Do you HAVE TO practice medicine to keep your medical license?

[Leukocyte]

If a physician does not want to practice clinical medicine (wants to work in some other non-medical job):

-Can he/she still be able to renew their medical license when it expires, even if he had worked in a non-medical job?

-If they later (after working in non-medical jobs) decide to do another residency or go back to clinical medicine, will having worked in a non-medical job AFTER getting a medical license cause problems if they wanted to get a license in another state?

Thanks

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[michaelrack]

If a physician does not want to practice clinical medicine (wants to work in some other non-medical job):

-Can he/she still be able to renew their medical license when it expires, even if he had worked in a non-medical job?

-If they later (after working in non-medical jobs) decide to do another residency or go back to clinical medicine, will having worked in a non-medical job AFTER getting a medical license cause problems if they wanted to get a license in another state?

Thanks

It is difficult to renew/get a medical license if you aren't practicing clinical medicine. State boards ask about time away from clinical medicine on applications. Sometimes a reentry program will be required, the state board will want the doctor to prove that he is still competent to practice

 

[HondoCrouch]

If a physician does not want to practice clinical medicine (wants to work in some other non-medical job):

-Can he/she still be able to renew their medical license when it expires, even if he had worked in a non-medical job?

-If they later (after working in non-medical jobs) decide to do another residency or go back to clinical medicine, will having worked in a non-medical job AFTER getting a medical license cause problems if they wanted to get a license in another state?

Thanks

You would have no problem with going to another state if you were doing a residency, they might make you get a training permit first though...it would be tough to go straight into practice though, they will make you jump through hoops. Depends on the state though, I know Texas would deny an out-of-stater a license if they hadnt been practicing.

 

[Buzz Me]

What are you planning on doing if you leave clinical medicine?

 

[colbgw02]

I have only renewed a license in one state, but there is absolutely nothing about the renewal process in that state that would prevent a non-practicing physician from maintaining his license. In fact, I think this is a pretty common thing for physicians to do, especially older physicians that contemplate going back into practice part-time. All you would have to do is fulfill the CME requirements.

 

[Gastrapathy]

I have only renewed a license in one state, but there is absolutely nothing about the renewal process in that state that would prevent a non-practicing physician from maintaining his license. In fact, I think this is a pretty common thing for physicians to do, especially older physicians that contemplate going back into practice part-time. All you would have to do is fulfill the CME requirements.

Not exactly. You also have to be able to get credentials somewhere and many hospitals now require that you have seen patients in the last 3-6 months to approve credentials.

 

[IMdocT]

the only requirements i saw on my state's licensing website was to keep a record of CME hours in case they audit your CME, and then paying the renewal fee. i didn't see anything about showing that you are actively practicing? to land a job into an institution or a practice, i could see people wanting to review any gaps in active work, though.

 

[michaelrack]

i didn't see anything about showing that you are actively practicing? .

this varies from state to state.

 

[HondoCrouch]

I have only renewed a license in one state, but there is absolutely nothing about the renewal process in that state that would prevent a non-practicing physician from maintaining his license. In fact, I think this is a pretty common thing for physicians to do, especially older physicians that contemplate going back into practice part-time. All you would have to do is fulfill the CME requirements.

Renewing is not his issue...getting a new license in another state after not practicing will be an issue.

 

[colbgw02]

Renewing is not his issue...getting a new license in another state after not practicing will be an issue.

Only if he's already stopped practicing. If he's considering giving it up, then he just gets the license first.

 

[colbgw02]

I have only renewed a license in one state, but there is absolutely nothing about the renewal process in that state that would prevent a non-practicing physician from maintaining his license. In fact, I think this is a pretty common thing for physicians to do, especially older physicians that contemplate going back into practice part-time. All you would have to do is fulfill the CME requirements to maintain your license in this particular state.

Not exactly. You also have to be able to get credentials somewhere and many hospitals now require that you have seen patients in the last 3-6 months to approve credentials.

I've added to my original statement for your benefit. Considering my first two sentences in that post, I might have thought the bolded part was implied.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Not exactly. You also have to be able to get credentials somewhere and many hospitals now require that you have seen patients in the last 3-6 months to approve credentials.

This might be a state issue. There is at least 1 physician in my area who does not have any admitting priviliges at the local hospital. He still has quite an active practice & just has the hospitalist/residents admit his patients to the hospital when needed.