Getting a California Medical License: Requirements, Costs, and Timeline
It splits licensing between two boards, the Medical Board of California for MDs and the Osteopathic Medical Board for DOs. And California is not in the IMLC. Every California license is a single state filing.
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Overview
Getting your California medical license? Here's exactly what you need to know so you can focus on practicing, not paperwork. California is one of the most complex, expensive, and time-consuming licensing jurisdictions in the country.
Who issues your license
It splits licensing between two boards, the Medical Board of California for MDs and the Osteopathic Medical Board for DOs. And California is not in the IMLC. Every California license is a single state filing.
Eligibility requirements
You'll need a degree from an accredited medical school and at least twenty-four months of approved postgraduate training to apply, with thirty-six months required by your first renewal. USMLE Step Three must be passed within four attempts. Out-of-state applicants need hard card fingerprinting, which adds six to eight weeks.
How to apply
Applications go to the Medical Board of California for MDs or the Osteopathic Medical Board for DOs. You'll submit L-one, L-one-A, L-two, and L-three documents. Your medical school completes Form L-one-A directly to the board. CURES registration is required before you can prescribe any controlled substance.
What it costs
Budget at least one thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars, six hundred and seventy-four dollars for the application, and one thousand one hundred and seventy-six dollars for the initial license fee. Biennial renewal runs one thousand one hundred and fifty-one dollars. These are among the highest mandatory fees in the country.
How long it takes
The Medical Board publishes a processing target of about one hundred and six days for initial applications, roughly three and a half months. Apply at least six months before you need to practice. Hard card fingerprints for out-of-state applicants add another six to eight weeks. The biggest issues: filing with the wrong board, the hard card fingerprint delay for out-of-state applicants, the USMLE Step three four attempt cap. A fifth attempt is statutory ineligibility, and missing the thirty-six-month postgraduate verification required at your first renewal.
How we help
White Glove handles your California application from start to issued license. Call eight one five two one four nine four six five or book a free consultation today.
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