Medical Licensure

Obtaining a medical license—whether initial licensure or a second or subsequent license in another state—can be challenging. To help physicians navigate this process, the AMA provides a useful primer. You also can navigate to the Web sites of each state licensing board.

CME for licensure reregistration. Sixty-two boards require continuing medical education (CME) for license reregistration. Some states also mandate specific CME content, such as HIV/AIDS, risk management, or end of life palliative care. In some cases, requirements are based on a physician's specialty and patient population. Requirements may change from time-to-time, so it's essential to stay informed of detailed requirements affecting the ability to maintain licensure.

Economic impact of office-based practice. This interactive map presents graphical data from "The State-Level Economic Impact of Office-Based Physicians," a report released March 23, 2011 that was prepared for the AMA by SRC Denton and the Lewin Group. This feature includes the number of physicians by state and associated economic activity. You also will want to refer to the related article from American Medical News.

Traditional medical practice is rapidly being transformed by many factors. The AMA Young Physicians Section (AMA-YPS) focuses on the concerns of physicians under 40 years of age or within the first 8 years of practice after training. Among its goals is helping with transition into practice. AMA-YPS makes available a number of career resources, including a video library.

Shop AMA Store. State Medical Licensure Requirements and Statistics 2013 presents up-to-date information on medical licensure requirements and statistics in the United States for MDs and DOs, recruiters, employers, and consultants who need authoritative, state-by-state licensure information in one convenient volume. Also available as an e-Book for immediate download.

Community Information

Thinking of Relocating? The following third party links can help you save time in researching a place to live and practice. Please note that we do not endorse this information but provide the links for your convenience.

City-Data.com has collected and analyzed data from numerous sources to create profiles of many US cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Included are real estate prices and sales trends, data on demographics and employment, schools, government and other services, weather, transportation, and other useful information.

The US Census Bureau Web site provides a wealth of statistical information about the nation’s people and economy. Information from the 2010 Census is available here. In addition, the bureau provides links to statistical abstracts for each state, which contain a range of vital and economic data.