§ 34-24-51 — Practicing Medicine or Osteopathy Without License

Any person who practices medicine or osteopathy or offers to do so in this state without a certificate of qualification having been issued in his or her behalf by the State Board of Medical Examiners and without a license and certificate of registration from the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama shall be guilty of a Class C felony. However, nothing in this section or article shall apply to fellows, residents, interns, or medical students who are employed by or who are taking courses of instruction at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, or such other medical schools or colleges, hospitals, or institutions in Alabama as may be approved by the Board of Medical Examiners; and provided, that the work of the fellows, residents, interns, or medical students is performed within the facilities of such medical schools or colleges, hospitals, or institutions under the supervision of a licensed physician and as an adjunct to his or her course of study or training, and until the fellows, residents, interns, or students meet training requirements for licensure under the laws of the State of Alabama and the regulations of the Board of Medical Examiners of the State of Alabama. Nothing in this section shall be construed as applying to any person practicing chiropractic, dentistry, podiatry, optometry, or any other branch of the healing arts, except medicine and osteopathy, pursuant to a license which has been issued, or which may hereafter be issued, by any state licensing board and who is practicing within the scope of such license.

Legislative History

(Code 1876, §4244; Code 1886, §4078; Code 1896, §5333; Code 1907, §7564; Acts 1915, No. 623, p. 661; Code 1923, §5191; Code 1940, T. 46, §262; Acts 1959, No. 109, p. 620, §3; Acts 1973, No. 1120, p. 1882, §1; Acts 1975, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 161, p. 405, §2; Act 2007-402, p. 807, §1.)