Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to submit a report on the feasibility of creating and implementing a graduate physician licensure program that would allow a person who has graduated from an allopathic medical school and passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination, but who has not completed an accredited postgraduate residency program, to provide medical services within a framework of a continuous collaboration and supervision agreement with a licensed physician to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over health-related matters on or before January 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Raumesh Akbari

Tennessee study on licensing medical graduates without residency training to practice under physician supervision, addressing potential workforce gaps versus patient safety tradeoffs.

Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

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Legislative bill overview

SB 2667 directs Tennessee's Department of Health to study the feasibility of creating a "graduate physician licensure program" that would allow medical school graduates who passed licensing exams but haven't completed residency to practice medicine under supervision of a licensed physician. The department must report findings to the legislature by January 1, 2027.

Why is this important

This proposal addresses potential physician shortages by potentially unlocking an alternative pathway to medical practice without traditional residency training. However, it raises significant questions about patient safety, quality of care standards, and whether supervised graduate physicians would be adequately trained for independent clinical decision-making.

Potential points of contention

Patient safety concerns: Residencies exist specifically to train physicians in specialty practice; graduates without this training may face knowledge gaps in emergency situations or complex cases

Liability and supervision standards: The bill doesn't define what "continuous collaboration and supervision" means, creating ambiguity about legal responsibility if something goes wrong

Economic competition: Established physicians and resident physicians may oppose this as undercutting employment prospects and professional standards, while hospitals might favor cheaper labor

National consistency: This could conflict with accreditation standards and reciprocal licensing agreements with other states that require completed residency