fastest licensure

[usmleed]

any of u guys out there who is done with or about to be done with residency and going for state licensure, please post your experiences. and which state in your opinion is the fastest most efficient about the whole process?
Any thoughts about
IN
TX
IL
GA
MI
OH
KY
MS

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[usnavdoc]

any of u guys out there who is done with or about to be done with residency and going for state licensure, please post your experiences. and which state in your opinion is the fastest most efficient about the whole process?
Any thoughts about
IN
TX
IL
GA
MI
OH
KY
MS

I just applid for Ga, havent heard anything yet after only 2 weeks but the application was pretty short. In terms of the fastest in the nation most people say virginia is the most physician friendly, although thats not listed on your post.

 

[f_w]

are you with the military or the va? typically you would get a license wherever your practice is going to be.
NE and ND are pretty straightforward and reasonably priced, but they might ask for your in-state practice location.

 

[IndyXRT]

Once I submitted my application, I received my IN license in the mail in just 2 weeks.

I've never applied for licensure in any other state, but a friend of mine who moved to Texas went through a > 3 month ordeal getting his license (nothing suspicious in his record that I know of; it just took a really long time).

 

[usmleed]

Once I submitted my application, I received my IN license in the mail in just 2 weeks.

I've never applied for licensure in any other state, but a friend of mine who moved to Texas went through a > 3 month ordeal getting his license (nothing suspicious in his record that I know of; it just took a really long time).

That was really fast, but what if you are an FMG with some gaps in your medical education? would that count as complication ??????????

 

[DeanWormer]

That was really fast, but what if you are an FMG with some gaps in your medical education? would that count as complication ??????????

VA is cake and doctor friendly, FL and PA suck.

 

[IndyXRT]

That was really fast, but what if you are an FMG with some gaps in your medical education? would that count as complication ??????????

No clue. I haven't talked to any FMGs about ease or difficulty of licensure in Indiana (or elsewhere, for that matter). Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[Snoopy]

OH took about 2 months (early December application, early February licensure). It was fairly straightforward but can become more complicated if you answer "yes" to any of their questions and need to get extra documentation. They also require that you use FCVS.

TX is a huge pain as they require you to take a really ridiculous exam and may even require a personal interview as I seem to recall.

You didn't ask about NY, but licensing there was easy. They don't ask any questions. You just pay your cash, and they give you your license. Got mine in about 6 weeks.

 

[f_w]

If you have to use FCVS, calculate a couple of months of delay for that. They work at federal goverment speed. When they receive documents, they take a leisurely 30 days to enter them into their system. Halfway through the process, things grind to a halt for no good reason. Only after further inquiry you find out that they want another 'translation fee' (which they could have charged up front if they thought ahead). And then, when they finally have everything, the file disappears into the 'QA department' for 15 working days.

It is the chinese water torture if you have to do this under time constraints. I would recommend to any FMG to do the FCVS thing sometime after the end of internship but well before graduating.

Once you have the FCVS profile, it is pretty sweet. In states that accept the FCVS profile, getting additional state licenses can be a matter of days if need be.

 

[psych2b]

Any ideas on how fast/difficult it is in CA, HI, & MA?

 

[coolbabe76]

hey f _ w
i dont know if you are a FMG or AMG but i had one question about FCVS

the post gradute training section in the form , is that to be filled up by our current PD ?

this is cos i have some PG experience from india too so shu i write about that or shud i write abt my pg training here??
thank you

 

[f_w]

1. You fill out everything (online) Enter all PG training including overseas. (They don't confirm that however and just include it as part of your profile as 'self-reported').
2. You pay.
3. They send out requests for verification of your expeerience to all US and canadian training sites and your medschool.
4. waiting
5. waiting
6. after 2-3 iterations of sending out further requests (bc the initial ones where sent to the wrong address, got lost, mauled by the dog) they enter the returning paperwork into their computer
7. nothing happens
8. nothing happens
9. they want more money
10. nothing happens
11. finally everything is back, now they send the file to 'QA'
12. they get back to you and request again documents you already sent them months ago
13. nothing happens
14. file goes back to QA
15. finally, file goes out to medical boards.....

It is about as pleasant an experience as putting your thumb into a vise and turning the handle a quarter turn every 10 minutes. The only difference is that with the vise, you just have a crushed thumb at the end. With FCVS you have the fleeting chance of avoiding some of the same iterations with individual licensing boards in the future.

 

[usmleed]

hey what about IL? nobody mentioned this one...?

 

[f_w]

I understand that IL is a b@#)$, at least compared to other midwestern states.

CA ranks probably up there with NJ, TX and FL as one of the worst. They require you to proove all your 'credit hours' from medical school which can be difficult particularly for FMGs who have been out of school for a while. (if you translate the latin motto on their great seal it reads: 'we hate you and we are just waiting for you to trip up').

IN was traditionally the state that FMGs who had no interest to stay in the US got their licenses to become eligible for board exams. IN is unbuerocratic and the 'maintenance fee' for your license is reasonable (unlike CT for example which is $450/year).

 

[DrRobert]

Anyone have any information about Missouri?

 

[coolbabe76]

well thank you f_w

that was helpful .

you seem to be the FCVS expert.

one thing ......do you know how complicated are the forms that our med schools abroad have to fill up? they are a bunch of *****s where things work at snails speed....so i was wondering if its too much for them to handle ?
or is it just fill in the blanks and sign??

thank you

 

[f_w]

......do you know how complicated are the forms that our med schools abroad have to fill up? they are a bunch of *****s where things work at snails speed....so i was wondering if its too much for them to handle ?
or is it just fill in the blanks and sign??

I haven't seen the form. They mail it to your medschools deans office (or whatever outdated address they have in their or the FAIMER database) and patiently wait for a reply which might or might not come.

I know a gal who went to a medschool
- in a country that doesn't exist any more
- that has changed names from some revolutionary hero to an unpronouncable unspellable geographic descriptor.
- is in a region of the world with pervasive corruption. so without you standing there handing over a couple of green-backs, no form will find its way back to the US.
(Guess how much fun she had to get her medical licenses.)

Good Luck !

 

[coolbabe76]

well thats sounds depressing !!!!!!!!!!!

hope that i can get mine done within this century

 

[minerva]

I haven't seen the form. They mail it to your medschools deans office (or whatever outdated address they have in their or the FAIMER database) and patiently wait for a reply which might or might not come.

I know a gal who went to a medschool
- in a country that doesn't exist any more
- that has changed names from some revolutionary hero to an unpronouncable unspellable geographic descriptor.
- is in a region of the world with pervasive corruption. so without you standing there handing over a couple of green-backs, no form will find its way back to the US.
(Guess how much fun she had to get her medical licenses.)

Good Luck !

yes that definitely does sound depressing. which state finally gave her the license? how long did it take for her.... boy she must have gone thru hell for that.

what if the school u went to doesnt exist anymore? that would be killer too, especially if u have student loans to repay once u are out.

 

[f_w]

yes that definitely does sound depressing. which state finally gave her the license? how long did it take for her.... boy she must have gone thru hell for that.

NY and Cali.

what if the school u went to doesnt exist anymore? that would be killer too, especially if u have student loans to repay once u are out.

If you went to some sort of comercial racket that just went out of business, you are not likely to find lots of sympathy from the medboards. If you went to a brick and mortar school in your home country and you can provide documentation that you actually attended school, individual medical boards can waive the requirement to provide confirmation directly from the school (same for people from places like Cuba or back in the days the communist-bloc who had no means of getting confirmation of their training due to political reasons).

 

[stephend7799]

Once you have the FCVS profile, it is pretty sweet. In states that accept the FCVS profile, getting additional state licenses can be a matter of days if need be.

I beg to differ..

Even if you have a active fcvs file when you want it send somewhere.. You have to refill o ut like 10 peices of paper.. pay 100 dollars and it takes like a month for them to send it o ut.. Its like wtf? I thought you verified everything already.. But they reverifyll.. I should go into the verification business.. This whole process is soooooooooooooooooo much of a freakin pain in the ass..

also, why do they have so many different medical licenses.. They all ask the same exact questions basically and most charge a large fee over 600 dollars.
seems like it would be more streamlined with ONE US medical license.. Isnt that why i took the US medical licensing exam USMLE>>?

 

[cabinbuilder]

TX is a huge pain as they require you to take a really ridiculous exam and may even require a personal interview as I seem to recall.

I already got my license to practice as a intern in TX. I haven't graduated med school yet. I did it online, paid my money and got the paperwork in the mail one week later. My residency program did all the work on their end. It was very easy.

 

[f_w]

Intern licenses are different. A full TX license is what tends to take long.

As for FCVS:
Subsequent profiles from FCVS take longer if you went through the process during residency. They go back and check whether you finished residency. I was referring to the situation years out in practice. In the 2-3 weeks it takes most medical boards to process an initial application, the FCVS request can run in parallel. Also, your verifications for existing licenses have to go in parallel, some of them will take as long as FCVS.

 

[coolbabe76]

do state boards go back to medical school for verification before granting license?
if so , then what s the point of getting it done thru FCVS?

this is a problem for me as my med school is abroad.

 

[f_w]

do state boards go back to medical school for verification before granting license?

Most do.

if so , then what s the point of getting it done thru FCVS?

That at least in theory, you have to do this only once. For FMGs, getting confirmation back from the medical school is the single most likely 'point of failure' in the licensing process. Many regular medical schools abroad (with that I mean not the caribbean or irish shools) don't really know how to deal with these requests for confirmation of this and that from the US. It is not an established process there (in most countries where the goverment does the physician licensing they just send a list of the medschool graduates to the health department that issues the medical registration, 'medical boards' are a US thing).

 

[sweetfynesse]

TX is a royal pain.

There so much additional documentation that you have to get, then you have to take a medical law test, and once everything is completed they send your documentation to a reviewer to make certain everything has been submitted. Next, the board will give you a temporary license pending interview in Austin.

I submitted all of my documentation in JANUARY. Didn't hear anyting until mid-March when the reviewer tells me I need to have a program director at one of my elective rotations in Hawaii complete an evaluation form. They didnt say anything about my away elective in TX, so I talked to the PD in TX about completing the evaluation form too (just to avoid another headache later), and he said that it wouldnt be a problem, but that he had never heard of such a thing. I told the reviewer that, and she was like, oh yeah I talked to my supervisor and you're right, you dont need that form filled out by your elective rotations that are required during your residency. She said I would have a temporary license in 3 weeks, but it hasnt come, and this has become a very frustrating endeavor. It could be a 5-7 month process, easily.

 

[coolbabe76]

man this is discouraging!!!!!!!!!!

 

[usmleed]

I beg to differ..

Even if you have a active fcvs file when you want it send somewhere.. You have to refill o ut like 10 peices of paper.. pay 100 dollars and it takes like a month for them to send it o ut.. Its like wtf? I thought you verified everything already.. But they reverifyll.. I should go into the verification business.. This whole process is soooooooooooooooooo much of a freakin pain in the ass..

also, why do they have so many different medical licenses.. They all ask the same exact questions basically and most charge a large fee over 600 dollars.
seems like it would be more streamlined with ONE US medical license.. Isnt that why i took the US medical licensing exam USMLE>>?

this whole licensure thing sounds as if you just got rescued from drowning only to be thrown into fire. What is the point of all this nonsense. first of all they make you take a barrage of exams for which thay have their own rules, then you have to get a license, from every state seperately (if u wish to practice there), and thats not all, they make sure that you have no way out of it coz what will you do if you are not board certified? And ofcourse to be able to take your board exams you have to be licensed in atleast one state. So u see they have literally got you nailed down, and thay wont spare u till they have beaten all the spirit out of u. I totally agree with stephen 7799. What is all this fuss about when we have taken all the exams , went thru a rigorous residency and took loans till our very existence has been mortgaged.

To F_W
NY and Cali? isnt cali one of the b@$% states? and NY asks for verification of all clerkships too. that can be a real pain in the proverbial place if you have done rotations in another country and all over the place. its difficult tracking down PDs, so many retire, hospitals shut down and what not.

 

[f_w]

NY and Cali? isnt cali one of the b@$% states?

Well, NY and Cali are certainly more work than NE and IN for example. From my own experience from the folks I have trained with, there are probably separate tiers of misery (incomplete list).

Top:

NJ (medical board hates you, will discard applications at will)
Cali (westcoast nutcases)
FL (tries to keep snowbirds out)
TX (jurisprudence exam)
LA

Mid:

NY
IL
MN (personal interview required)
MA

Lower:

VA
MD
NE
IN
ND
CT
IA

The best solution is of course to work for the VA (veterans administration). ANY medical license will do, no matter where in the US you work for them.

 

[coolbabe76]

VA= Veteran s hospital or Virginia??

 

[usmleed]

va is veteran's hosp coolbabe76.

Yes thats ok once u have a license but what if u are about to graduate and no license in sight with student loan companies breathing down your neck? how dismal can it get...........?

 

[CANES2006]

MN (personal interview required)

 

[f_w]

MN (personal interview required)

Well, they do give you a temporary license once all your paperwork is in. The interview is pretty much a formality. You show up 'Paul' looks at you, looks at the photograph, shuffles through your application and starts chatting about your practice plans in MN for 20 min. You watch a little video on the 'impaired provider' and thats about it.

Still, it is a weekday and if you remember, that state is fairly large, so you might end up wasting a workday for this.

 

[snoozz]

maybe i am slow, but i don't really undestand this whole temp license deal ... what does that exactly mean?

and also, it seems that programs in other states, as part of their paperwork, they sent students a temp license app, but i am going to NY, and there wasn't any form in my pile ... is there no such thing as temp license in NY? or am i just missing some forms?

 

[coolbabe76]

In NY you dont need a license in training.
you only need it when you start working.

 

[f_w]

maybe i am slow, but i don't really undestand this whole temp license deal ... what does that exactly mean?

Three different things:

-- Training licenses/GME permit/temporary education training permits

In some states like NY or CT, the hospital just reports the names of the residents to the medical board which issues a blanket permit. So the resident never has to fill out any paperwork.
In other states, you have to apply for it yourself (e.g. MA or PA). The application process and documentary requirements are a lot simpler than a medical license. Your residency program usually sends you some paperwork or link as to where you have to apply. The usual requirements are USMLE 1-2, graduation from medschool and a pulse. Also, these GME licenses are cheaper, usually not more than $120.

- Tempoary/provisional license

When you apply for a full medical license, depending on the state, the entire medical board has to vote on it. The medical boards convene a couple of times a year, so if they convene lets say 4 times a year you could end up with a 3 month delay of the full license. So, for the interim, usually the executive secretary of the medical board can review your application and if there is no reason why you need detailed review of the board, he/she can issue a provisional license. Some states charge you for this provisional license (maybe $60 on top of the regular application fee), others just do it as part of the application process.

- Full license

This is where the money is. Cost for this license is anywhere between $120 and $900 depending on the state (don't ask me why). Usually you have to provide a whole slew of documents. Also, the medical boards go back to your medical school and residency hospitals to confirm that you graduated/showed up. You have to provide personal references and statements regarding your conduct in medical school and residency. You also have to provide reports from the 'national practicioner database' the 'healthcare integrity database' and the 'board action database' as well as 'confirmation of licensure' letters from every state you ever had a license in.
There are of course infinite opportunities for snags in the obtaining of all this paperwork. After all the stuff is in, different states have different ways of dealing with it. Some just send out the license at that point (e.g. CT), others wait anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for it (again, don't ask me why it is so variable).

 

[snoozz]

Thanks so much! that is really helpful

Three different things:

 

[bsw]

What if someone didnt do any pre-med but got accepted into med school with BIO<CHEM<PHYSICS from high school. CAn they still do residency and get their license ?? Please need advice.

 

[kbrown]

will they send you your license even though you haven't graduated yet? my school has sent off the form, stating that I will be graduating 5/2006. do they wait until that day comes and then send it out, or will they approve your application before that day. I am applying in Michigan, they have already cashed my $170, but still no license. Also do they send it to your, or to your program???

 

[ekydrd]

KY requires a year of training before you get to apply for a license. GME office helps with process but still takes months.

 

[APACHE3]

What the heck is FCVS? And by the way, we IMG's have to be certified by ECFMG which requires a transcipt AND diploma verification now..so why do we have to REverify with a state board? Silly! And although I wont start internship util July, my state has already issued me a provisional license (as intern). Not bad.

 

[f_w]

What the heck is FCVS?

It is a 'service' by the federation of state medical boards that allows you to submit items like your medschool transcripts and your confirmation of your internship and residency only once. They do a source verification and hold it in their repository. If you apply for a license, you pay them $100 and they forward a certified copy of your file to the respective medical board. About 40 states accept the FCVS file and only require you to bring the other stuff that FCVS doesn't hold in their system (e.g. certificates of good standing from other medical boards).

Advantage for you: With medschools abroad it can be a pain in the a## to get repetitive certifications of your transscripts and diploma. So, if you have the FCVS thing you can save yourself repetitive agony.

Disadvantage: Going through the FCVS thing the first time is like pulling teeth. They work at federal speed, it is very tedious and expensive. You have to plan on spending several months on this.

 

[Homunculus]

Anyone have any information about Missouri?

i just went through the missouri licensure process.

it's a paper form, and once you print everything off (including a handy-dandy checklist) it's pretty much a check-the-box process. i had all the documents that i could sent to me (mainly transcripts), then sent everything at once (notarized stuff, the jurisprudence exam, the form itself, and the cashier's check for $300) in the same mailer. they website says to allow at least 60 days for processing, but after talking with one of the workers there (they're all quite friendly and very helpful if you have any questions, btw) it looks like right now is the slower part of their year and the 60 days is usually from the initiation of an application. i sent my stuff in, and about a week later called to make sure they had received everything, and they told me that not only had they received it, but had processed it and had mailed my new license that day. all in all it took me about 3 weeks, and most of that was waiting for undergrad transcripts, lol.

hope that helps

--your friendly neighborhood "show me" caveman

 

[chiki124]

I am doing my final year residency in pennsylvania and applied to FCVS to get a licensure in NJ, should have apply directly to NJ but did a mistake going to FCVS..anyway now FCVS is asking the following document which I never heard in my whole life..
Under medical school transcripts:
"No compulsory certificate (India, Egypt)"

I did my medicine in India from a rural hospital (of course recognized by well know university). I don't have any issues/problems getting Pennsylvania MT license when I joined my residency. Now FCVS is asking the above document to process the application. I spent last week almost 2-3 hrs with them but they say that u need to contact your school, I told them that what should I ask for it when I have no idea what i am asking for how can they provide and moreover getting a certificate from our school is really really pain in all over...appreciate if someone helps me what this document is and any format? basically why India and egypt only requires this document...no idea...

one more comment what is ECFMG doing can't they keep the repository of our verifications and whenever we apply to state licenses the state should check with ECFMG only one source...why FCVS is introduced unnecessarily frustrating the physicians...

another quick one for NJ license can I apply directly thru state board instead of FCVS to expedite the process??

thanks a lot for your genuine replies..

 

[chiki124]

completely agree, what is ECFMG doing...one more silly thing is u got one state license verified and apply for another state the whole process is different and this time u will end up with some other documentation required...just want to make money and keep the process tighten for nothing..

 

[f_w]

Under medical school transcripts:
"No compulsory certificate (India, Egypt)"

. It might be a document you know, they just have a goofy way to name it. If it is truly a document you can't produce, you submit an affidavit stating that you can't provide the document. It is then up to the state licensing board to decide whether they need it or not.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I am doing my final year residency in pennsylvania and applied to FCVS to get a licensure in NJ, should have apply directly to NJ but did a mistake going to FCVS..anyway now FCVS is asking the following document which I never heard in my whole life..
Under medical school transcripts:
"No compulsory certificate (India, Egypt)"

I did my medicine in India from a rural hospital (of course recognized by well know university). I don't have any issues/problems getting Pennsylvania MT license when I joined my residency. Now FCVS is asking the above document to process the application. I spent last week almost 2-3 hrs with them but they say that u need to contact your school, I told them that what should I ask for it when I have no idea what i am asking for how can they provide and moreover getting a certificate from our school is really really pain in all over...appreciate if someone helps me what this document is and any format? basically why India and egypt only requires this document...no idea..

The process to get a medical license in extremely painful, MUCH more so in New Jersey than PA ( I did my residency in PA and fellowship in NJ). FCVS is supposed to make it easier, but NOT the FIRST TIME you apply through them...just afterwards.

At any rate, I BELIEVE the compulsory certificate is required for individuals who studied in countries which have compulsory internship requirements before officially graduating with their medical degree. There are many such countries and if your transcript does not include mention that you completed this, it may appear as if you don't have your final medical degree. You would think the fact that you have finished residency and have been ECFMG certified would not escape their notice, but it does.

At any rate, it is not likely that just India and Egypt require this document but I would suggest you direct your comment to the India forums here, I'm sure someone there would be able to help.

one more comment what is ECFMG doing can't they keep the repository of our verifications and whenever we apply to state licenses the state should check with ECFMG only one source...why FCVS is introduced unnecessarily frustrating the physicians...

They do. When FCVS does source verification they get it from ECFMG, not your school. But it appears that ECFMG does not have the document they are looking for.

another quick one for NJ license can I apply directly thru state board instead of FCVS to expedite the process??

thanks a lot for your genuine replies..

It IS entirely possible, New Jersey does not require that you use FCVS. Although at this date, if you have already started the application process through FCVS you may not be saving any time starting over with the New Jersey State medical board. They are notoriously slow, expensive and staffed by people who really don't care.

 

[Midwest Medic]

Michigan's license was pretty easy, but takes some time. I think it also depends on the time of year you are applying. If you are applying in June-August it takes longer than any other time of the year. I do not remember the cost, but I am thinking it is aound $300 or so.

 

[Midwest Medic]

Michigan's license was pretty easy, but takes some time. I think it also depends on the time of year you are applying. If you are applying in June-August it takes longer than any other time of the year. I do not remember the cost, but I am thinking it is around $300 or so.

 

[f_w]

They do. When FCVS does source verification they get it from ECFMG, not your school. But it appears that ECFMG does not have the document they are looking for.

Unless they have changed their proceedings, they source verify with your medical school.