Nebraska law provides a supervised path for internationally trained doctors

The department may issue a provisional license to an internationally trained physician who meets the requirements. The route covers doctors educated and authorized to practice outside the United States who meet the stated training and experience criteria. The board may waive the requirement to have practiced for three of the last five years. The doctor must meet the law’s education, licensing, practice, and good-standing criteria; hold required certification and work authorization; and pass steps 1 and 2 of the licensing exam. The doctor must have a full-time work agreement with an approved health care organization for supervised practice. That organization must provide malpractice insurance and complete the required assessment program. These provisions take effect August 1, 2027. Within six months after the doctor starts practicing, the organization must assess the doctor and send a learning and supervision plan to the department.

The department may issue a transitional license that allows independent practice in a health profession shortage area. This route is for internationally trained doctors who meet the requirements and practice independently in a state-designated health profession shortage area. The doctor must complete three years of supervised practice, receive satisfactory results in an approved assessment program, pass step 3 of the licensing exam, and meet other board requirements. Before issuing the license, the department must receive a final report from the health care organization saying the doctor can practice independently across the required competencies. The department acts with the board’s recommendation. These provisions take effect August 1, 2027. After at least three years under each license, a doctor may apply for an unrestricted license; the board must review the assessment records.

Employing health care organizations must provide workplace protections, and the department may discipline or suspend these licenses in specified circumstances. These rules apply to participating health care organizations and doctors practicing under provisional or transitional licenses. Doctors with provisional or transitional licenses must receive the same work-hour, discrimination and harassment protections, and access to wellness and support services as other doctors employed by the organization. The department may discipline a license for misconduct, failure to meet licensing requirements, or an unsatisfactory assessment. It may suspend a license pending review if the organization judges that the doctor’s practice jeopardizes a patient’s health or well-being. These provisions take effect August 1, 2027.