Considering the well-documented shortage of physicians and other healthcare workers in the United States, the long and cumbersome licensing process can be frustrating. The United States does not have a centralized, national licensing authority for physicians. Instead, every state, including the District of Columbia (DC), has its own unique licensing process and requirements.
If you have attended medical school outside of the United States or Canada, the licensing process in DC may seem particularly daunting. Eligibility requirements for a medical license vary depending on whether the applicant graduated from a medical school in the United States, Canada, or another foreign country. Generally, physicians who graduated from a school in the United States or Canada have different licensing requirements from physicians who attended a school in another country. If your medical school is located outside the United States or Canada, you are considered an international medical school graduate (IMG) by licensing boards.
Although the state licensing process can be challenging for any applicant, IMGs face unique requirements that often slow the licensing process. These challenges can be particularly frustrating if you've been qualified and able to practice medicine in a foreign country but now face additional training, onerous paperwork requirements, and a maze of state-specific licensing demands.
If you intend to practice medicine in DC, the Lento Law Firm can work through the licensure requirements with you, ensuring that your credentials are properly collected before submission and responding to any post-submission hurdles that come your way. Contact our experienced attorneys by phone at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
The Application for a Medical License in DC
The District of Columbia Board of Medicine (the DC board) regulates the licensing and practice of medicine in DC. The DC board accepts medical license applications through its online system.
Every question on a medical license application requires a careful answer. Your responses must be accurate and consistent with other information and documentation provided during the process. Language differences or disparate cultural norms may make some questions on the application confusing or leave IMGs uncertain about how to answer. Your questions are best addressed at the beginning of the process by the experienced attorneys of the Lento Law Firm. We can help get you the information and answers you need. If you have questions about how to complete a DC medical license application or how to explain your unique situation within a standardized online platform, the Lento Law Firm can help.
Additionally, if you have any concerns about how an incident from your past might impact your eligibility for a DC medical license, the Lento Law Firm can analyze the facts and identify potential adverse consequences specific to the licensing process. It can be unnerving to know that a problem of the past, from a personal mistake to a professional malpractice charge, could limit your ability to practice medicine in the United States. Importantly, you want to be proactive in developing an appropriate and responsive strategy to address and explain any areas of concern. Our team of experienced professional licensed attorneys can help you confront and mitigate any potential problems in your application.
Document Requirements for a DC Medical License
For IMGs, including those individuals who have practiced medicine in a foreign country, the experience and documentary requirements of the DC licensing process may seem repetitive and unnecessary.
While the DC board's medical license application process is largely online, there are still many elements that require that supporting documents be submitted by mail. DC requires that the following educational, training, and biographic documents be submitted as part of an initial application for a medical license:
- Authorization to Release Information. The DC board can only discuss your license application with a third party if you have submitted an authorization to release information.
- Two recent and identical passport photos are to be submitted online and meet specific requirements.
- One photocopy of a current government-issued photo ID.
- Criminal Background Check. If you are concerned with the possible result of your background check, the Lento Law Firm can work with you to evaluate the impact of any previous charges or convictions on your license application.
- Three Character Reference Forms.
- AMA/AOA profile submitted by issuing institution.
- Verify licensure from the issuing jurisdiction for each license identified in the application.
- Medical School Transcripts. The transcripts should be provided directly to the DC board by the issuing institution in a sealed envelope.
- Verification of Post-Graduate Training. The verification must be submitted in a sealed envelope from the appropriate post-graduate institution for each program identified in the application. The program director or someone else with the authority to verify the applicant's participation in the training program must sign the verification.
- Examination Scores. The examining body must submit the scores directly to the DC board.
- ECFMG Certificate for IMGs.
- Malpractice Claims Forms.
- The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) Self Query Report. The applicant should request the Self-Query report no more than 30 days before submitting their application.
The DC board provides explicit instructions on exactly how each document should be submitted, including whether documents should be sent directly from the issuing institution to the board. There are additional translation requirements for any document not written in English. Documents that are not in English must be translated and include a translation certification confirming the accuracy of the translation.
You should plan to submit the most complete application possible. Any requests for missing documentation will likely slow the process. If the DC board has any questions about your application of supporting documents, they may seek additional information from you. The Lento Law Firm can help you carefully prepare responses in response to DC board requests.
The Lento Law Firm's experienced professional license attorneys can help you understand the complex application process and lessen the frustration that bureaucracy often generates. With the Lento Law Firm on your side, we can help ensure your supporting documents are in order and your application is complete before submission.
With years of experience assisting doctors across the country, including DC, the Lento Law Firm can apply its experience navigating the unique hurdles faced by IMG applications to your license.
IMG Licensing Requirements in DC
The process to apply for the DC medical license is generally the same, regardless of where the applicant physician was educated and trained.
IMGs are required to provide additional evidence and credentials consistent with DCMR Title 17, §4603.
A license applicant who attended medical school in a foreign country other than Canada must:
- Prove they completed all educational and training required to practice medicine in the foreign country in which they attended medical school.
- Possess a valid standard certification from the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The ECFMG Certification is a standardized evaluation of the credentials of IMGs. An ECFMG Certification is required for IMGs participating in residency or fellowship programs in the United States.
- Complete three years of post-graduate clinical training in a hospital or medical facility licensed in the United States. The program must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association.
- A certified transcript of the applicant's medical education record must be sent directly from the educational institution abroad to the DC board.
- Any document in a language other than English must be accompanied by a notarized translation form from a translation service acceptable to the DC board. Translations must include a certification signed by the translator attesting to its accuracy.
Additionally, an applicant for a DC license who holds or has held an unrestricted medical license in another state may be given some flexibility in meeting the clinical training requirements.
Exam Requirements in DC for IMGs
To be eligible for a medical license in DC, most physicians must pass one of the required national licensing exams. For IMGs, this means passing all steps of the USMLE.
In the alternative, experienced IMGs may qualify for a license based on their eminence in their field of practice.
USMLE
As a prerequisite for clinical training in the US, IMGs obtain an ECFMG certification. To receive the ECFMG, the individual must pass Steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE.
In DC, an IMG must also pass Step 3 to become licensed. The license applicant can try three times to pass Step 3. If the IMG fails to pass Step 3 after three attempts, another year of post-graduate training is required before the IMG can take the Step 3 exam again. Additionally, DC requires that the license applicant complete the entire USMLE within seven years.
Eminence
In DC, an IMG with extensive practice experience can avoid having to take the licensing examination if they can qualify for a license based on eminence in the field under DCMR Title 17, §4608.
An IMG may be eligible for a license based on eminence if they meet several specific requirements, including practicing for at least ten years, completing a two-year clinical training program in the United States, and possessing a valid ECFMG certification and foreign license in good standing. Additionally, an IMG must demonstrate that they have been recognized by the international medical community for their achievements and advancements in the field of medicine, as evidenced by publications in scientific, medical, or medical research journals, by award nominations or receipts, or the acknowledgment of your expertise by American experts in your field of study.
If you are an experienced IMG physician with over a decade of practice and you are interested in applying for a DC medical license based on eminence, the Lento Law Firm can help. We can collaborate with you to identify all your licensing options, collect the required evidence and supporting documentation, and review all submissions to the DC board for completeness and consistency.
Verification of Primary Documents
It has become alarmingly easy for bad actors to create fraudulent academic and educational documents. Additionally, licensing boards take the verification of primary documents seriously because of the prevalence of fraud. Unfortunately, many IMGs, excited to work in the United States, become frustrated when the licensing process slows because of document verification problems.
Efforts to verify primary documents can become onerous for both boards and applicants. Too often delays in application processing occur when foreign medical school, training, or fellowship programs fail to respond to verification requests or provide incomplete answers. Our attorneys can help you determine if verification delays are holding up your application.
Additionally, the Lento Law Firm can work with you to determine if you, as an IMG, would benefit from registering with the Federal Credentials Verification Service (FCVS). For American medical school graduates, their US schools, residency, and fellowship programs automatically post student information to each individual's FCVS file. State boards of licensing are familiar with FCVS and the quality of its service.
When an IMG decides to use the FCVS, there will be additional costs to enroll and participate. The expenditure may be warranted considering the burden and frustration that primary source verification can cause the applicant. The Lento Law Firm can help you determine if registering with the FCVS makes sense for you.
The Lento Law Firm is the Partner You Need
As an IMG, you've spent years pursuing your dream of becoming a doctor and are now focused on practicing in the United States. You've studied, passed exams, performed clinical training, and now you are preparing your application for a medical license. Don't let the frustration of the license application process dull your commitment to practicing medicine in the United States.
If you want to practice medicine in DC, the Lento Law Firm Team is ready to collaborate with you, offering guidance on completing your license application and finding solutions to any of your licensing questions and challenges. When you are ready to work with a team of professional licensed attorneys, contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or our online form to discuss your case.
