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.