Senator April Weaver - George Koulianos, MD - Representative Paul Lee

When the Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) outlined its 2023 Advocacy Agenda, one of the top priorities was to address the growing physician shortage in Alabama. According to MASA, Alabama needs more physicians just to meet current healthcare demands.

With that in mind, Representative Paul Lee in the House and Senator April Weaver sponsored and helped pass the Physician Workforce Act (PWA), which is a proactive effort to help confront the shortage and build tomorrow’s physician workforce.

The Physician Workforce Act will cut red tape and remove unnecessary barriers by eliminating the Special Purpose Exam (SPEX) exam that some out of state physicians are required to take before becoming licensed to practice in Alabama, making from physicians moving from other states to begin practice here.

International Medical Graduates, who make up 20 percent of Alabama’s current physician workforce, will be able to gain full medical licensure after two years of residency and passage of the final licensure step instead of three years.

It establishes an apprenticeship style program for medical school graduates who did not match in to residency that allows Medical School graduates to work under the direct supervision of a physicians under a one-year permit as they reapply for residency the next year. The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners will begin crafting rules to govern the apprenticeship-like program.

“The Physician Workforce Act will expand the pool of trained physicians practicing in our state, improve patient access to timely care and put Alabama on the path toward a healthier future,” said George Koulianos, MD, a Mobile doctor who serves as President of the Medical Association.