N.J. Admin. Code § 13:35-1.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 9, May 6, 2024

Section 13:35-1.1 - Observership program

(a) "Observer" shall mean an undergraduate medical student of an allopathic or osteopathic school accredited either by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association or a foreign medical school listed in either the World Health Organization Directory published by the World Health Organization or the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) published by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and whose graduates are accepted by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners as eligible to sit for the licensure examination. Observerships are limited to the student's vacation period in an extra-curricular professional experience as delineated in this section.

(b) An observership program shall be limited to:

1. Observation of operative procedures;

2. The taking of histories;

3. The performance of physical examinations;

4. The performance of non-invasive procedures under the direct supervision of and in the immediate presence of the supervising licensed physician; and

5. The participation in patient rounds and other organized patient care activities of the supervising physician.

(c) At no time shall the observer be delegated any responsibility for the care of the patient, the patient's diagnosis or any aspect of the patient's treatment, including the prescription of medication for the patient. An observer shall make no entries on the patient's permanent record.

(d) The observer shall at all times of patient contact wear an identifying badge inscribed "Medical Student."

(e) Prior to commencing participation in an observership program, the student shall have obtained written permission from the Chief of Staff and the Administration of the participating hospital and shall retain such letter.

(f) Under no circumstances shall the performance of any of the duties listed in (b) above by an observer, while engaged in such a program, be construed as the practice of medicine.

(g) The time spent in an observership program shall not be considered as part of or credited toward fulfillment of any statutory academic or clinical requirements for licensure.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:35-1.1

Amended by R.1999 d.356, effective 10/18/1999.
See: 31 N.J.R. 1742(a) , 31 N.J.R. 3117(a) .
Substituted "references to observers" for "references to externs" and substituted "references to observerships" for "references to externships" throughout; in (a), substituted "delineated in this section" for "hereafter delineated" at the end; and in (f), substituted "duties listed in (b) above" for "above duties" following "any of the".
Amended by R.2011 d.155, effective 6/6/2011.
See: 42 N.J.R. 1310(a) , 43 N.J.R. 1359(b) .
In (a), inserted the second occurrence of "either" and "published by the World Health Organization or the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) published by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)".