Minnesota Board of Medical Practice amends medical license questions on mental health

Host Tom Crann spoke with Dr. Zeke McKinney, an occupational medicine physician with Health Partners and president-elect of the Twin Cities Medical Society, about the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice’s move to amend the language on its application for medical licenses.

The application previously asked doctors to disclose all mental health conditions. Now it asks whether doctors have a condition that is not being appropriately treated, which is likely to impair or adversely affect their ability to practice medicine.

McKinney explained that the application created a hesitancy amongst many doctors — including himself — to seek mental help for fear of losing their licenses.

“I don’t know that I have any significant serious mental health problems,” he said. “But to be honest, I wouldn’t want to find out. I was scared that in going to see a mental health clinician I would have to disclose this and consequently potentially have a problem with my license.”

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

• A Native radio station's long, influential reach after Wounded Knee
• Walz signs bill making marijuana legal in Minnesota
• 3 years later, some north Minneapolis businesses are still recovering from unrest