New York Medical Licensing Verification: How it works?

A medical license is essential for anyone to practice medicine in New York State. The licensing procedure includes submitting Form 1 along with the $735 licensure and first registration fee. The application must be filled without leaving any query unanswered. Apart from that, the applicant must submit supporting documents and files, application ID, and DOB.  

An important fact is that a New York State professional license remains valid for a lifetime provided it is devoid of legal issues.  

Uniquely enough, New York keeps an all-inclusive Medical License Lookup resource for verifying licensure information for a good number of medical professions. This reference tool maintains license verification information about physicians, pharmacists, dentists, practical nurses, registered nurses, physician assistants, and other technical health professions. The resource can be accessed at NEW YORK MEDICAL LICENSE SEARCH. 

The New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions (NYSED OP) and the New York State Board for Medicine are the two bodies that regulate the licensing and practice of physicians in the state. 

The department issues licensure certification to provide a licensee’s official information based on licensure for different purposes. Only the licensee can submit the certification request, and it can only be received by the licensee or the licensing authority of another jurisdiction or province. The department also issues written verification of licensure, ensuring that the applicant is licensed in NYS and registration status. To determine which request you need to make for your specific purposes, the applicant must complete and submit the Online License Certification and Verification Form and Fee.  

A medical professional must go through a complex training system and complete exams at the national level before applying for a license at the state level.  

For an International Medical Graduate, you must have a certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which includes passing Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE). After fulfilling the above criteria, you must register with the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) to begin with the Physician Information Profile. The FCVS then obtains, verifies, and stores the personal information. The FCVS also stores information related to residency, education, and examinations. They help you in the verification process of your credentials whenever you apply for your physician’s license in the state of New York.  

On another important note, you must return to the training, competing for a multi-year graduate medical education program and specialization before getting the license. Here, you may be asked to relocate to a new state and select a specialization different from what you practiced before the immigration.  

Requirements for New York Medical License: 

Education: The Office of the Professions will assess whether your international medical education meets the standards of the New York State Education Department. One of these requirements is that you must have completed the final year of medical education at the school which awarded you the M.D. degree. 

Examinations: Completion of all three steps of the USMLE tests is required to obtain a license. You must also have ECFMG certification.  

Experience: You’ll have to submit proof of successful completion of a minimum of 3 years of postgraduate medical training (residency) in any U.S. state. Another mandatory training you’ll have to complete is the training related to child abuse.