Based on everything you’ve poured into your medical education and training thus far, you’re likely expecting a few more hurdles to clear.
Your last hurdle is no less significant than the rest:
The application process to get your medical license.
If you’re looking to earn your license to practice in Oregon, you’ve got a long road ahead of you.
Gathering exam scores, transcripts, references, and more will eat up a ton of time. But if you follow the guidelines to a T, you’ll be fully-licensed within 12 weeks.
So how do you get licensed with the Oregon Medical Board?
Below, we’ll review the entire process step-by-step. So get ready to learn about the documents you’ll need, the fees you’ll pay, and some tips and tricks along the way!
You’ve been waiting to send that application for your medical license for what seems like a lifetime now.
But not so fast!
You first want to double-check that you meet the minimum state requirements to be eligible for health care licensure in the State of Oregon.
Let’s review what those are.
Note: There are unique requirements for a physician assistant applicant.
You didn’t make it this far in your blossoming physician career without taking the mandatory licensing examinations.
The licensing board accepts the following exams:
For most of these exams, you must pass the final stage within three attempts.
Failure to pass within three tries will require you to complete a year of post-graduate training before your final (fourth) try.
The medical school requirements are the same for both United States and Canadian applicants.
You must have a degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) to qualify for licensure to render physician-level medical care in the State of Oregon.
The program you attended must be fully-approved by the AOA or LCME.
You must have one year of post-graduate training under your belt before applying for your license with the OMB.
Verify that your post-graduate training is accredited by any of the following:
This one-year post-graduate training must be in a single program and not spread across several to be valid.
Like most states, the process of becoming licensed medical doctors in Oregon is a bit trickier for foreign or international applicants.
The specific country that your medical school is in plays a huge difference.
If you attended medical school in Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, or New Zealand, here’s what you must know:
If you attended a medical school elsewhere, here’s what you need to know:
Fifth Pathway Program proof is also accepted.
The documents you must provide the Oregon Medical Board come in two categories:
1. Those you must send to the board members.
2. Those others must send to the board on your behalf.
Let’s lay-out the documents and proof you need to complete your application.
The documents you’re responsible for will mostly revolve around your identification and files you already have on-hand, including:
How you send these documents to the OMB is up to you.
You can mail documents to:
Oregon Medical Board
1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite 620
Portland, OR 97201-5847
You can fax documents to:
971-673-2670
You can email documents to:
You may also be able to upload these important documents via the official Board Upload Portal.
To prevent tampering of documents by applicants, there are certain forms that others must complete and send to the Board on your behalf.
Be sure to look over these documents before giving them to the appropriate parties. Many require you, the applicant, to complete a portion of the top half.
Many will also require official seals.
The documents you are responsible for submitting are:
Note that requesting these files from the primary sources and then forwarding to the Medical Board will invalidate them. Have all documents and forms sent directly from their source to the Board.
These documents must also be dated in MM/DD/YYYY format. Use official letterheads or Board-produced forms. Then place in official envelopes, and mail to the Board at:
Oregon Medical Board
1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite 620
Portland, OR 97201-5847
All license applicants must have a clean criminal record and pass both a state and federal background check.
State law says you must undergo a fingerprinting process.
Make an appointment for electronic fingerprinting via Fieldprint Inc. Register with the code “FPOMBLicenseDAS.”
On the day of your appointment, be sure to moisturize your hands so that your prints show up clearly and that you don’t have to redo them later on.
It may take up to four weeks for the Board to receive your results.
Now that you’ve got all your ducks in a row, it’s time to start your application.
Let’s review what to expect at this stage of the licensing process.
Here’s some good news:
The Oregon Medical Board will accept many of your credentials from the FCVS.
This is a paid service where you’ll upload your identifying documents that most state medical boards will require, such as:
Then, you’ll simply pick the Medical Board on the receiving end (Oregon, in this case), and it’ll fast-track the submission of these credentials to the Board.
Now you don’t have to send as many documents directly to the Board. And you don’t have to worry about records getting lost in the mail or sent to a spam folder.
However, it’s important to note that there is a $375 fee for signing up with FCVS.
The good news is you can use FCVS to apply for medical licenses in multiple states like Arizona, Ohio, and Texas.
The Oregon Medical Board has laid out strict instructions for physician applicants filling out their initial application.
Here are some tips for a smooth submission and acceptance:
Since the application aspect is entirely online, you don’t have to worry about your handwriting being illegible or accidentally skipping over a question.
Do You Have Enough Coverage? Check Out : Malpractice Insurance Options.The OMB also offers something called an “expedited endorsement.”
This helps the Board to fast-track the licensing process for applicants with experience in the practice of medicine.
(Available to those in good standing in other U.S. states.)
But that’s not the only bonus here.
You don’t even have to apply for this expedited process!
After you submit your application and fees, the Board will make a decision on your qualifications for this expedited process.
If you qualify, you can skip the gathering and sending of many documents.
So if you fit the bill, hold off on gathering proof and documents until you hear back from the Board about your eligibility.
The Oregon Medical Board will save your application for up to a year. That means you have a full year to gather documents and fulfill state requirements.
After waiting this long to get licensed, this lofty timeline is often unnecessary.
So how long does it take?
Most applicants will receive their licenses within 8-12 weeks.
Yet, it’s important to note that this timeline starts after you submit your entire application, all supporting documents, and fees.
The document gathering process can take weeks or months on its own.
That’s why it’s essential to start the application process while you have 3-4 months remaining in your post-graduate training.
After obtaining your license, you’re going to want income protection. Read our guide to Disability Insurance for Physicians to learn more.
The cost of medical school, licensing exams, and textbooks have already cost you a small fortune on your quest for your medical license.
But you’re not done spending money just yet.
Your application with the Oregon Medical Board will sit idle until you pay the mandatory $375 application fee.
That’s in addition to the $48 you’ll spend on a background check.
Once the board members formally approve your application, you’ll be responsible for the following extra fees:
All in all, your application and licensure will cost around $979.
If you choose to use FCVS to streamline the sending of your credentials, that’ll add an extra $375 to your total.
That’ll cost you $1,354 instead.
Not every offer that comes your way will be the best fit. Read: When Physicians Should Walk Away From a Job Offer.
The process of getting your initial medical license with the OMB is one you likely never want to repeat.
But you’ll never truly get done with administrative rules (until you join the league of retired physicians that is!).
After all, you have to renew your Oregon medical license every two years! And failure to renew your license on time will require you to go through with reactivation.
Here’s what that entails.
Like the original application process, you can renew your license entirely online.
Within every two-year renewal period, all licensees have to commit to 30 hours of continuing education credits.
The medical world is always changing, and you need to be on top of your quality care game!
These courses must relate to your specialty. Although certain topics are acceptable across the board (i.e., pain management, suicide risk, and Alzheimer’s disease).
Your renewal will also come with extra fees, such as:
The fees of renewal come to a total of $560 every two years.
However, these fees are subject to change in the future.
Applying for your medical license for active practice in the State of Oregon is time-consuming and a tad expensive.
Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to simplify the process:
The time has finally come, so get ready to begin applying!
When you’re licensed and presented with that shiny new physician contract, let our team of experts review it for you first. Contact Physicians Thrive to negotiate the best possible terms for your future.
Learn about licensing in other states by visiting our medical licensing library.Subscribe to our email newsletter for expert tips about finances, insurance, employment contracts, and more!
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Author: Justin Nabity
Last updated: October 7, 2020
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