GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The purpose of this glossary is to assist you in understanding the words and phrases used by the Board of Physicians. These terms are used in the Board's practitioner profile website. Terms applicable to the Maryland Board of Physicians:

ABMS	The American Board of Medical Specialties.
ACGME	The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
AMA	The American Medical Association.
AOA	The American Osteopathic Association.
Administrative law judge	The hearing officer for full-evidentiary hearings at the Office of Administrative hearings.
Applicant	An individual applying for licensure in Maryland.
Board	The State Board of Physicians.
Disciplinary Committee for Case Resolution (DCCR)	A meeting with the Respondent and Disciplinary Panel to explore the possibility of a consent order or other resolution of a charging document or notice of intent to deny licensure.
Certification	Successfully meeting all the specified requirements of the certifying body of a medical licensing authority or specialty board recognized by the Board.
Charging document	A document issued by the Board which sets forth one or more charges or an intent to deny licensure on grounds set forth in Titles 14 and 15 of the Health Occupations Article.
CME	Continuing medical education.
COMAR	Code of Maryland Regulations.
Complaint	A written allegation that a practitioner has committed a prohibited act for which the Board can take disciplinary action or deny licensure.
Consent agreement	A binding, voluntary agreement between the Board and the physician which has the force of a final order of the Board.
DEA	Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the Federal agency that issues a certificate to authorized prescribers allowing them to write prescriptions for controlled substances.
Disciplinary action	A formal action taken by the Board against the practitioner's license.
ECFMG	The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
FSMB	The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States.
Fellowship	Medical study program with specific training usually within a chosen field of specialty.
Final order	The final decision of the Disciplinary Panel, which contains findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a disposition.
Internship	Additional training required after graduation from medical school.
Investigation	The gathering of the information necessary for the Board to determine whether there is reasonable cause to charge the respondent with a violation.
License	Unless the context requires otherwise, a license issued by the Board to practice a profession in Maryland.
Licensed physician	Unless the context requires otherwise, a physician, including a doctor of osteopathy, who is licensed by the Board to practice medicine.
Licensee	An individual, to whom a license is issued.
Medical Practice Act	Health Occupations Article, §§14-101 – 14-702 and 15-101 – 15-501, Annotated Code of Maryland. The statutory authority for the licensure and discipline of physicians.
Moral turpitude	Conduct evidencing moral baseness, as determined by the Disciplinary Panel, on a case-by-case basis under common law.
Peer review	An evaluation by physicians within the involved medical specialty or specialties, of an act or acts of medical or surgical care, or other acts connected with medical or surgical practice, by an applicant or licensee.
Penalty	A monetary penalty.
Physician	An individual who practices medicine.
Practice Medicine	"Practice medicine" means to engage, with or without compensation, in medical: Diagnosis; Healing; Treatment; or Surgery. "Practice medicine" includes doing, undertaking, professing to do, and attempting any of the following: Diagnosing, healing, treating, preventing, prescribing for, or removing any physical, mental, or emotional ailment or supposed ailment of an individual: By physical, mental, emotional, or other process that is exercised or invoked by the practitioner, the patient, or both; or By appliance, test, drug, operation, or treatment; Ending of a human pregnancy; and Performing acupuncture.
Probation	A disciplinary action which is a period of time the licensee is subject to monitoring the terms and conditions in accord with an order of the Board.
Prohibited act	Any conduct specified in the Medical Practice Act which can result in sanctions.
Reprimand	A disciplinary action against a license.
Residency	Extended postgraduate training usually in relation to establishing a specialty field of medical practice.
Respondent	An individual health care provider, subject to the jurisdiction of the Board.
Revocation	The removal of a practitioner's license to practice a health occupation.
Sanction	"Sanction" means an action by the Disciplinary Panel which: Reprimands; Places on probation; Fines; Suspends or revokes a license; or Disciplines by a consent order; or Accepts a letter of surrender.
SPEX	The Special Purpose Examination which is part of the Post-Licensure Assessment System (PLAS) program prepared by the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Stay	The withholding of a disciplinary action against a health care provider, which stay may be subject to enumerated conditions.
Stet	The act of staying all further action in a proceeding, subject to the proceeding being reopened at a later date.
Summary suspension	A denial for an indefinite period of the right to use a license.
Surrender	The voluntary relinquishing of a license to the Displinary Panel by a health care provider.
Suspension	A temporary denial of the right to use a license and is usually defined by: A specific period of time; Specific dates; or Specific conditions.
Unprofessional conduct	A ground for charges under the Medical Practice Act. Whether conduct is unprofessional or not, is determined by the Disciplinary Panel on a case by case basis.
USMLE	The United States Medical Licensing Examination.

Disclaimer: The above terms attempt to explain the Board's processes in plain language. More detailed definitions can be found in Health Occupation Titles 14 and 15 and COMAR. Each chapter of COMAR begins with a "Definitions" section.