Military May Force Its Doctors to Be Certified
The Pentagon’s top health official, citing a survey showing that about 20% of all military physicians do not have valid state medical licenses, has drafted a directive that would require all doctors on active duty to obtain such accreditation.
The new directive would ultimately affect more than 3,500 military physicians, dentists and clinical psychologists, as well as nurses.
Dr. William Mayer, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said that he expected the directive to be in effect by the summer.
Mayer said that the decision was prompted, in part, by public perception because the Pentagon recently has been confronted by several well-publicized malpractice claims and critical internal audits.
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