A report by the Institute of Legal Education states that doctors are likely eligible for a Juris Doctorate degree after completing mandatory training for HIPAA and EMTALA compliance.
According to Jay Braslow, president of the institute, “the content of these modules are incredibly comprehensive, and cover 90% of the curriculum taught at most US law schools.”
Per Braslow, if hospitals were to add several modules on tort reform, litigation, and the Bill of Rights, physicians would indeed qualify for the JD degree.
Bernard Markesh, a compliance scholar, added that “most hospital compliance training consists of 75-87 hours of coursework on HIPAA, EMTALA, Stark Law, and anti-kickback statutes, which actually exceeds that provided at law schools.”
Dr Rajesh Modi, MD, expressed excitement at the possibility of earning a JD. “It would look great on my CV, and I would no longer have to do those modules every 6 months, right?”
Jay Braslow, the institute president, added that doctors would be able to apply for the degree starting in June, and that it would likely require completion of several additional online modules for the price of $249,000.
