052-5 Wyo. Code R. § 5-8 - [Effective until 4/4/2024] Consideration of applications

(a) The applicant for physician assistant licensure may be required to appear for a licensure interview before the advisory council. An applicant may be required to appear if one or more of the following applies:

(i) Is seventy (70) years old or older;

(ii) Has been licensed as a physician assistant for more than thirty-five (35) years;

(iii) Has answered "Yes" to one or more questions on the application form regarding physical or mental impairment, substance or alcohol abuse, criminal convictions, liability claims, prior disciplinary actions, restrictions or conditions on medical licensure, including relinquishment or surrender of a physician assistant license, or restriction, suspension, or resignation while under investigation, of hospital privileges;

(iv) Information acquired or received by the board indicates the applicant may not possess sufficient medical training, skill or experience appropriate for the applicant's intended practice in this state;

(v) The applicant's education and/or training verification documents indicate an unexplained delay in completion of his education or training;

(vi) The applicant's verification documents indicate more than one attempt at passage of any examination necessary to obtain initial licensure or to maintain ongoing licensure;

(vii) The applicant's verification documents indicate failure to pass the NCCPA recertification examination;

(viii) One or more advisory council member(s) determine that there are issues raised by the application and/or any supporting or verification documents that should be addressed in an interview with advisory council members;

(ix) Whose temporary license was deferred by the application review committee;

(x) The applicant has not previously engaged in active practice as a physician assistant for a period of at least twelve (12) continuous months;

(xi) The applicant has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a charge of driving while under the influence of an intoxicant within five (5) years of the date of his/her application;

(xii) The applicant has not been engaged in active practice as a physician assistant in the immediately-preceding two (2) year period;

(xiii) Failure to fully and completely answer one or more questions on the application form or failing to answer one or more questions truthfully; or,

(xiv) The applicant's post graduate work and/or employment history indicate an unexplained gap.

(b) The supervising physician or supervising physician assistant shall complete and submit a supervision agreement form describing his willingness to undertake full responsibility for the physician assistant's professional actions and such other actions as may affect patients, and setting forth the conditions of his supervision of the physician assistant;

(c) Physicians or physician assistants who have conditions or restrictions upon their license or privileges issued by the board or other state medical licensing board or health care facility may apply to supervise a physician assistant. All applications submitted by physicians or physician assistants with restrictions or conditions on their license or clinical privileges shall be reviewed by the board and the application to supervise a physician assistant may be denied on the grounds that the supervising physician or supervising physician assistant has restrictions or conditions on their license. The board may, in its discretion, require an interview with an applicant, or the applying supervising physician or supervising physician assistant, under this subsection.

(d) If a physician assistant requires supervision pursuant to subsection 7(c) of this chapter, the advisory council may require a supervising physician or supervising physician assistant to interview in person before the advisory council to determine the supervising physician's or supervising physician assistant's ability to properly supervise the physician assistant and his willingness to accept the responsibility of supervision of a physician assistant.

(e) If a physician assistant who requires supervision pursuant to subsection 7(c) of this chapter changes supervising physician or supervising physician assistant, but remains in the same practice situation and location, the physician assistant shall submit an application on a form approved by the board explaining the change. The supervising physician or supervising physician assistant shall also complete and submit an application describing his willingness to undertake full responsibility for the physician assistant's professional actions and such other actions as may affect patients. Under these circumstances, an interview may be required if deemed appropriate by the advisory council or the board. If initial licensure fees have been paid, no further fees will be assessed.

(f) If a physician assistant who requires supervision pursuant to subsection 7(c) of this chapter changes job situations or locations within the state under a new supervising physician or supervising physician assistant, the physician assistant shall submit an application on a form approved by the board explaining the change, and pay a supervisor change fee. The supervising physician or supervising physician assistant shall also complete and submit a supervising agreement form describing his willingness to undertake full responsibility for the physician assistant's professional actions and such other actions as may affect patients. A subsequent interview may be required by the advisory council or the board.

(g) If a physician assistant who requires supervision pursuant to subsection 7(c) of this chapter leaves the state for employment and returns, a new supervising physician or supervising physician assistant application and fees must be submitted to the advisory council and board for approval. An interview may be required.

(h) Following review of the application documents and, where appropriate an interview, the advisory council shall make its recommendations to the board regarding licensure of a physician assistant to practice in Wyoming. The final decision remains with the board.

(i) If a licensed physician requires the emergency assistance of a physician assistant who requires supervision pursuant to subsection 7(c) of this chapter, the supervising physician or supervising physician, and the physician assistant to be supervised shall, within two (2) business days of the emergent situation, submit to the board on form prescribed by the board a statement detailing the circumstance of the emergency and the need for the assistance of the physician assistant without the board's prior approval. If it is determined that the situation was not an emergency or if it was not appropriate to involve the physician assistant, both the supervising physician or supervising physician assistant and the physician assistant may be subject to disciplinary action.

(j) Applications submitted to the board for initial licensure as a physician assistant expire six (6) calendar months after the date the application document is received in the board office.

(k) Licensure interviews shall be conducted in person (unless otherwise specifically permitted by these rules) and shall consist of oral questions by the physician assistant advisory council and oral responses by the applicant. By his or her responses to questions posed in the licensure interview, the applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of a majority of the board that he or she is qualified to practice as a physician assistant in this state, that (1) he or she possesses a minimum fund of general and identified scope of practice medical knowledge appropriate for the applicant's intended practice in this state, (2) he or she possesses sufficient medical training and medical experience appropriate for the applicant's intended practice in this state, (3) he or she possesses personal and professional character and integrity befitting practice as a physician assistant, and (4) that there are no other factors contained in the application or disclosed in the licensure interview that would demonstrate that the applicant would be unable to practice as a physician assistant in a safe and competent manner.

(l) Licensure interviews may be conducted by video conference or other electronic means in the sole discretion of the advisory council.

Notes

052-5 Wyo. Code R. § 5-8

Amended, Eff. 9/10/2015. Amended, Eff. 2/1/2019. Amended, Eff. 1/7/2021. Amended, Eff. 6/29/2022. Amended, Eff. 1/30/2023. Amended, Eff. 9/25/2023. Amended, Eff. 12/6/2023, exp. 4/4/2024 (Emergency).