Enforcement

Medical Consultant Program

Physicians are utilized as "consultants" by the Board's Central Complaint Unit (CCU) to review incoming complaints. Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 2220.08, any complaint determined to involve quality of care, before referral to a field office for further investigation, shall be reviewed by a medical consultant with the pertinent education, training, and expertise to evaluate the specific standard of care issues raised by the complaint to determine if further field investigation is required.

In this role, physicians are asked to determine if there is a need for formal investigation by Board investigative staff or if the complaint is resolved by a preliminary review of the medical records and the accompanying physician narrative statement. The consultant is asked to write an opinion with a description to support their recommendation.

Requirements for participating in this program are:

1. A current, valid and unrestricted medical license issued by the Board with no complaints within the last three years, no pending accusations, or prior enforcement or disciplinary action.
2. The ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality, provide objective, unbiased evaluations, and the ability to articulate and to legibly document findings.

Desirable qualifications include:

1. Current, active practice or have been non-active or retired for fewer than five years; or
2. Minimum of three years in practice; or
3. Board certified; or
4. Peer review experience.

Medical consultants are hired on a contract basis. The consultants are not considered to be civil service or "employees" of the Board but instead are considered "independent contractors." As such, the relationship between the medical consultant/independent contractor and the Board may be terminated by either party at any time.

Participating physicians are reimbursed $75 per hour for record review/report preparation. If you are interested in providing medical consultant services to the Medical Board of California, please mail a completed application and a current curriculum vitae to the address provided below.

Medical Board of California
Central Complaint Unit, Medical Consultant Program
2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1200
Sacramento, CA 95815-5401

 (916) 263-2502
 MedicalConsultantProgram@mbc.ca.gov

Application