Physicians and Surgeons

Physician's and Surgeon's License

Licensee is a U.S., Canadian or international medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure is based on one of the following:

• USMLE, LMCC, or FLEX written examination and either does not hold a license in another state or Canadian province or has been licensed less than four years in another state or Canadian province(s).
• Licensure in another state or Canadian province(s) for four or more years.
• U.S. or Canadian medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure is based on the NBME examination.

Postgraduate Training License

If you graduated from a Board-approved medical school, passed all required examinations, have not received 12 months of credit (for U.S. or Canadian medical school graduates) or 24 months of credit (international medical school graduates) of Board-approved postgraduate training, and are enrolled in a California postgraduate training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) training, you are eligible for a Postgraduate Training License.

Transition from a Postgraduate Training License to a Physician's and Surgeon's License

You can complete the transition application process if you currently hold a Postgraduate Training License (PTL) and are transitioning to a Physician’s and Surgeon’s (P&S) license.

Temporary License

If you are eligible for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License and are married to, or in a domestic partnership, or other legal union with, an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces who is assigned to a duty station in California under official active-duty military orders may be eligible for a Temporary License pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 115.6.

Limited Practice License

If you are eligible for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License and are unable to practice some aspects of medicine safely due to a disability, you may be eligible for a Limited Practice License.

Special Permits

The Board may issue you a Special Permit if you are an international physician who is not currently eligible for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License in California. A medical school, hospital, academic medical center, or an approved fellowship training program in California must sponsor your application for a Special Permit. These permits authorize you to practice medicine only within the sponsoring medical school, academic medical center, hospital, and any of its affiliated institutions. Depending upon the type of Special Program, there may be supervision requirements, limits on permitted activities, or eligibility limits based on U.S. citizenship.

Fictitious Name Permit

The purpose of a Fictitious Name Permit (FNP) is to allow a licensed physician and surgeon or podiatrist to practice under a name other than their own.