What makes a good state medical board?

“Collectively, board actions in 2004 were up by nearly 20 percent over 2003, according to statistics released in April by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). And individual boards that have proven effective in the past continue to do a good job””while a number of others who’ve historically lagged behind have shown steady improvement.

Still, people on all sides of the issue want medical boards to do a better job of disciplining unprofessional or incompetent doctors, and to play fair with the vast majority who practice as they should. ‘Whatever state you’re in, no one benefits from having a weak medical board,’ says Rolf P. Sletten, head of the North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners, one of the most active in the country. ‘Not the profession, not the public.'”