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.

Prior to participation in the specialist training, a physician shall pass the second stage medical exam specified in the Staged Senior Professional and Technical Examinations Regulations for Medical Doctors, Dentists, Chinese Medicine Practitioners, and Pharmacists (hereinafter referred to as the “Second Stage Examination”) and complete postgraduate general clinic medicine training (hereinafter referred to as “the General Training”). The training period shall be as follows:
1. Two years for graduates of the six-year program of the department of medicine, the four-year program of the department of post-baccalaureate medicine, or the seven-year program of the department of Chinese medicine with a double major in subjects from the department of medicine at a domestic college;
2. One year for graduates of the seven-year program of the department of medicine, the five-year program of the department of post-baccalaureate medicine, or the eight-year program of the department of Chinese medicine with a double major in subjects from the department of medicine at a domestic college after February 1, 2011;
3. For graduates of the seven-year program of the department of medicine, the five-year program of the department of post-baccalaureate medicine, or the eight-year program of the department of Chinese medicine with a double major in subjects from the department of medicine at a domestic college prior to January 31, 2011:
(1) For those who receive the General Training before June 30, 2012: The period specified in the schedule of the General Training announced by the central competent health authority for the current year;
(2) For those who receive the General Training after July 1, 2012: One year.
4. For graduates of the department of medicine at a foreign college:
(1) For those who receive the General Training before June 30, 2011: The training period specified in the schedule of the General Training announced by the central competent health authority for the current year;
(2) For those who receive the General Training after July 1, 2011: One year;
(3) For those who receive the General Training after August 1, 2020: Two years.
Physicians who have obtained a foreign specialist certificate and have been approved by the central competent health authority may be exempted from the aforesaid rule of accomplishing the General Training first.

Current graduates of the department of Chinese medicine with a double major in subjects from the department of medicine may receive the General training after passing the examination for physician of Chinese medicine and prior to passing the second stage medical exam. Those who fail to pass the second stage medical exam within six months from the start date of the General Training shall immediately terminate the training; no more than six months of the training experience shall be recognized.
Graduates of the department of medicine or the department of Chinese medicine at a domestic college with a double major in subjects from the department of medicine prior to July 31, 2011 may receive the General Training after graduation. Those who fail to obtain a physician certificate prior to June 30, 2012 shall immediately terminate the training, and their training experience shall no longer be recognized.
Graduates who qualify for the foregoing conditions may be exempted from the requirements stated in Paragraph 1.

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.

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

(Deleted)

Specialist training shall be conducted by a hospital with the capability to hold such specialist training as determined by the central competent health authority.

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

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.

Physicians having completed specialist training in respect of the specialization defined in these Regulations or having obtained foreign specialist certification and being approved by the central competent health authority may participate in the specialist examination for said specialization.
The aforesaid 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 availability of specialists.

(Deleted)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(Deleted)

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.

(Deleted)

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