the 2111 Application Form.  Answer all question blanks.  Check YES or NO where appropriate, or write NONE or N/A (not appropriate)

• Attach 2 photographs (A proof photo is not acceptable.)
• Make sure you sign and date the application form.

Attach the following items to the form

1. A copy of your Curriculum Vitae (same as resume) 
2. The original and a copy of your medical school diploma in the language of your country, along with a literal word for word English translation, if the diploma is not in English. The State of California DOES NOT accept the Certificate of Graduation in place of a medical school diploma. A copy of just the English translation is not sufficient; copies of both the original language diploma and translation are required. 
3. A copy of your License to practice medicine issued by your home country, with an English translation. A translation alone is not sufficient. 
4. If your country does not have a license, a letter from the agency or hospital that gives you the right to practice medicine is required. 
5. An original Letter of Good Standing or Certificate of Good Standing, with an English translation, from the Ministry of Health or Medical Council that issued your license to practice medicine. Letters from employers are not accepted. All letters must state that “no disciplinary actions” have been taken against the physician and be dated within the last 90 days. 
6. A copy of your Residency Certificate or written verification that you have completed 3 years of basic residency training. The certificate/verification must come from the hospital or facility where the training took place. The certificate/verification should state the dates of training, and if there are multiple training programs, a certificate/verification is needed from each one. If the original language is not in English, an English translation is required. 
7. Verification that you are board-eligible, board-certified, or the equivalent in your basic discipline. 
8. A signed Section 2111 Statement of Limitations. See form. 
9. A signed Sections 2111 Statement of Intent.  See form. 
10. If you are already in the United States, a copy of your I-94 arrival document. 
11. If you are on a J-1 visa, a copy of your DS-2019 form. 
12. If you are on another type of (non-immigrant or immigrant) visa, please provide a copy of the Approval Notice issued by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service, or other documents verifying your status such as Resident Alien Card, Employment Authorization Card, etc.

 

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Section 2113 Appointment

General Information

The Medical Board must have all items before it will issue a Certificate of Registration. If the Medical Board believes a faculty member is immediately licensable, it may deny the Section 2113 request.

The purpose of the Section 2113 Certificate of Registration is to allow a faculty member, who holds a 100% appointment at a California medical school the right to practice medicine within the scope of the faculty appointment. The Certificate does not allow the faculty member to open a private office outside of the UCLA faculty position.

The Certificate will be issued for one year at a time; it may be renewed annually for a total of 5 years. The Medical Board has the discretionary authority to require that the faculty member obtain an ECFMG Certificate prior to issuing a renewal of a 2113 Certificate.

The DGSOM Visa and Licensing will send out a memorandum to Departments approximately 90 days before the 2113 Certificate expires, requesting approval to renew the Certificate.

PART 1: To be completed by the Department

1. Complete the Special Programs 2111/2113 Administrative Processing Sheet.
2. Write a letter requesting the Dean’s Office support for a Section 2113. (See Sample)
3. Make sure the 2113 Applicant has completed the form and provided the required items.
4. Submit applications in a timely manner to the DGSOM Visa and Licensing Office.
5. Read the 2113 General Information Sheet.

PART 2: To be completed by the Applicant

Completing the 2113 Application Form

1. Please complete the 2113 Application Form. Answer all question blanks. Do not leave blanks. Check YES or NO where appropriate, or write NONE or N/A (not appropriate)
2. Attach 2 photographs (A proof photo is not acceptable.)
3. Make sure you sign and date the application form.

Attach the following items to the form

1. A copy of your Curriculum Vitae (same as resume)
2. The original and a copy of your medical school diploma in the language of your country, along with an English translation, if the diploma is not in English. The State of California DOES NOT accept the Certificate of Graduation in place of a medical school diploma. A copy of just the English translation is not sufficient; copies of both the original language diploma and translation are required.
3. A copy of your License to practice medicine issued by your home country, with an English translation. A translation alone is not sufficient.
4. If your country does not have a license, a letter from the agency or hospital that gives you the right to practice medicine is required.
5. An original Letter of Good Standing or Certificate of Good Standing, with an English translation, from the Ministry of Health or Medical Council that issued your license to practice medicine. Letters from employers are not accepted, unless the applicant is from the People’s Republic of China. All letters must state that "no disciplinary actions" have been taken against the physician.
6. A copy of your Residency Certificate or written verification that you have completed 3 years of basic residency training. If the original language is not in English, an English translation is required.
7. A copy of your ECFMG Certificate, if you are a foreign medical school graduate.
8. A copy of your FLEX, NBME, USMLE, or LCME scores.
9. If you are already in the United States, a copy of your I-94 arrival document.
10. If you are a permanent resident or US citizen, provide a copy of your Resident Alien Card, Employment Authorization Card, US passport or birth certificate.

 

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Special Faculty Permit

The Special Faculty Permit is issued for faculty from other states or countries, which do not have a California State medical license. The Medical Board of California issues a Special Faculty Permit authorizing eminent academic physicians to practice medicine within California medical schools. Pre-information concerning the Special Faculty Permit is listed below:

The permit authorized by Section 2168 of the Business and Professions Code is intended to attract gifted academic physicians to the State of California, and enhance California’s position in the international medical community.

The Special Faculty Permit authorizes the permit holder to practice medicine only within the sponsoring medical school and any affiliated institutions in which the permit holder is providing instruction as part of the medical school’s educational program, and for which the medical school has assumed direct responsibility.

The permit is valid only while holding a full-time appointment at the level of full professor in a tenure track position or its equivalent (i.e., in-residence) in the sponsoring medical school and fulfilling the duties assigned by the dean and department chair.

The permit does not authorize practice in other medical schools or in any setting outside the sponsoring medical school and appropriate affiliated institutions. Leaving the faculty of the sponsoring medical school or switching to another California medical school invalidates the Special Faculty Permit.

If the permit holder later desires to engage in the practice of medicine outside the parameters of the sponsoring medical school, he or she must apply for and meet all of the routine requirements for the standard, unrestricted California medical license.

The Special Faculty Permit is not intended to be a pathway to full and unrestricted licensure. Faculty service rendered in a medical school while holding a Special Faculty Permit will not satisfy the postgraduate training required for full and unrestricted licensure, nor entitle the permit holder to request a waiver of any of the routine licensing examinations or other requirements.

The permit is not time-limited; however the permit holders must renew their permit at regular biennial intervals.

To obtain a Special Faculty Permit application, please contact the DGSOM Visa and Licensing Office. 

The Special Faculty Permit Review Committee reviews the applications submitted to the Board pursuant to Section 2168.1 of the California Business and Professions Code, and makes recommendations to the Medical Board of California relative to an applicant’s eligibility for the requested appointment.

The application deadline for the receipt, review and determination that an application is complete and approved to proceed to a meeting has been established for each Committee meeting to ensure appropriate processing. These dates have been determined based upon current staff assignments and mandatory staff furloughs. As a result of the challenges faced due to the reduced work hours, no exceptions to the deadlines will be considered. Therefore, please ensure that applications are submitted well in advance to allow for the complete process.

 

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Exemption: Consultants & Guests

Section 2060.  Nothing in this chapter applies to any practitioner from outside this state, when in actual consultation with a licensed practitioner of this state, or when an invited guest of the California Medical Association or the California Podiatry Association, or one of their component county societies, or of an approved medical or podiatric medical school or college for the sole purpose of engaging in professional education through lectures, clinics, or demonstrations, if he or she is, at the time of the consultation, lecture, or demonstration a licensed practitioner in the state or country in which he or she resides.  Such practitioner shall not open an office or appoint a place to meet patients or receive calls from patients within the limits of this state.

Sample 2060 Request Letter

 

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