Professional Licenses (place to live, legal, move to)

[SpondyMan]

I would like to obtain a license from Departamento de Salud to practice Quiropráctic on la isla when I sell my clinic. I need to slow down a bit on my patient load and would be semi-retired there. My goal would be to do some relief work/locum tenens for various territorial Doctors and keep my skills up.

I am thinking of taking several trips down over the next 6-9 months to get a feel for where I'd like to base out of and be able to practice my Spanish.
I guess my questions are:
- Is it better to make a personal visit to the appropriate departmento or do everything over the net?

- Has anybody successfully obtained Any Professional License transitioning from the States and what were some hurdles you overcame in doing so?

- Where in PR or what other Caribbean destinations could use a proficient, ethical D.C. to help them with their health?

Thanks, I have enjoyed the many interesting posts and blogs you have made on this site.

[SpondyMan]

Well, it seems I can't get a response to any of my questions from the regulatory boards, this forum, or any professional associations.
I want to do things the right way and am still attempting to figure out what way I can bring 25 years of experience to helping others with neuromusculoskeletal issues in PR. I don't want to believe that it's an exclusionary thing edgeing mainlanders out of competition, but????
It may come down to just bartering my services for whatever can be afforded (part of the underground economy?) and say to heck with the license. I don't wish to move to a big city anyway, so being where I can get the things I need for what I can offer may fit right in.

[Sunscape]

I'm sure there has to be a way you can do it. Perhaps you don't get an answer here because there's nobody involved in this.
Have you tried searching in your particular professional association?

It's nice that you would like to do that, I'm sure there would be many ppl who could benefit from your services.

[Julian658]

The instructions to apply for a medical licence here: However, this is in Spanish

http://www.md.rcm.upr.edu/surgery/ne...pdf/reqgen.pdf

[SpondyMan]

Thank you Ann and Julian.
I have written several members of the Association in PR and also the Regulatory Board, yet have never gotten any response. This has been over the last three years and even contacting individual D.C's on la isla has produced no results.
The application process is very frustrating and confusing, almost deliberately so. I understand about red tape and the degree to which the art of the bureaucratic shuffle is prevalent in PR, so I am not surprised.

The link that you posted Julian, was for "resident" medical doctors and I have found this to be the case in my searches for clarity on the procedure for my licensure. It appears on the surface that there are at least 2 categories of applicants, residents and (I'm out on a limb here)- nonresidents. The level of information that one needs to provide is different in each case. I'm am wondering if I will just have to "sit out" 6 months after I arrive in order to shake enough hands and demonstrate my sincerity in being in legal status and establish residency. PR, I think, like many other places typifies the "who you know", not "what you know" adage. Florida has particularly restrictive regulatory hoops in this regard.

Anyway, I am again Thankful that I read some feedback here. I'll just keep trying to probe for answers from this post and hopefully achieve some greater insight. After all, I am retiring and only want to help a few folks, make a little money on the side and enjoy a wonderful place to live. Does it need to be that hard?