Due to the unintended consequences of a change in California state law effective in 2022, residents who completed a year or more of training after medical school – such as a transitional internship – were no longer considered eligible for a postgraduate training license, or PTL. Instead, they had to apply for unrestricted licenses with only a 90-day grace period, after which they would no longer be able to work until their unrestricted licenses were granted.
The usual wait for a California medical license is far beyond 90 days. This created a crisis in the making for Seth White, MD, an intern at Loma Linda University (LLU) Medical Center, and about 300 other residents across the state. Dr. White had completed a transitional year in Michigan after graduating medical school in 2021. Would they lose time in their training, or even lose their residency positions altogether if they couldn't...
