Medical Practitioners Act, 1951

Certification of experience in approved hospital.

3.—(1) A certificate for the purposes of paragraph (b) of section 2 of this Act shall not be granted in respect of any person unless after passing a qualifying examination he has been engaged in employment in a resident medical capacity in one or more approved hospitals or approved institutions for such period as may be prescribed.

(2) A person satisfying the condition specified in subsection (1) of this section may apply for a certificate under this section to the body granting the qualifying diploma by virtue of which he claims registration, and if that body are satisfied—

(a) that during the time the applicant has been so employed as aforesaid he has been engaged for such period or minimum period as may be prescribed in medicine, and for such period or minimum period as may be prescribed in surgery, and

(b) that his service while so employed has been satisfactory,

they shall grant, in such form as may be prescribed, a certificate that they are so satisfied.

(3) Time during which an applicant, while employed as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, has been engaged in midwifery, not exceeding such period as may be prescribed, shall be counted for the purposes of paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section either as time spent in medicine or as time spent in surgery, as the applicant may elect.

(4) When, during any period of such employment as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section, an applicant who has been engaged in medicine has also been engaged in surgery or in midwifery or both, or an applicant who has been engaged in surgery has also been engaged in midwifery, the period shall be apportioned for the purposes of the foregoing provisions of this section in such manner as may be determined by the body granting the qualifying diploma by virtue of which the applicant claims registration.

(5) In this section—

“approved”, in relation to a hospital or institution, means approved for the time being for the purposes of this section by the Council,

references to employment in a resident medical capacity shall be construed as references to employment in the practice of medicine, surgery or midwifery, where the person in question is resident in the hospital or institution where he is employed or conveniently near thereto, and is by the terms of his employment required to be so resident.

(6) In relation to a person claiming registration by virtue of a diploma granted on passing a qualifying examination held by two or more bodies jointly, the references in this section to the body granting the qualifying diploma shall be construed as references to the bodies by whom the qualifying examination was held, acting jointly.

(7) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6) of this section, a person holding two or more qualifying diplomas shall be treated for the purposes of this section as claiming registration by virtue of such one of those diplomas as he may choose.