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Content subject to change. Revised January 2017.
Medical License Direct
Solution for your medical license needs.
PHONE: 850-471-8648  ~ FAX: 904-339-9671
Medical License Direct, LLC ~ info@medicallicensedirect.com
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info@medicallicensedirect.com
Florida Board of Medicine

4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C03
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3253
Telephone:  (850) 245-4131    Fax:  850-488-0596
Medical License Direct Makes Florida Medical License
Application Process Easier for Physicians

Medical License Direct provides medical licensing services to physicians who are seeking state medical
licenses in one or more states.
Free up your time for other priorities by submitting either a paper or
online
form and your application will be completed generally within a couple days.

We have a system that allows production of applications and third party verification forms almost instantly
while retaining personal information in a safe and confidential environment. Our U.S. state medical board
knowledge base is extensive and updated frequently.

What our medical license service will do for you:
  • Provide FREE initial pre-qualification and medical licensing consultation
  • Research and prepare your Florida medical application
  • Ship completed medical license application to you
  • Send all verification requests and follow up to make sure the right people receive and process them
    quickly
  • Provide continuous follow up and frequent board update reports until you're licensed.

That's it! Fast and easy.

Discounts are available for multi-state acquisitions.

Call,
850-471-8648, weekdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm CST for a FREE initial consultation or quote.

Or email your questions to info@medicallicensedirect.com and you can generally expect a reply within a
few hours during business hours.

We also offer a
pre-qualification form for your convenience. Or, please click HERE for our paper or online
form and we'll get started right away.
Understanding the Process and Ways to Make It Quick and Successful
If you or prospective members of your group are one of the 3,000 physicians that apply each year for a Florida
medical license, this article is a “must read.” Here is the practical side of the licensure application process, with
revealing insights into how simple things you can do to avoid delay.

To best understand this process, it is important to first understand that the Board of Medicine’s mission is to
protect health care consumers by licensing qualified health providers. The Board staff has to review everything
you state or should have stated in your application. The application statute and rules require you to “tell all”
and not be bashful about your history. The #1 reason an applicant is unsuccessful in getting a full-unrestricted
license is because they were not 100% candid on the application. Don’t try to “lawyer” your way around
answering a question as “No” when your common sense tells you to answer, “Yes.” You should answer, “Yes”
and, if necessary, explain.

You will find that Florida asks a lot in the application. Here is an example of why this is necessary. At a Board of
Medicine Credentials Committee Meeting not too long ago, an applicant was questioned about his medical
training in Chicago. When he realized from the questioning that the Committee knew he really didn’t go to
medical school, he got up and started to leave. He was stopped by two FDLE agents who arrested him. The
Board had carefully checked the application and had found out the applicant was using a deceased physician’s
credentials.

Here are frequently asked questions regarding the medical licensure process:

Is there more than one type of license?

The many types of medical licensure available to qualified applicants may surprise you. Although this article is
about the full licensure process, there are other types of licensure you may be qualified for. Each type of
licensure has specific requirements and limitations:

* Temporary Certificate for Visiting Physicians - This certificate allows international physicians to practice in a
special training program at a Board-approved cancer center.
* Medical Faculty Certificate – This certificate allows physicians to practice medicine in conjunction with their
teaching duties at Florida medical schools and approved teaching facilities.
* Temporary Certificate for Practice in Areas of Critical Need – Physicians licensed under this provision are
restricted to practice at a certain approved facility.
* Public Health and Public Psychiatry Certificates – These certificates allow physicians to practice only in
conjunction with employment duties with the Florida Department of Health.
* Limited License – Physicians licensed under this provision are restricted to practice at a certain approved
facility. Most limited license physicians are volunteers who work with county health departments and facilities
that treat the indigent citizens of Florida.
* Resident Physician and House Physician Registration – Physicians in Florida training programs and house
physicians employed by Florida hospitals must register with the Board. The training programs and hospitals
must report to the Board twice a year all employed physicians that do not have an unrestricted license.

(Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released
in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by
phone or in writing.)

I need help filling out the form.

The application is lengthy, but not difficult. Board staff can answer questions, but here is your first tip: use email
- you can put more detail in it and the staff will be able to concisely answer your question because it will be
clearly spelled out in your e-mail. Send your inquiries directly to the person who is handling your application.

You may want to consider using a private attorney or licensure consultant if you need more help with the
application process than Board staff can provide.

If you do seek assistance, make sure that you don’t rely on others to know all the information that is requested.
Spend your time reviewing every question and answer before you sign that application form.

Board of Medicine licensure staff spend time at resident training programs to educate residents about applying
for licensure. The staff also visits Florida’s medical schools to explain the different licensure avenues.

How long does it take?

Once your application is COMPLETE and there are no “red flags,” the process takes between 45 and 90 days.

The important word here is “COMPLETE.” If all the information that you are required by law to submit is
received, the application is complete. If you do not provide this information, the process will take longer. An
important part of the application process is the documentation that must be provided to the Board. The process
will go much quicker if you get the documents in as soon as possible. Do not leave this task to someone else –
either provide the documents yourself or see that they are quickly provided – follow-up with others that are
providing them for you if necessary. This is the #1 delay in application processing.

Where do I go if I have a question after I send in the form?

Your application goes to a Board of Medicine staff member called a “reviewer.” There are 7 reviewers in the
Board of Medicine office. Your reviewer will contact you and will provide you with their name, phone number, fax
number and e-mail address so that you will be able to communicate with them. Again, the best way to
communicate is by e-mail. The reviewer will have a clear question in front of them, and will be able to research
the answer if necessary. This will also give you your answer in writing, in case you need to have it on file.

Who makes the decision on my application?

Your application, once complete, goes to a supervisor for a second review and then to the Board for approval
or denial.

At any step along the way a “red flag” on the application may require it to be reviewed by the Program
Administrator to determine if the application must go before the Credentials Committee. A “red flag” does not
mean denial; it simply means an explanation is necessary.

This Board of Medicine’s Credentials Committee meets every two months to review any of the applications that
require explanation or more information or perhaps a personal appearance by the applicant. The Board of
Medicine is charged with protecting the health care of Florida consumers by licensing only qualified health
providers so the Board is required to make this extra inquiry when called for.

What really happens to my application when it arrives at the Department of Health?

The application arrives at a centralized mailroom at the Department of Health headquarters in Tallahassee.

The mail handler that supports all the health care boards directs your application to the Board of Medicine.

TIP: send your application and fee to the special address as directed on your application – this will save time.

Mail that includes a check is required to go to the vendor that receives all monies for the Department. If you
send an overnight letter with a check on Monday, it will not get to your reviewer on Tuesday because it must
first go to the vendor. This simple fact of processing unfortunately frustrates applicants who send such mail,
and then call the next day and are told the mail is not yet received. Knowing about this step in advance will
keep you from being frustrated.

After the application is forwarded to the Licensure section at the Board of Medicine, it is assigned to a reviewer,
the person who will process your application. The reviewer puts your information into a data bank that will be
part of your record for as long as you have a Florida license.

Staff Goals: Applications are processed within 30 days of the date received. E-mails and mail are processed
within five days of the date received. Phone calls returned within 24 hours of the date received.

What are the most common problems that slow up and application?

NOT BEING COMPLETELY CANDID ABOUT YOUR HISTORY AND EDUCATION is the #1 reason for denial of a
full-unrestricted license. Failure to disclose a problem will get you in trouble with the Board far more often than
the problem itself. Here are some other causes for delay in your application:

* Actions during postgraduate training
* Hospital staff privileges with action/termination of employment
* Action by a specialty board
* Action by another state regulatory board
* Misdemeanor or felony convictions
* Results of the criminal background check
* Civil judgments/malpractice
* Medical, physical, mental or chemical dependence impairment/condition within the last five years
* Lack of active practice
* Action by DEA
* Action by the military
* Applications that require Petition of Waiver/Variance

Do most complete applications get approved?

Yes, most applicants are granted an unrestricted Florida medical license. Those applicants who are not issued
an unrestricted license may have the following occur:

* Approval with conditions such as a fine, corrected application and new application fee.
* Approval with condition such as taking or retaking an examination.

The Board may also outright deny the license, or may allow the applicant to withdraw the application.

TOP TEN WAYS TO GET YOUR APPLICATION PROCESSED QUICKLY

1. Mail the application to the correct address.
2. Keep in mind that any monies have to be processed by the Department vendor. This may take a couple of
days.
3. Identify any variation of names and nicknames.
4. Once you start the process, submit the application within 30 days so that your supplemental documents,
including transcripts, will have an application file to go to.
5. Have the correct address on the application for training programs and hospitals.
6. Send in necessary back up documents in a timely manner.
7. Follow up with sources that are sending the Board of Medicine your documents.
8. Watch for letters or e-mail from your reviewer. This is how we tell you what else is needed for your
application to be complete.
9. If asked for follow-up information from the Board, please read the request carefully to identify exactly what
is needed to make your application complete.
10. Answer questions honestly and provide an explanation where appropriate.

A great deal of the Board of Medicine’s staff time is dedicated to processing medical license applications. The
Board of Medicine and its staff are charged with licensing those applicants that qualify for licensure under state
law who can safely practice medicine. The Board works very hard to ensure that all of this is done in a timely
manner. Knowing how the process works will help to ensure that your application is handled expeditiously.