ABSTRACT
This amendment empowers the states to enact laws and regulations to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. The practice of medicine is not an inherent right of an individual, but a privilege granted by the people of a state acting through their elected representatives.2 It is readily recognized that incompetent and unprofessional medical practice poses a significant threat to the safety of citizens seeking medical care. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have enacted laws and regulations to oversee the practice of medicine to include the establishment of medical boards to enforce such regulations.2 These statutes are commonly referred to as a Medical Practice Act (MPA). Many state medical boards also license other healthcare professionals such as physician assistants.
