Chapter I General Principles

Article 1

This Rules of Specialization and Examination for Medical Specialist (hereinafter called “the Rules”) is hereby enacted pursuant to Article 7-1, Paragraph 3 of the Physicians Act.

Article 2

Physicians having completed specialist training or having attained foreign physician certification and approved by the central competent health authority in respect to the specialization pursuant to the Rules may participate in the specialist examination for said specialization.
Prior to participation in the specialist training referred to in the preceding paragraph, a physician shall complete postgraduate general medicine training (hereinafter referred to as “the General Training”). The training period shall be as follows:
1. One year for graduates from the department of medicine, or the department of Chinese medicine electing a double major including the department of medicine at a domestic college after February 1, 2011;
2. Pursuant to the schedule of the General Training announced by the central competent health authority for the current year, for graduates from the department of medicine at a domestic college, or the department of Chinese medicine electing a double major including the department of medicine prior to January 31, 2011 with a physician certificate and receiving General Training before June 30, 2012; one year for those receiving General Training after July 1, 2012;
3. Pursuant to the schedule of the General Training announced by the central competent health authority for the current year for graduates from a foreign college with a physician certificate and receiving the General Training before June 30, 2011; one year for those receiving the General Training after July 1, 2011;
4. Two years for graduates from the department of dentistry at a domestic college or a foreign college with a dentist certificate, and having received the General Training after July 1, 2010.
Graduates from the department of dentistry at a domestic college or foreign college before January 31, 2010 and having received specialist training or attained a foreign physician certificate, and having been approved by the central competent health authority before June 30, 2012 may not be subject to the rules of first accomplishment of the General Training.

Article 2-1

Fresh graduates from a domestic department of medicine or dentistry may receive the General Training prior to the attainment of a physician/dentist certificate. However, those who fail to pass exams of physician/dentist or secondary exams before December 31 of the graduation year shall immediately terminate the training; for which no more than six months of credit shall be granted. Fresh graduates from Chinese medicine electing a double major including the department of medicine may receive the General training after passing the examination of Chinese medicine prior to passing the secondary exam; those who fail to pass the secondary exam within six months after the General Training has commenced shall immediately terminate the training; for which no more than six months of credit shall be granted.
Graduates from a domestic department of dentistry and having received the General Training before July 31, 2010, prior to the attainment of a dentist certificate shall immediately terminate the training; no credit shall be granted; graduates from the department of medicine at a domestic college, or the department of Chinese medicine electing a double major including the department of medicine prior to January 31, 2011 may receive the General Training after graduation; however, those who fail to obtain a physician certificate prior to June 30, 2012 shall immediately terminate the training; no credit shall be granted.
Graduates who qualify for the foregoing conditions may not be subject to the regulation stated in paragraph 1.

Article 2-2

The central competent health authority may handle the selection and appointment of training applicants and training institutions with regard to the General Training, and may entrust a private professional organization or group to be in charge.
The application procedures and operations of the selection and appointment set forth in the preceding paragraph, as well as the names and annual quota of the training institutions, shall be published at least once every year by the central competent health authority.

Chapter II Specializations

Article 3

Physician specializations are as follows:
1. Family Medicine
2. Internal Medicine
3. Surgery
4. Pediatrics
5. Obstetrics & Gynecology
6. Orthopedics
7. Neurosurgery
8. Urology
9. Otolaryngology
10. Ophthalmology
11. Dermatology
12. Neurology
13. Psychiatry
14. Rehabilitation Medicine
15. Anesthesiology
16. Diagnostic Radiology
17. Radiation Oncology
18. Anatomical Pathology
19. Clinical Pathology
20. Nuclear Medicine
21. Emergency Medicine
22. Occupational Medicine
23. Plastic Surgery

Article 4

Dentist specializations are as follows:
1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
2. Oral Pathology
3. Orthodontics

Chapter III Specialist Training

Article 5

Specialist training shall be conducted by a hospital with the capability to hold such specialist training as determined by the central competent health authority. However, specialist training for orthodontics shall be conducted by a dental clinic with the capability to hold such specialist training as determined by the central competent health authority.

Article 6

The determination of specialist training hospitals and dental clinics (hereinafter referred to as “training institution”) referred to in the preceding article shall be subjected to the standards provided by the central competent health authority. The authority shall conduct such determinations on a regular basis and announce relevant matters, such as the name list of qualified training institutions, validity period of such qualifications, and the training capacity.

Article 7

A specialist training hospital shall design a training plan pursuant to the specialist training guidelines set forth by the central competent health authority and hold such specialist training accordingly. The number of trainees received by said specialist training hospitals shall be consistent with the approved training capacity.

Chapter IV Specialist Examination and Certificate Validity Period

Article 8

Specialist examination for each specialization shall be conducted at least once every year. The central competent health authority, however, may increase or decrease the frequency based on the manpower of specialists.

Article 9

(Deleted)

Article 10

Specialist examination shall be in the form of a written examination and may be accompanied with an oral examination, test, or field test. However, those with the qualifications of a foreign specialist the system and training process, of which are confirmed to be equivalent to ours, may be exempt from the written examination, oral examination, test, or field test.

Article 11

The central competent health authority shall enact examination rules governing the specialist examination, the content of which shall include the following items:
1. qualifications to apply for the specialist examination;
2. procedures and process of the examination;
3. examination methods, tested subjects, scoring system, and passing score;
4. validity period of specialist certificates; and
5. qualifications to extend the validity period of a specialist certificate and the length of each extension.
The validity period of a specialist certificate and the length of each extension referred to in Subparagraphs 4 and 5 of the preceding paragraph shall be subject to a minimum of three(3) years and maximum of six(6) years.
The specialist examination set forth in Paragraph 1 hereof may be conducted by an examination unit consisting of experts or scholars invited by the central competent health authority.

Article 12

The qualifications to extend the validity period of a specialist certificate set forth in Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 5 of the preceding article shall be subject to the characteristics of each specialization and shall include the minimum standards as the participation in the following academic activities or continuing education:
1. having participated in the continuing education held by a competent health authority, medical school, teaching hospital, and relevant medical association;
2. having participated in a domestic or overseas symposium in respect of relevant medical specialization;
3. having participated in clinical teaching or keynote speeches; or
4. having published medical papers in a medical journal.

Article 13

The central competent health authority may entrust the initial review for specialist examination to an association for the related medical specialization pursuant to Article 7-1, Paragraph 2 of the Physicians Act.
Upon being entrusted, the association for the related medical specialization shall conduct the initial review pursuant to the examination rules enacted by the central competent health authority and organize an examination committee for the handling.
The time and location of the initial review and candidates for the examination committee for the initial review set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be reported to the central competent health authority for the record within one(1) month after the handling of initial review commences.

Article 14

Based on the results of the initial review conducted by the entrusted association for the related medical specialization, the association shall compile a list of examinees and submit same as well as the qualifications and scores of said examinees to the central competent health authority for a second review.

Article 15

Those who have passed the specialist examination may apply to the central competent health authority for the issuance of a specialist certificate, as well as the replacement and renewal in case of a lost or damaged specialist certificate.
The specialist certificate subject to the issuance, replacement, or renewal set forth in the preceding paragraph shall contain the underlying specialization and validity period.

Article 16

A specialist may, with the evidencing documents set forth in Article 11, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 5 hereof submitted, apply to the central competent health authority for a renewal of the specialist certificate six(6) months prior to the expiration of the validity period. However, should a specialist fail to apply for a renewal by the expiration due to a special reason, said specialist may make a supplemental application for the renewal one(1) year after the validity period expires if the specialist’s application, submitted with a written request and evidencing documents, for a postponed renewal application is approved by the central competent health authority.
The central competent health authority may entrust a private professional organization or group to review the specialist certificate renewal applications set forth in the preceding paragraph.

Article 17

The central competent health authority may terminate the entrust relationship should the association for the related medical specialization entrusted to conduct the initial review for specialist examination be in violation of the law or disobey the governance of the central competent health authority.

Chapter V Supplementary Provisions

Article 18

(Deleted)

Article 19

Should a physician certificate be revoked in accordance with the law, the specialist certificate of the possessor of said physician certificate shall also be revoked at the same time.

Article 20

(Deleted)

Article 21

The Rules shall come into effect as of the day of promulgation.