E. California Medical License

• General Information
  
  The California Medical Practice Act permits medical and osteopathic school graduates to practice medicine under the following conditions:
  
  • Graduates of U.S., Puerto Rico or Canadian medical schools:
    • Residents in their first year of training from U.S., Puerto Rico or Canadian medical schools must have graduated from an accredited school of medicine or osteopathy and be licensed to practice medicine in the State of California before the start of the 25th month of postdoctoral training. If, by the end of the Resident 2-year (or the first year in California after the R-1 year) a license is not obtained, all "privileges and exemptions...shall automatically cease." (Section 2065).
    • Residents and Clinical Fellows enrolled in an ACGME program with 2 or more years of training from another state, Puerto Rico or Canada must obtain a California medical license before the start of the 13th month of training.
    • Residents and Clinical Fellows enrolled in a non-ACGME program with 2 or more years of training from another state, Puerto Rico or Canada must possess a California medical license by the first day of UCSF training.
  • Graduates of foreign medical schools (outside of U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada:
    • When eligible, foreign medical graduates enrolled in an ACGME program have 36 months to obtain a California medical license.
    • Foreign medical graduates enrolled in a non-ACGME program must possess a California medical license by the first day of UCSF training.
      
      
• Trainees who have not obtained a California medical license within the above mentioned time frames will not be allowed further patient contact or access to patient information including medical records, laboratory values, radiographic studies, etc. A trainee not licensed by July 1st (or other start date) of the required year may not do any clinical work until a medical license is secured. During the period of non-licensure, the Resident or Clinical Fellow appointment, including salary, may be suspended. Resumption of training, once a California Medical License has been obtained, will be at the discretion of the Program Director and/or Department Chair. Thereafter and for the duration of training, the California medical license must be continually maintained as a prerequisite to appointment.
  
  
• To facilitate the complicated process of obtaining a medical license, the GME office sponsors a “license fair” which is held one day per year at the Parnassus campus. At one location, trainees will have a notary public, fingerprinting services, photographer and the necessary forms available. The specific date and location will be e-mailed to each trainee, each program director, and each program coordinator.
  
  
• If a trainee is unable to attend the licensing fair, he/she must follow the procedures outlined on the website of the Medical Board of California (www.medbd.ca.gov.) Of major importance, application materials and fee payment must be sent to the California Medical Board 6-9 months ahead of the appointment date (i.e., send by September/October for the June 30 deadline). FBI fingerprint clearance may not be available for several months after the data is submitted.
  
  
• The California Medical Board requests that applicant do not call to check the status of an application for at least 60 days after the application has been submitted.
  
  
• California licensing regulations specify that the expiration date of an initial license is the last day of the second birth month of the licensee after the date the license is issued. Therefore, in order to enjoy the full 24-month validity of an initial license, the trainee must obtain licensure DURING the birth month. However, the primary responsibility is to obtain a valid license by July 1 of the required year of training. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO PRACTICE MEDICINE WITHOUT A LICENSE, when a trainee has reached a certain level of postgraduate training.