Physician Licensure
Qualifications
for physician licensure
Colorado statutes (Section 12-36-107) set forth
minimum qualifications for physician licensure. These requirements
include: proof of graduation from medical school, passage of nationally
recognized exams, satisfactory completion of postgraduate education,
and submission of reference letters from previous practice locations. CMB
staff verify the license status of new applicants, search for disciplinary
action taken by other state agencies, federal agencies and medical
boards, and then forward the applications to the Board for review. The
CMB uses this information to carefully screen physicians seeking
licensure in Colorado. In the opinion of the Board, it is much
easier, effective, and beneficial to the public to refuse an applicant
who does not meet these criteria or possesses uncertain training
or competence, than it is to later remove the license due to poor
medical practice. The vast majority of applicants, however,
are approved by the Board and licensed within 60 days of receipt
of their application materials. The Board licenses 800 to 1,000
new physicians each year.
The Medical Board does NOT routinely grant waivers of the postgraduate training requirement. Only under very special, and well documented circumstances will the candidate for licensure be presented to the Board for consideration if all requirements are not met. Please contact a licensing specialist for additional information on this topic.
Recipricol Licensing Agreements with Other States
Colorado does not have reciprocal licensing agreements (automatic
reciprocity) with other states. The Board grants licenses on
the basis of examination. Verification of licensure, and certified
copies of any disciplinary actions taken in other states are required
as part of the application.
Acceptance of Older Exam Scores
There is no barrier to granting a license based solely on
when a physician sat for the licensure exam. As long as the
exam has been accepted by the Board and the applicant meets other
requirements, physicians should not hesitate to apply for licensure. Many
physicians who have been in continuous medical practice have chosen
to retire to Colorado. These physicians of course passed their
exams early in their careers and are regularly granted licenses
in Colorado.
Providing Verification of Licensing Exam History
Below is a handy reference for contacting the appropriate entity to provide a medical licensing board, hospital, managed care organization or credentialing agency with a physician's licensing exam history.
The Federation of State Medical Boards maintains and reports to licensing boards all examination history involving the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) and Special Purpose Examination (SPEX). Requests for scores can be made via the Federation's website at www.fsmb.org/transcripts.html. For questions or assistance, please call 817-868-4041 or e-mail: usmle@fsmb.org.
The National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) website provides information on NBME Parts history at www.NBME.org/programs/NBMEcert.asp. For questions or assistance, please call 215-590-9700 or e-mail: scores@NBME.org.
The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners' (NBOME) website provides information on the NBOME Parts and the Comprehensive Osteopathic Licensing Examination (COMLEX) at www.nbome.org. For questions or assistance, call 773-714-0622 or e-mail: kbrown@nbome.org.
Verification of certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and the examinations leading to this certifications can be obtained through www.ecfmg.org/2006ib/ibcert.html#confirmstatus. For questions or assistance, please call 215-386-5900 or e-mail: info@ecfmg.org.
|
Organization |
USMLE |
Other |
| FSMB | USMLE Steps 1, 2, 3 | FLEX, SPEX |
| NBME | USMLE Steps 1, 2 | NBME Parts I, II, III |
| NBOME | Not applicable | COMLEX, NBOME Parts I, II, III |
| ECFMG | USMLE Steps 1, 2 | FMGEMS* |
* The Foreign Medical Graduates Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS) was used for meeting the medical sciences requirement of ECFMG certification and is not a licensing examination.
Effect of Malpractice Suits on Licensure Applications
The licensure application asks only about those malpractice
suits which are pending, or in which judgments or settlements have
been rendered in the last five years. The applicant should
provide a narrative of the circumstance of the suit, including information
regarding the clinical care provided.
Requirements for International Medical School Graduates (IMGs)
The document referenced here provides a full listing of requirements for international medical graduates. The requirements include, but are not limited to, graduation from a medical school approved by the Colorado Medical Board, thirty-six months of clinically based postgraduate training in the United States or Canada, and one of the following: FLEX Exam (must also have passed the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates exam), state written exam, or USMLE. Click on the following link to download a PDF file entitled International Medical School Graduates - Summary of Requirements.
Personal Appearances Before the Board
Personal appearances before the Medical Board are NOT required, however, the licensing meetings of the board are open to the public and you may attend if you wish.
[Back to top]Source Verification of Documents
The Medical Board requires original source verification documents for the following:
- Proof of
medical school graduation (for both approved domestic schools
and international medical schools);
- Proof of
attendance in, and completion of postgraduate training in internships,
residencies and fellowships;
- Letters
of reference;
- Proof of
malpractice insurance or claim of exemption;
- Passage
of medical exams (National Board of Medical Examiners, United
States Medical Licensing Examination, state written exam).
- Passage
of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
exam (International medical graduates only. This applies to individuals
licensed in another state on the basis of the FLEX exam.)
-
National Practitioners Data Bank Self-Query Form/Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (NPDB-HIPDB). Please note that obtaining verification from this source may take several weeks. Please plan accordingly.
- Federation
of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification of disciplinary history.
Application Deadline Dates
A licensing subcommittee meets each month to consider applications. A physician may not practice medicine in Colorado prior to being granted a licenses unless: 1) the physician is a resident or fellow in a recognized training program and holds a physician training license; or 2) the physician is legally practicing under the "occasional" practice of medicine provision of the Medical Practice Act. See the information in the application packet for specific licensure meeting dates and deadlines.
It takes approximately 60 to 90 days to become licensed. This assumes that all supporting and source verified documents are received by the Board office in a timely manner and there are no special circumstances which would require extended review of the application.
[Back to top]Licensure Application Fee
All fees are subject to review and change on July 1 each year. The application fee is not refundable. This fee covers the cost of processing the application and the licensing fee until the next renewal period. All physician licenses expire on April 30 of odd-numbered years. Physicians who apply for licensure close to the renewal period may wish to consider holding their applications until just after the renewal. Otherwise they will be required to pay both the application and renewal fee in short succession.
Reinstatement
Reinstatement is necessary to change a license status from EXPIRED to current. Certain requirements have been established to make these changes. You must complete and return the Reinstatement Application along with the applicable fee. The application may also require the following supporting documentation:
- Verification from states in which you currently hold an active license
- Verification of the last two years of work history
- Verification from the Federation of State Medical Boards' Databank
- Compliance with, or claim exemption from, the Colorado malpractice insurance requirements
- Compliance with the continued competency rule (Rule 120)
Reactivation
Reactivation is necessary to change a license status from INACTIVE to ACTIVE. Do not use a reactivation application to change a license status from EXPIRED to current. Instead, you will need to apply for reinstatement of your license.
To REACTIVATE your license, you must complete and return the Reactivation Application along with the applicable fee. The application may also require the following supporting documentation:
- Verification from states in which you currently hold an active license
- Verification of the last two years of work history
- Verification from the Federation of State Medical Boards' Databank
- Compliance with, or claim exemption from, the Colorado malpractice insurance requirements
- Compliance with the continued competency rule (Rule 120)
Continued Competency
The Continued Competency Rule requires that the applicant, if not having engaged in active practice for two or more years in any state or country prior to the request for reinstatement or reactivation of the license, be able to demonstrate continued competency. Competency may be demonstrated by re-testing and/or re-training, or other means as proposed to and accepted by the Board.
Continued Competency Rule for Physicians (Rule 120)
.gif)