A physician entering a medical practice in the state of Florida can obtain a state medical license through examination or approval. However, to be eligible for either path to a license, the physician must be at least 21 years old, be determined by the Florida Board of Medicine (the "Board") to be of good moral character, and must not have committed any act or offense that the Board has determined is the basis of discipline here in Florida.
In addition, the physician candidate must have graduated from a qualified medical school and completed residency training. If the applying physician has medical training outside the United States, the physician candidate must demonstrate proficiency in the English language to the satisfaction of the board. Finally, the physician applicant must submit fingerprints and submit to a criminal background check. Once these criteria are met, the physician applicant can pursue licensure through examination or endorsement.
Licensing by exam
In order to obtain the right to practice through examination, a physician applicant must pass either
• the US Medical Licensing Examination (the "USMLE") licensure examination; or
• a combination of the USMLE, the study of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc. (the "FLEX"), or the examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners (the "NBME").
In the event that a physician candidate has been licensed on the basis of a state examination after 1974 and has maintained that license in at least one other jurisdiction of the United States or Canada for a period of 10 years, such applicant may obtain a license for Get to Florida by passing the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States (SPEX) Special Purpose Examination. (However, if a physician applicant is not required to take and pass the SPEX in the event that such applicant was licensed on a state board examination prior to 1974 and has maintained that license in at least three other jurisdictions of the United States or Canada and has practiced for a period of 20 years)
License Grant by Approval
For physicians transferring from other states to practice in the state of Florida, the board may issue a license by approval rather than examination. To be eligible, he/she must pay the application fee and meet the following criteria:
1. The applicant has passed all parts of a national exam (NBME, FLEX or USMLE); And
2. The physician candidate is licensed and actively practicing medicine in another jurisdiction of the United States for 2 of the last 4 years; or passed a board-approved clinical competency exam 1 year prior to application; or has successfully completed a Board-approved postgraduate training program within 2 years prior to application.
However, to ensure that the applying physician is qualified and meets the applicable criteria, the Board may still require that he/she take and pass the appropriate licensure exam, and/or examine him/her. The Board will not issue a license by endorsement to an applicant under investigation in another jurisdiction until such investigation has been completed without disciplinary action. The Board may also issue a limited license by endorsement to anyone who has been subject to disciplinary action in another jurisdiction.
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