value of obtaining a license during residency?

[chef]

can't believe it's been a year since graduation! pgy1 year went by soooooooo fast. it seems like yesterday when i was posting here daily during my application process.. haha.

are u guys planning to/already have applied for a license? my program says a license is optional throughout the entire residency! it's not cheap @ $800, but i guess i could moonlight with it. any other pros in having a license?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Buzz Me]

I applied for a license early for moonlighting purposes (very expensive though, when you also add the costs of Step 3, FCVS and DEA number).

 

[gutonc]

can't believe it's been a year since graduation! pgy1 year went by soooooooo fast. it seems like yesterday when i was posting here daily during my application process.. haha.

are u guys planning to/already have applied for a license? my program says a license is optional throughout the entire residency! it's not cheap @ $800, but i guess i could moonlight with it. any other pros in having a license?

Unless you're in a state (CA) or program (a fair number of surgery programs, some others) that requires it, moonlighting is the only good reason to get your unrestricted license early in your residency. If you think/know that you're going to stay in the same state for a job after you graduate it's probably not a bad idea to get started on the process early in your last year.

But, if you're not going to moonlight, save your money.

 

[docB]

Moonlighting is one reason to get your license early. Another is that it can take a long time and there are often delays, requests for more info and so on. Since you can't work without your license you don't want to be waiting on your license to come in before you can start once you're out. The last thing you need is to have to postpone your start by several months while the state fiddles with your forms.

If you're going to work in a state other than where you're doing residency then I suggest starting as early as possible there.

I had a delay that set me back a month in NV even though I was already licensed in CA. That was because NV requires you to have completed 3 years before you can apply and it was really annoying.