Florida Physician Medical License

 

How to Get a Florida Physician Medical License in 6 “Simple” Steps!

Are you considering applying for a Florida Physician License?

Around 300 physicians apply for a Florida Physician Medical License each month, making Florida one of the most popular states for physicians. Depending on your credentials and practice history, expect the process to take between 3-6 months. Minimize your frustration by following these six proven steps.

1

Determine your eligibility for a Florida Physicians License.

The Florida Physician Medical License is issued by the Florida Medical Board. Florida is one of 17 states that has established separate boards for Allopathic and Osteopathic physicians. The Medical and Osteopathic Boards have different eligibility requirements. We will review the process for a Florida Physician Medical License in this post.

Understanding and ensuring you meet your boards’ eligibility requirements prior to completing the application will save you hours time, hundreds of dollars and the possibility that you will be required to make an appearance in front of the Board.

  • Graduation from an accredited allopathic medical school
  • American & Canadian Graduates – 1 year of postgraduate training
  • International Graduates – 2 years of postgraduate training, in the same specialty
  • Successfully passing USMLE, NBME, FLEX, or a combination of these exams. The Puerto Rico licensing exam will not satisfy this requirement.
  • International Graduates – ECFMG certification
  • Demonstration of current clinical competency by –
  1. Being licensed in another jurisdiction and have actively practiced medicine in another jurisdiction for at least two of the immediately preceding four years, or
  2. Passing a board-approved clinical competency examination within the year preceding filing of the application, or
  3. Successful completion of  board approved postgraduate training program within two years preceding filing of the application, or
  4. Passing all parts of a national examination (NBME, FLEX, or USMLE) or currently licensed in the U.S. or Canada, and has actively practiced pursuant to such licensure for at least 10 years, has passed a state board or LMCC examination, and passed the SPEX examination, or
  5. Be licensed on the basis of a state board exam prior to 1974, and is currently licensed in at least three other jurisdictions in the U.S. or Canada, and practiced pursuant to such licensure for at least 20 years.

 

2

Completing the Application

The Board provides online and paper versions of the application. To avoid delays, it is recommended that you complete the online application.  Allow one to two hours to complete the application. You should spend a few minutes reviewing the paper application so you know what to expect.

Most questions are fairly routine. However, there are a number of questions dealing with adverse or non-routine situations.

If you answer “Yes” to any questions related to any adverse actions, the Board will require a written explanation and documentation. The type of documentation the Board will require varies, but at the least, they will require –

  • Documents detailing the action and recourse taken by the adjudicating authority
  • Orders, resolutions, and satisfactions related to the action
  • The Board could request any transcripts of depositions, interviews or meeting minutes

If you will be dispensing medicine for a fee, you must indicate such on page 1 and include an additional $100.00.

Florida Birth Related Neurological Compensation Association

Florida mandates all physicians contribute to the Florida Birth Related Neurological Compensation Association.

  • If you are not an OBGYN, you are required to pay $250. Choose the “Non-Participating” option.
  • If you are an OBGYN, you may select Participating or Non-Participating.

Visit The Florida Birth Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association for more information on this program and required contributions.

Question #6 – Criminal History

You must disclose any conviction, guilty plea, nolo contendere or no contest to any felony or misdemeanor, other than minor traffic offenses. Any DUI is required to be reported.

The criminal background check is comprehensive, so practice “Full Disclosure”. Failing to report an offense will likely require an appearance before the Board and possibly license denial. “My attorney told me not to report” is not a defense accepted by the Board.

If you answer yes to this question you must include –

  • A written explanation of the event to include the precipitating factors, any pleas or verdicts, and how penalties or sentences were satisfied.
  • The arrest report.
  • All court documents.

Submit the Florida Physician Medical License Application and Pay the Fees

  • If you are applying for a Full Florida Physician Medical License, the fees will total $955. However, if you meet the requirement for a NICA participating member the fee is $5955.
  • If you are in a residency or fellowship at the time you apply, you are exempt from paying the NICA fee. The total to pay if you are in training will be $555.
  • If you are a Military Veteran, the $500 application fee and the $429 initial license fee will be waived. You will only need to pay the NICA fee that you determine applies to you.
  • If you dispensing medications for a fee, add $100 to the total license fees.
3

Credential Verification Requests

As part of the Florida Physician Medical License process, the Board will require a number of your credentials be verified. All of the verifications will need to be sent from the credential holders directly to the Florida Medical Board.

Verifications required

  • Medical School Verification Form*
  • Postgraduate Training Verification Form*
  • Verification of ALL medical licenses ever held
  • Exam Scores*
  • ECFMG*, if applicable
  • 5th pathway verification letter, if applicable

*If you are having your FCVS packet sent to the Board, you will not need to request these

You may send copies of the following directly to the Board –

  • NPDB
  • DD-214 or NGB-22, if applicable

A couple of days after you request your medical school and training verifications, you should call and confirm receipt of your request. Make sure to ask about turn around time for completion and then follow up again to confirm the verifications were completed and forwarded to the Board.

4

Criminal Background Check

Make this priority!
The results take 6-8 weeks for the Board to receive, often making this the last thing the Board needs to issue your license. Florida will not issue your medical license before they receive the results of your criminal background check.

Where to go get printed…
Contact your local law enforcement office to see if they will do fingerprinting for the public. If your law enforcement agency does not offer fingerprinting to the public, some UPS stores provide this service. Call ahead to confirm. Ask if they have fingerprint cards, or if you need to bring your own.  Make sure you bring two forms of identification to your fingerprinting appointment.

Print this worksheet, complete and take it with you to your fingerprint appointment. It has important information you will need for fingerprint provider.  Familiarize yourself with the information required on the cards. Omitting this information will lead to delays and could require you to be fingerprinted again.  Make sure to include the ORI number on the fingerprint cards.

Your fingerprints will need to be processed in Florida.
If you plan on being in Florida, you can visit a Livescan provider in the state.  The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will only accept fingerprints from an approved Livescan provider outside of Florida. However, the list of approved providers is extremely limited. If you not able to be fingerprinted by one of these providers, you will need to send your cards to Florida.

If you are printed outside of Florida, you will need to register and pay for the processing of your cards through IdentoGO, and then mail them to Florida.  The fee for fingerprint processing is currently $76.50.

Avoid rejections and reprints
If you submit fingerprints that are not “clean”, the processor will have a difficult time analyzing your prints. This could lead to reprints and the delay of your results. One of the most common reasons for “dirty” fingerprints is dry hands. Use a moisturizing hand lotion a couple of days before you are printed to minimize rejection.

DO NOT fingerprint yourself. Yes, there have been those who have tried, but these fingerprints are ALWAYS rejected.

5

Malpractice Actions

The Board will require reporting of malpractice actions if –

  1. There was a judgment issued in a court where the incident of malpractice occurred after November 2, 2004, or
  2. There was a malpractice incident that results in a payment of over $100,000

For each case that meets the above criteria, the Board will require you to submit –

  • A written explanation of the details around each case, including your involvement, the complaint, and the resolution.
  • Exhibit 1
  • Copies of the initial plaintiff complaint and, either the judgment or settlement order
  • Any additional documentation you would like to submit

Numerous malpractice payments might require an appearance before the Board. Generally, malpractice actions are of little consequence IF FULLY DISCLOSED AND DOCUMENTED UPFRONT.

6

Address Deficiencies Quickly

About one month after you submit the application, you should receive either an email or letter from the processor of your Florida Physician Medical License application. This letter will detail deficiencies that need to be satisfied before your license is issued. This letter will also contain information you will need to check the status of deficiencies through the Board’s online portal.

Many times verification’s are completed incorrectly or are not sent to the Board, making it likely that you will need to follow up with the credential holders again. Consistent follow up with the credential holders, and with the Board, is the single most important step for the issuance of you Florida Physician Medical Licenses.

Historically, a Florida Physician Medical License is known for being one of the most difficult medical licenses to acquire. Following these 6 steps can make your Florida Physician Medical License process run smoothy!

CONCLUSION

The Florida Physician Medical License process is known to be lengthy and difficult.  Expect to spend numerous hours preparing the application, making the verification requests, following up with your credential holders, and addressing deficiencies on your notices from the Florida Physician Medical Board, but…

What if someone offered to…
  • Determine your license eligibility
  • Make all credential verification requests
  • Follow up with credential holders
  • Handle additional Medical Board requests
  • Make your license process incredibly simple!
You should probably let them!

Only $597 per State

Discounts available for multiple states, training licenses, and military.

Are you considering applying for a Florida Physician License or have you already applied? What is your experience?  Do you have questions? Leave them below and we’ll help!

 

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