The purpose of the State Board of Medicine Licensuure Guide is to provide transparency, inform applicants of expected timelines for receiving your license, and outline steps you can take to reduce mistakes and mitigate delays. To provide the greatest clarity on the licensing process is broken down into three phases, providing estimated times, and recommendations to reduce processing times.
Medical Physician and Surgeon
There are two primary ways to apply licensure as a Medical Physician and Surgeon:
- Accredited - Graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada will apply using the obtained by "accredited application."
- Unaccredited - Graduates of international medical school located outside of the United States and Canada will apply using the obtained by "unaccredited application."
A Medical Physician and Surgeon (MD) must have:
- Passed a licensing examination acceptable to the Board.
- Graduated from an accredited medical college or from an ECFMG certified international medical college.
- Successfully completed graduate medical training.
- Practices the art and science of:
- Curing diseases
- Preserving the health of man
- Healing arts, with or without drugs.
Medical Physician and Surgeon - Accredited Application
- State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as early as possible.
- Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain an FBI Criminal Background Check at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. The Board will accept the official FBI Report or a report from an official FBI approved Channeler. A list of approved channelers can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions. The FBI Background Check must be dated within 180 days of the date the application is submitted to the Board.
- You are required to complete three hours of Board-approved continuing education on the topic of child abuse recognition and reporting. Learn more about Approved Child Abuse CE Providers. Confirmation of the course completion must be sent directly to the Board from the education provider. When registering for a course, please be sure to indicate that you are applying for Pennsylvania licensure to ensure your confirmation is sent to the Board.
- Any application that includes criminal history, disciplinary action taken in another jurisdiction or malpractice complaints must be accompanied by a written explanation from you explaining the circumstances of the situation. Every page of requested documents must be submitted; partial copies are not acceptable. This includes copies of all legal or court documents, disciplinary action from another Board, or a complete copy of a malpractice complaint filed in court.
- The Board accepts the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) through the Federation of State Medical Boards to verify medical education, post graduate training, and examination scores. Please note, that the FCVS must receive documents via their primary source (i.e., directly from the medical school, etc.).
- By law and regulation, the Board must verify that applicants completed at least 1 full year of training at an approved Post Graduate Year (PGY) PGY Level 1 and one full year of training at approved PGY Level 2. For applicants still in PGY 2, the program director may not sign and date the form more than 30 days prior to the completion of the approved training.
- License verifications are required from all states/jurisdictions where you hold or have ever held a health-related professional license, registration, authorization, or permit to practice including training licenses. Verifications are required regardless of the current status of the license. Additionally, verifications are required for training licenses/permits.
- Within a year of obtaining initial licensure, you must document completion of at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. The Board does not approve continuing education programs but accepts continuing education programs accredited as AMA PRA Category 1, AMA PRA Category 2, and AOA Category 1A, 1B, or 2.
Medical Physician and Surgeon - Unaccredited Application
- State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as early as possible.
- Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain an FBI Criminal Background Check at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. The Board will accept the official FBI Report or a report from an official FBI approved Channeler. A list of approved channelers can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions. The FBI Background Check must be dated within 180 days of the date the application is submitted to the Board.
- You are required to complete three hours of Board-approved continuing education on the topic of child abuse recognition and reporting. Learn more about Approved Child Abuse CE Providers. Confirmation of the course completion must be sent directly to the Board from the education provider. When registering for a course, please be sure to indicate that you are applying for Pennsylvania licensure to ensure your confirmation is sent to the Board.
- Any application that includes criminal history, disciplinary action taken in another state, malpractice complaints, etc., must be accompanied by a written explanation from you explaining the circumstances of the situation. Every page of any requested documents must be submitted; partial copies are not acceptable. This includes copies of all legal or court documents, disciplinary action from another Board, or a complete copy of a malpractice complaint filed in court.
- The Board accepts the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) through the Federation of State Medical Boards to verify medical education, post graduate training, ECFMG Certification, Verification of Fifth Pathway, and examination scores. Please note, that the FCVS must receive documents via their primary source (i.e., directly from the medical school, etc.).
- If you have current ECFMG certification and ECFMG verified your medical education at the time you received certification, you DO NOT need to request the record of graduation, educational transcript, and diploma from your medical school. The verification of your medical education through ECFMG will satisfy these requirements. If ECFMG DID NOT verify your medical education at the time you received ECFMG certification, your school MUST provide these items.
- By law and regulation, the Board must verify that applicants must have completed at least 1 full year of training at an approved PGY Level 1, a PGY Level 2, and PGY Level 3. For applicants still in PGY 3, the program director may not sign and date the form more than 30 days prior to the completion of the approved training.
- License verifications are required from any states or jurisdictions where you hold or have ever held a health-related professional license, registration, authorization, or permit to practice. Verifications are required regardless of the current status of the license. Additionally, verifications are required for training licenses or permits.
- Within a year of obtaining initial licensure, you must document completion of at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. The Board does not approve continuing education programs but accepts continuing education programs accredited as AMA PRA Category 1, AMA PRA Category 2, and AOA Category 1A, 1B, or 2.
All graduate medical training applications are initiated by the training hospital. Once the application is created by the hospital, the applicant will receive an email to log into the PALS licensing system to complete their portion of the application and submit it to the Board for processing.
There are two primary ways to obtain licensure as a Graduate Medical Trainee:
Accredited Application: Graduates of medical schools in the United States or and Canada will apply using the obtained by “accredited” application.
Unaccredited Application: Graduates from anof international medical school located outside of the United States and Canada will apply using the obtained by “unaccredited.” application.
A Graduate Medical Trainee:
Engage in the supervised practice of medicine within an approved graduate medical training program in Pennsylvania, provided they hold a valid graduate medical training license issued by the State Board of Medicine.
Graduate Medical Training - Accredited & Unaccredited
- State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as early as possible.
- Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain an FBI Criminal Background Check at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. The Board will accept the official FBI Report or a report from an official FBI approved Channeler. A list of approved channelers can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions. The FBI Background Check must be dated within 180 days of the date the application is submitted to the Board.
- You are required to complete three hours of Board-approved continuing education on the topic of child abuse recognition and reporting. Learn more about Approved Child Abuse CE Providers. Confirmation of the course completion must be sent directly to the Board from the education provider. When registering for a course, please be sure to indicate that you are applying for Pennsylvania licensure to ensure your confirmation is sent to the Board.
- Any application that includes criminal history, disciplinary action taken in another state, malpractice complaints, etc., must be accompanied by a written explanation from you explaining the circumstances of the situation. Every page of requested documents must be submitted; partial copies are not acceptable. This includes copies of all legal or court documents, disciplinary action from another Board, or a complete copy of a malpractice complaint filed in court.
- If primary source verification is provided, applicants may use the FCVS credentials verification service through the Federation of State Medical Boards to verify their medical education, ECFMG Certification, Verification of Fifth Pathway, and examination scores.
- If you have current ECFMG certification and ECFMG verified your medical education at the time you received certification, you DO NOT need to request the record of graduation, educational transcript, and diploma from your medical school. The verification of your medical education through ECFMG will satisfy these requirements. If ECFMG DID NOT verify your medical education at the time you received ECFMG certification, your school MUST provide these items.
- Within a year of obtaining initial licensure, you must document completion of at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. The Board does not approve continuing education programs but accepts continuing education programs accredited as AMA PRA Category 1, AMA PRA Category 2, and AOA Category 1A, 1B, or 2.
A Physician Assisant (PA-C) may:
Practice medicine with physician supervision, as provided in the written agreement, including the following:
- Ordering, prescribing, dispensing and administration of drugs and medical devices; and
- Ordering, prescribing, and executing of diagnostic and therapeutic medical regimens.
Provide any medical service when the service is:
- Within the physician assistant’s scope of practice
- Is identified in the written agreement; and
- Consistent with the accepted standards of medical practice.
- Pronounce death, determine the cause of death.
- Authenticate with the physician assistant’s signature, any forms that may otherwise be authenticated by a physician’s signature as permitted by the supervising physician, State or Federal laws and facility protocols, if applicable.
- The physician assistant shall be considered the agent of the supervising physician in the performance of all practice-related activities, including the orders of diagnostic, therapeutic and other medical services.
A Physician Assisant (PA-C) MAY NOT:
- Provide medical services except as described in the written agreement.
- Independently practice
- Independently delegate a task specifically assigned by the supervising physician to another health care provider.
- Intentionally advertise as an independent practitioner or hold oneself out as an independent practitioner.
- Perform acupuncture except as permitted by section 13(k) of the act (63 P. S. § 422.13(k)).
- State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as early as possible.
- You will need to be licensed under the same Board as your primary supervising physician. If you wish to be supervised by an allopathic physician (MD), you will need to obtain licensure under the State Board of Medicine. If you wish to be supervised by an Osteopathic physician (DO), you will need to be licensed under the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
- If you are a recent graduate and are awaiting to take the NCCPA exam, you can obtain a temporary permit. You will be given an option to select a temporary permit during the application process. You will be required to have your passing NCCPA exam scores sent directly to the Board to change the temporary license to a full license.
- Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain an FBI Criminal Background Check at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. The Board will accept the official FBI Report or a report from an official FBI approved Channeler. A list of approved channelers can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions. The FBI Background Check must be dated within 180 days of the date the application is submitted to the Board.
- You are required to complete three hours of Board-approved continuing education on the topic of child abuse recognition and reporting. Learn more about Approved Child Abuse CE Providers. Confirmation of the course completion must be sent directly to the Board from the education provider. When registering for a course, please be sure to indicate that you are applying for Pennsylvania licensure to ensure your confirmation is sent to the Board.
Any application that includes criminal history, disciplinary action taken in another state, malpractice complaints, etc., must be accompanied by a written explanation from you explaining the circumstances of the situation. Every page of requested documents must be submitted; partial copies are not acceptable. This includes copies of all legal or court documents, disciplinary action from another Board, or a complete copy of a malpractice complaint filed in court.
- The physician assistant school cannot complete and submit your Education Verification form prior to your graduation date.
- License verifications are required from any states/jurisdictions where you hold or have ever held a health-related professional license, registration, authorization, or permit to practice. Verifications are required regardless of the current status of the license. Additionally, verifications are required for training licenses/permits.
- Within a year of obtaining initial licensure, you must document completion of at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. The Board does not approve continuing education programs but accepts continuing education programs accredited as AMA PRA Category 1, AMA PRA Category 2, and AOA Category 1A, 1B, or 2.
How to Apply for a Professional License in PA
Professional licensing protects the health and safety of the public from fraudulent and unethical practitioners. Fraudulent and unethical practitioners. We want the process of applying for a professional license in Pennsylvania to go as smoothly as possible..
What Happens After You Submit Your Application
Our goal is to make the professional licensing process as easy as possible while maintaining our standards to protect the public's health and safety.
Sign in or create account at www.pals.pa.gov
Select the board to apply and plain-language questions will appear to help you get started
Application appears – review checklist, upload required documents, follow prompts
Review all information and edit as needed
Pay the required fee and your application is submitted
Keep an eye on your email or get real-time updates at www.pals.pa.gov
Contact
State Board of Medicine
Phone - 1 (833) DOS-BPOA
Email: ST-MEDICINE@PA.GOV