Ark. Code Ann. § 17-95-403 (2026)

1. 1. Every person desiring a license to practice medicine shall make application to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The application shall be verified by oath and shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the Arkansas State Medical Board.
   2. The application shall be accompanied by the license fee and such documents, affidavits, and certificates as are necessary to establish that the applicant possesses the qualifications prescribed by this section, apart from any required examination by the Arkansas State Medical Board.
   3. The burden of proof shall be upon the applicant, but the Arkansas State Medical Board may make such independent investigation as it may deem advisable to determine whether the applicant possesses the qualifications and whether the applicant has at any time committed any of the acts or offenses herein defined as unprofessional conduct.
2. No person shall be granted a license to practice medicine in the State of Arkansas unless he or she:
   1. Is at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
   2. Has not been guilty of acts constituting unprofessional conduct as defined in § 17-95-409;
   3. 1. Is a graduate of:
         1. A recognized United States or Canadian medical school whose entrance requirements and course of instruction have been approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association;
         2. A Canadian eclectic medical school which has been approved by the Council on Medical Education of the National Eclectic Medical Association; or
         3. 1. A foreign medical school whose entrance requirements and course of instruction have been approved by the Arkansas State Medical Board.
            2. He or she must also have:
               1. Served three (3) years as an intern, resident, or fellow, or a combination thereof, in an accredited postgraduate medical education program in the United States;
               2. Served three (3) years as an intern or resident in a postgraduate medical education program outside the United States, completed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination, obtained Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certification, and either completed one (1) year or more of fellowship training accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in the United States or received American Board of Medical Specialties certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties; or
               3. Completed one (1) year as an intern or resident in an accredited postgraduate medical education program in the United States and be currently enrolled in an accredited postgraduate medical program in Arkansas.
      2. However, the Arkansas State Medical Board at such time as it deems expedient may require of every applicant for licensure:
         1. A properly verified certificate that he or she has served one (1) year of internship in a general accredited hospital; or
         2. A certificate of his or her service in an accredited postgraduate medical education program as described in subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii)(b) of this section; and
   4. Has successfully passed an examination approved by the Arkansas State Medical Board as set forth in its rules.

History. Acts 1957, No. 198, §§ 5, 6; 1971, No. 178, § 1; 1977, No. 199, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, §§ 72-605, 72-606; Acts 1992 (1st Ex. Sess.), No. 45, § 1; 1993, No. 1219, § 22; 2005, No. 498, § 1; 2013, No. 549, § 1; 2019, No. 267, § 1; 2019, No. 990, § 98.

Publisher's Notes. Acts 1977, No. 199, § 5, provided that it was the intent of the act to abolish the State Healing Arts Board created by Acts 1959, No. 187 and to remove the requirement that a person take and pass a basic science test as a condition for licensure as a physician. It was further the intent of the act that no agency, person, or board in the state would have the authority to require any person to take and pass the test formerly administered by the State Healing Arts Board as a condition for licensure as a physician.

Amendments. The 2013 amendment inserted (b)(3)(A)(iii) (b)(2) and redesignated former (b)(3)(A)(iii) (b)(2) as (b)(3)(A)(iii) (b)(3)

The 2019 amendment by No. 267 inserted “fellow, or a combination thereof” in (b)(3)(A)(iii)(b)(1); inserted “and either” and substituted “or” for “and” preceding “received” in (b)(3)(A)(iii)(b)(2); and made stylistic changes.

The 2019 amendment by No. 990 substituted “Has not been guilty” for “Is of good moral character and has not been guilty” in (b)(2).