The process of obtaining a medical license in the state of Florida may seem intimidating, but with the right guidance and advice from a qualified Florida medical licensing lawyer, it is possible to obtain your license in a reasonable amount of time. To be eligible for any of the routes to obtaining a license, a physician must be at least 21 years old, deemed by the Florida Board of Medicine (the “Board”) to have good moral conduct, and must not have committed any other act or crime that the Board has determined would constitute the basis of discipline here in Florida. In addition, the requesting doctor must have graduated from an accredited medical school and have completed residency training. If the requesting physician attended medical school outside of the United States, they must demonstrate proficiency in the English language to the satisfaction of the Board.
Furthermore, the requesting physician must submit their fingerprints and undergo a criminal background check. Once this criterion is met, the requesting physician can obtain the license through an examination or an endorsement. The Federal Credential Verification Services (FCVS) will check with the primary source and provide a copy of the medical school transcript, medical school diploma, name change documents, national exam score report, ECFMG certificate, and ECFMG verification. Yes, all applicants must submit completed fingerprint cards to the Florida Board of Medicine for use when conducting a criminal background check through the FBI.
For doctors transitioning from other states to practice in the state of Florida, the Board can issue a license through an endorsement rather than an exam. The Interstate Medical Licensing Agreement (IMLC) simplifies the licensing process for physicians, including those in Florida, who want to practice in multiple states. The Board of Medicine has created guidelines for specific violations to be resolved in the board office; however, staff cannot make decisions in advance, as laws and regulations change over time. The exams required by the Florida Board of Medicine are the USMLE, FLEX, NBME, LMCC, or SPEC, unless you have taken other tests and have been practicing in the U.
S. for at least 10 years. To apply for a Florida medical license, you can use the services of the Medical Licensing Group (MLG). The general statutes of the Florida Board of Medicine require that you have a valid Florida medical license to practice medicine in Florida.
The expected medical license processing time in Florida is two to six months from when your application is received. The requirements for obtaining a Florida medical license may seem stringent at first glance; however, they are designed to protect both you as a licensed physician and your patients. Additionally, if you have been effectively treating a patient for at least two of the last four years and have a valid medical license from another state, you may be eligible to obtain a license through endorsement. You must also complete certain continuing education requirements such as courses on preventing medical errors, Florida laws and regulations, and recognizing disability in the workplace. The State of Florida operates under Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes, commonly known as the “Sunshine Act”. One option is to apply for a medical license through the Interstate Medical Licensing Pact (IMLC), which allows doctors with an unrestricted medical license in their home state to apply for expedited licensing in participating states.
In addition, if you obtained a license based on a state board examination after 1974 and have maintained that license in at least one other jurisdiction in the United States or Canada for 10 years or more, you may be eligible to obtain a Florida license by passing the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States (SPEX) special purpose exam. Obtaining your medical license in Florida does not have to be an arduous process; with proper guidance from an experienced lawyer and knowledge about all available options for obtaining your license quickly and easily, you can be on your way to practicing medicine in no time.
