(a) In cases of emergency and to prevent hardship, the Director of the Arkansas State Medical Board may issue a temporary permit to practice medicine upon payment of the fee required for applicants after satisfying himself or herself that the applicant has all the qualifications and meets all the requirements of the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, § 17-95-201 et seq., § 17-95-301 et seq., and § 17-95-401 et seq. A temporary permit shall be valid only until the next meeting of the Arkansas State Medical Board and shall expire at that time.
(b)
(1) The board shall issue a temporary permit to practice medicine to any medical doctor licensed and qualified to practice medicine in the Philippines, a former possession of the United States, provided that the temporary permit issued shall authorize the person to practice medicine in this state only under the supervision of a duly licensed and qualified physician in this state.
(2) The temporary permit shall be for a period of not more than two (2) years. If at the end of the two (2) years the person to whom a temporary permit has been issued has not met the qualifications and has not passed the prescribed examinations for licensure to practice medicine in this state as provided in the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, § 17-95-201 et seq., § 17-95-301 et seq., and § 17-95-401 et seq., it shall be unlawful for the board to grant an extension of or to issue a new temporary permit to that person.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the board from suspending or revoking the temporary permit of any person to whom a temporary permit is issued under the provisions of this subsection on any grounds which by law and rule would be grounds to revoke or suspend the license of a person licensed to practice medicine in this state, or for such periods of time as the person to whom the temporary permit is issued is not under the supervision of a licensed and qualified physician in this state.
(4) As used in this subsection, a person shall be deemed to be under the supervision of a licensed and qualified physician of this state when the physician shall notify the board in writing of his or her supervision of the medical practice of the person to whom the temporary permit is issued. It shall not be necessary that the person practice medicine out of the same office or in the same city or town in which the supervisory physician practices or resides.