(a) A party who wishes to present oral argument to the panel of the board that issued an order of nonadoption or reconsideration shall make a written request for oral argument not later than twenty (20) calendar days after the date of the notice of nonadoption or the order granting reconsideration.

(b) An administrative law judge will preside at oral argument. The administrative law judge may sit with and assist the panel members with their closed session deliberations.

(c) The arguments shall be based only on the existing record and shall not exceed the scope of the record of duly admitted evidence. No new evidence will be heard. The panel members may ask questions of the parties to clarify the arguments, but may not ask questions that would elicit new evidence. The administrative law judge and any panel member may ask a party to support the party's oral argument on a matter with a specific citation to the record.

(d) The administrative law judge shall stop an attorney, a party, or a panel member if the line of questioning or argument is beyond the record or is otherwise out of order.

(e) The administrative law judge shall offer the respondent physician an opportunity to address the panel regarding the penalty. If the respondent elects to address the panel, the administrative law judge shall place the respondent under oath.

(f) The sequence of, and time limitations on, oral argument are as follows: