Board of Medicine Licensure Guide

The purpose of the State Board of Medicine 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 from start to finish, we will break it down into three phases, providing estimated times for each stage of the process, and recommendations for how to reduce processing times.

Medical Physician and Surgeon

There are two primary ways to obtain licensure as a Medical Physician and Surgeon:

• Accredited - Applicants who have graduated from a school located within the United States and Canada will apply using the obtained by "accredited application."
• Unaccredited - Applicants who have graduated from an 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):

• Passed a licensing examination acceptable to the Board.
• Graduated from an accredited medical college or from an ECFMG certified unaccredited 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

  Tips for reducing processing time for Medical Physician and Surgeon - Accredited Application

  1. State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as soon as possible.

  • In addition to the background check from your current state of residence, you will need to submit official state CHRCs from every state where you have lived, worked, or completed training during the last 10 years. An FBI background check can be submitted in lieu of state checks where you previously lived, worked or trained. No record checks can be dated more than 90 days prior to the date you submit your application.
    

  Medical Physician and Surgeon - Unaccredited Application

  Tips for reducing processing time for Medical Physician and Surgeon - Unaccredited Application

  1. State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as soon as possible.

  • In addition to the background check from your current state of residence, you will need to submit official state CHRCs from every state where you have lived, worked, or completed training during the last 10 years. An FBI background check can be submitted in lieu of state checks where you previously lived, worked or trained. No record checks can be dated more than 90 days prior to the date you submit your application.
    

  Graduate Medical Trainee

  All graduate medical training applications are initiated by the training hospital. When an 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. Applicants who have graduated from a school located within the United States and Canada will apply using the obtained by “accredited”. Applicants who have graduated from an international medical school located outside of the United States and Canada will apply using the obtained by “unaccredited.”

  A Graduate Medical Trainee:
  

  • Perform all of the functions of a licensed medical doctor, under the appropriate supervision, including:
    • Performance of health assessments;
    • Diagnosis and treatment of health conditions;
    • Counsel and educate patients about health conditions;
    • Execute medical regimens as delegated by the supervising physician
    • Participate in interdisciplinary health care teams and committees to provide patients with the appropriate continuum of care.

    Graduate Medical Training - Accredited

    Tips for reducing processing time for Graduate Medical Trainee - Accredited Application

    1. State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as soon as possible.
    2. Provide a recent Criminal History Records Check (CHRC) from the state police or other state agency that is the official repository for criminal history record information for every state in which you have lived, worked, or completed professional training/studies for the past ten (10) years. The report(s) must be dated within 90 days of the date the application is submitted. For applicants living, working, or completing training/studies in Pennsylvania, your CHRC request will be automatically submitted to the Pennsylvania State Police upon submission of this application. Please note: For applicants currently living, working, or completing training/studies in California, Arizona, or Ohio: Due to the laws of these states, the Board is not an eligible recipient of CHRC's or your CHRC will not be issued to you for upload to the Board. Please obtain your Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Identity History Summary Check.
       1. In lieu of obtaining individual state background checks, you may elect to provide your FBI Identity History Summary Check.

       Physician Assisant (PA-C)

       A Physician Assisant (PA-C) may:

       Perform duties and responsibilities, as directed by the supervising physician, 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 as directed by the supervising physician when the service is:

       • Within the physician assistant’s skill, training and experience;
       • Forms a component of the supervising physician’s scope of practice,
       • Is included in the written agreement; and
       • Is provided with the amount of supervision in keeping with the accepted standards of medical practice.
       • Pronounce death, but not 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 acceptable.
       • 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.
       • Prescribe or dispense drugs except as described in the written agreement.
       • Maintain or manage a satellite location under § 18.155 (relating to satellite locations) unless the maintenance or management is registered with the Board.
       • Independently practice or bill patients for services provided.
       • Independently delegate a task specifically assigned to him by the supervising physician to another health care provider.
       • List his name independently in a telephone directory or other directory for public use in a manner which indicates that he functions as an independent practitioner.
       • Perform acupuncture except as permitted by section 13(k) of the act (63 P. S. § 422.13(k)).
       • Perform a medical service without the supervision of a supervising physician.

       Tips for reducing processing time for Physician Assistant

       1. State Board of Medicine applications are processed in the order they are received. Please submit your application as soon as possible.

       For individuals living, working, or completing training/studies outside of Pennsylvania during the past ten (10) years, in lieu of obtaining individual state background checks, you may elect to provide BOTH a state CHRC from the state in which you currently reside, AND your FBI Identity History Summary Check, available at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. Please note: For applicants currently living, working, or completing training/studies in California, Arizona, or Ohio: Due to the laws of these states, the Board is not an eligible recipient of CHRC's or your CHRC will not be issued to you for upload to the Board. Please obtain your Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Identity History Summary Check.

       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.

       Process Overview

       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.

       1. Sign in or create account at www.pals.pa.gov
       2. Select the board to apply and plain-language questions will appear to help you get started
          
       3. Application appears – review checklist, upload required documents, follow prompts
          
       4. Review all information and edit as needed
       5. Pay the required fee and your application is submitted
       6. Keep an eye on your email or get real-time updates at www.pals.pa.gov