A medical license granted by a U.S. state or jurisdiction is required of every practicing physician. Licensing boards can be complex and their requirements can vary from state to state, depending on each jurisdiction’s resources, regulations and laws.
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While there is a trend toward uniformity of requirements among licensing boards, automatic reciprocity between state medical boards has mostly been discontinued. This means that current licensure processes require physicians to complete individual applications for each state in which they seek to practice medicine in any form, including telemedicine (PDF).
What to expect when applyingWhen applying for a state medical license, primary verification of your education and graduate training will be reviewed. Additionally, your exam scores, references, hospital privileges and current and past licenses will also be included in your application. Although each state’s licensing processes may be different, the applications and requested information are usually similar. You can save time by retaining copies of completed materials to reuse on multiple applications.
All states require physicians to submit proof of successful completion of all three steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). A number of states have also passed legislation that empowers medical boards to have jurisdiction over the practice of medicine across state boundaries or the treatment decisions made by medical directors of managed care organizations.
A physician seeking initial licensure or subsequently applying for a license in other states should anticipate the possibility of delays due to the necessary investigation of credentials and past practices.
Physicians should allow at least two months from the time they submit an application for licensure to be granted. Physicians who are graduates of a medical school outside the U.S.—international medical graduates (IMGs)—should anticipate a slightly longer period. It takes time for the state medical licensing boards and their staff to fairly evaluate each application.
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