Physicians and Surgeons
A Physician or Surgeon (M.D.) is an individual issued a license allowing them to practice medicine. A physician may diagnose, prescribe, and administer treatment to individuals suffering from injury or disease.
Postgraduate Training Requirement
For a Physician's and Surgeon's (P&S) License, you must have received either 12 months of credit (for U.S. or Canadian medical school graduates) or 24 months of credit (international medical school graduates) of Board-approved postgraduate training.
Board-approved postgraduate training is training accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) if completed in the United States and its territories, or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and/or The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) if completed in Canada.
Verification of Postgraduate Training
A Certificate of Completion of ACGME/RCPSC/CFPC Postgraduate Training (Form PTA-PTB) is required to verify participation in all ACGME, RCPSC, or CFPC-accredited postgraduate training program (transitional, internship, residency, or fellowship program) attended prior to licensure regardless of whether you completed the program or received partial credit or no credit.
The current program director or the designated institutional Official (DIO) must complete, sign and date, and submit the completed Form PTA-PTB to verify the receipt of 12 months credit of Board-approved postgraduate training for graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada or 24 months credit of Board-approved postgraduate training for graduates of international medical schools directly to the Board to be acceptable.
A Certificate of Completion of CODA Postgraduate Training, Form CODA1-CODA2, is required to verify completion of 24 months of postgraduate training accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) if completed prior to the initial license application process. The current program director or the DIO must provide a signed and dated Certificate of Completion of CODA Postgraduate Training (Form CODA1-CODA2), directly to the Board to verify completion of required training.
A "Yes" response to any of the questions on Form PTA or Form CODA1 requires a signed and dated letter of explanation on facility letterhead, from the current program director or the DIO.
If you indicate current enrollment in an ACGME, RCPSC, CFPC, or CODA-accredited training program, you may be eligible for the reduced initial license fee. To verify your enrollment, the current program director or the DIO must complete, sign and date, and submit the Current Postgraduate Training Verification, Form CTV, directly to the Board to be acceptable.
The program must submit the completed form(s) and/or letter(s) through the Board's DOCS portal if the applicant has an open application with the Board to be acceptable.
If you provide an FCVS physician profile, the Board will review the Verification of Postgraduate Medical Education on an individual basis to determine whether it is acceptable. If the form was not accepted, the Board will notify you and request the current program director submit Form PTA-PTB directly to the Board.
Initial P&S License Renewal
For Physician's and Surgeon's Licenses issued on or after January 1, 2022, as a requirement of the initial P&S License renewal, you are required to provide verification of receiving credit of 36 months of Board-approved postgraduate training.
If your training was part of the MD-integrated Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) postgraduate training program, then you must provide evidence of receiving credit for at least 24 months of postgraduate training accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to meet the initial renewal requirement. CODA-accredited postgraduate training must be part of an oral and maxillofacial surgery postgraduate training program after receiving a medical degree from a combined dental and medical degree program.
The current program director or the designated institutional official (DIO) must provide a signed and dated Certificate of Completion of ACGME/RCPSC/CFPC Postgraduate Training (Form PTA-PTB) or Certificate of Completion of CODA Postgraduate Training (Form CODA1-CODA2), directly to the Board to verify completion of required training. The Board recommends the program provide this documentation as soon as you complete the required training, rather than waiting until your license expiration date. This will help avoid any delay in processing.
You are NOT required to provide this documentation of postgraduate training after the issuance of your P&S License if you:
- Provided verification of receiving credit for 36 months of postgraduate training during the application process (you will be notified by the Board once this requirement has been completed),
-OR-
- Are being licensed pursuant to Business and Professions sections 2135, 2135.5, 2151, or 2428, or if you used experience under a BPC section 2113 Special Permit to qualify for a P&S License.
Proof of the required postgraduate training must be mailed to the Board and postmarked no later than 60 days after the initial license expiration date to be considered by the Board. Please note that your license will be automatically placed in delinquent status pending review if you do not submit proof of the required postgraduate training within sufficient time for the Board to process it before the end of the 60 days.
Direct Online Certification Submission (DOCS)
The Direct Online Certification Submission (DOCS) service is a secure, fast, and reliable online document delivery system that allows medical schools and postgraduate training programs to submit certain primary-source licensing documents to the Board. DOCS will accept verification forms, official transcripts, certified diplomas, letters of explanation, and more if the applicant has an open application with the Board.