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You may use either the Board’s street address or P.O. Box address to send mail to the Board. However, if you are sending a package or envelope via FedEx, you MUST send it to the street address.
The Board’s street address is:
1203 Front Street
Raleigh, NC, 27609-7533
The Board’s P.O. Box address is:
P.O. Box 20007
Raleigh, NC, 27619-0007
Yes, though certain portions of meetings or hearings may be closed. For example certain committees of the Board, such as those that discuss investigative matters or pending complaints, are closed to the public. However, many agenda items of interest to the public, such as disciplinary hearings or presentations of settled disciplinary cases, are conducted in open session.
The full Board meets every other month in the odd-numbered months ( i.e., January, March, May). The Board holds hearings in disciplinary cases in even-numbered months (i.e. February, April, June). The Board’s meeting schedule is published on this Web site and meeting agendas and hearing dockets are posted on the site in accordance with open meeting laws, typically 48 hours before a meeting or hearing. Meetings are typically scheduled over three full days (usually Wednesday, Thursday and Friday).
Board members may serve up to two consecutive three-year terms.
The Governor of North Carolina appoints all members of the Board. The Governor has the authority to directly appoint the Board’s three public members (North Carolina citizens with no ties to medicine or the health care industry) and one member who, by statute, must be either a physician who practices integrative medicine or is on the faculty of one of the state’s academic medical centers. Seven physcians Board members and one member who is either a physician assistant or nurse practitioner are nominated by an independent panel and then appointed by the Governor. The panel includes representatives from physician, nursing and physician assistant groups and also includes one sitting public member of the Board.
The North Carolina Medical Board is made up of 12 individuals, including eight physicians, who are charged with licensing and regulating doctors, physician assistants and certain other medical professionals. The Board’s primary mission is to protect the public. It screens candidates for licensure, issues licenses to qualified professionals, develops rules and positons that guide its licensees and, when necessary, disciplines its licensees.
The Board issues licenses to medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), physician assistants (PAs), certified clinical perfusionists and anesthesiologist assistants, and regulates their practice. It approves the practice of nurse practitioners and clinical pharmacist practitioners and jointly regulates those professions with the NC Board of Nursing and NC Board of Pharmacy, respectively.
No. One hundred percent of the Board’s operating revenue comes from fees paid by its licensees, including license application and annual renewal fees.
No. The medical board is an independent agency that regulates the practice of medicine and surgery on behalf of the state of North Carolina. Medical Board employees are not on the state payroll and do not qualify for state benefits or retirement.
The reports themselves have no direct repercussions. The General Assembly’s requiring of such reports implies that the Board should review them and take whatever action is appropriate under law. The reports and the underlying hospital actions are not reasons under the law for the Board to act against a physician’s license. However, the reports may prompt further inquiry and investigation to determine if grounds exist. Many privilege change reports will not lead to Board actions. Some CISP reports, however, will lead the Board to discover evidence of grounds for the initiation of a case, which may lead to disciplinary action by the Board.
Yes.
The general reference is to the practice of some entities of suspending a physician’s privileges before a “due process hearing” has been conducted. The Board understands some entities use this procedure in emergencies. The Board has also become aware that some of these emergency situations were not reported to the Board until the full due process called for in the entity’s bylaws had been completed, sometimes months after the emergency had arisen.
State law specifies that privilege changes be reported within 30 days of the effective date of the action. However, some healthcare facilties report certain actions, such as summary suspensions, immediately.
Yes. The law requires the reporting of “any” privilege change made for cause, except in suspensions or other actions related to delinquent medical records. In such cases, the hospital need only report the privilege change if three offenses occur in the same calendar year.
No, only changes that are the result of an adverse action must be reported.
Only if the suspension is the third for that cause within the calendar year, in which case all three suspensions must be reported.
Yes, if the change is due to an adverse action or in response to a pending or threatened adverse action.
The Board is authorized to mete out a wide range of public disciplinary actions that limit, suspend or even revoke the right to practice. A medical license is revoked only in the most serious cases where the provider’s conduct or level of competence is considered to pose a significant threat to public health and safety. Far more often, the Board acts to restrict the license by imposing conditions aimed at preventing future problems. For example, a physician disciplined for prescribing narcotic painkillers without adequately documenting the need or taking steps to prevent addiction might be barred from prescribing such drugs for a set period and required to complete continuing medical education on managing chronic pain. In some cases, the Board determines no action against the provider’s license is warranted but issues a public letter of concern. All final disciplinary actions are noted on the Board’s Web site.
Only about one percent of the 1,200 complaints received annually result in public action being taken against the provider’s license. Often when no action is taken, it is because no violation of the Medical Practice Act has occurred and the matter is therefore not actionable. In another 30 percent of cases, the complaint leads to private discipline, such as a confidential letter expressing the Board’s concern and cautioning against similar conduct in future. When no formal action is taken, the Board keeps a copy of the complaint in its permanent file. This file is an important resource that helps the Board track providers over time and detect patterns of behavior that might warrant future intervention.
Complaints are most often resolved in one of three ways.
Here is a brief description of the complaint review process:
The Board has found that some licensees choose to dismiss patients who file complaints. Provided they follow all appropriate laws and guidelines, this is within the provider’s rights.
Most likely, no. The Board does not intervene on behalf of individual patients. Rather, it acts for the people of North Carolina at large. When the Board takes action against a provider, that action is aimed at preventing future problems and protecting future patients. Your complaint, therefore, can play a significant part in protecting the people of North Carolina from incompetent, unqualified, or unethical practitioners.
Many issues that are important to consumers do not fall within the Board’s jurisdiction because no violation of the Medical Practice Act is present. Dismissal from a medical practice, provided it complies with Board guidelines, does not violate the Act. Many financial and interpersonal issues also are outside the Board’s reach. The Board cannot help a patient sue a provider for money, settle fee disputes, resolve issues about disability ratings and compensation or mediate personality conflicts among patients, doctors and office staff.
The Board is authorized to act only on complaints that may involve a violation of the Medical Practice Act, a state law that covers a wide range of misconduct. Three types of cases account for more than half of the Board’s public actions against providers: quality of care, prescribing (either self-prescribing or improperly prescribing to others) and cases where a provider is impaired due to alcohol or substance abuse. Many other disciplinary cases fall under the broad category of “unprofessional or unethical conduct”, such as violating patient confidentiality, misrepresenting professional credentials or practicing without an active medical license. Problems with medical recordkeeping and sexual misconduct or other boundary violations account for many cases as well.
You may use either the Board’s street address or P.O. Box address to send mail to the Board. However, if you are sending a package or envelope via FedEx, you MUST send it to the street address.
The Board’s street address is:
1203 Front Street
Raleigh, NC, 27609-7533
The Board’s P.O. Box address is:
P.O. Box 20007
Raleigh, NC, 27619-0007
An osteopathic doctor (DO) is a specific type of physician. A DO degree is equivalent, though different in certain aspects, to a medical degree (MD). Both medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) complete four years of medical education and both complete between three and six years of graduate medical education (residency training) depending on their chosen specialty. Both types of physicians must pass comparable examinations as a condition of licensure.
The main distinction between DOs and MDs is that, in addition to traditional medical training, osteopaths receive extensive training in the body’s musculoskeletal system. This is the interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of a person’s body mass. According to the American Osteopathic Association, osteopathic manipulative treatment or OMT is incorporated into the training and practice of osteopathic physicians. With OMT, osteopathic physicians use their hands to diagnose illness and injury. Finally, most osteopathic physicians specialize in primary care, including pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology and internal medicine.
The Board is authorized to mete out a wide range of public disciplinary actions that limit, suspend or even revoke the right to practice. A medical license is revoked only in the most serious cases where the provider’s conduct or level of competence is considered to pose a significant threat to public health and safety. Far more often, the Board acts to restrict the license by imposing conditions aimed at preventing future problems. For example, a physician disciplined for prescribing narcotic painkillers without adequately documenting the need or taking steps to prevent addiction might be barred from prescribing such drugs for a set period and required to complete continuing medical education on managing chronic pain. In some cases, the Board determines no action against the provider’s license is warranted but issues a public letter of concern. All final disciplinary actions are noted on the Board’s Web site.
Only about one percent of the 1,200 complaints received annually result in public action being taken against the provider’s license. Often when no action is taken, it is because no violation of the Medical Practice Act has occurred and the matter is therefore not actionable. In another 30 percent of cases, the complaint leads to private discipline, such as a confidential letter expressing the Board’s concern and cautioning against similar conduct in future. When no formal action is taken, the Board keeps a copy of the complaint in its permanent file. This file is an important resource that helps the Board track providers over time and detect patterns of behavior that might warrant future intervention.
Complaints are most often resolved in one of three ways.
Here is a brief description of the complaint review process:
The Board has found that some licensees choose to dismiss patients who file complaints. Provided they follow all appropriate laws and guidelines, this is within the provider’s rights.
Most likely, no. The Board does not intervene on behalf of individual patients. Rather, it acts for the people of North Carolina at large. When the Board takes action against a provider, that action is aimed at preventing future problems and protecting future patients. Your complaint, therefore, can play a significant part in protecting the people of North Carolina from incompetent, unqualified, or unethical practitioners.
Many issues that are important to consumers do not fall within the Board’s jurisdiction because no violation of the Medical Practice Act is present. Dismissal from a medical practice, provided it complies with Board guidelines, does not violate the Act. Many financial and interpersonal issues also are outside the Board’s reach. The Board cannot help a patient sue a provider for money, settle fee disputes, resolve issues about disability ratings and compensation or mediate personality conflicts among patients, doctors and office staff.
The Board is authorized to act only on complaints that may involve a violation of the Medical Practice Act, a state law that covers a wide range of misconduct. Three types of cases account for more than half of the Board’s public actions against providers: quality of care, prescribing (either self-prescribing or improperly prescribing to others) and cases where a provider is impaired due to alcohol or substance abuse. Many other disciplinary cases fall under the broad category of “unprofessional or unethical conduct”, such as violating patient confidentiality, misrepresenting professional credentials or practicing without an active medical license. Problems with medical recordkeeping and sexual misconduct or other boundary violations account for many cases as well.
The Board issues licenses to medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), physician assistants (PAs), certified clinical perfusionists and anesthesiologist assistants, and regulates their practice. It approves the practice of nurse practitioners and clinical pharmacist practitioners and jointly regulates those professions with the NC Board of Nursing and NC Board of Pharmacy, respectively.
Not always. For example, each year the Board executes several “re-entry agreements” with physicians and physician assistants who have no history of discipline or impairment. Such agreements are required when a physician or PA seeks to reactivate his or her license after spending two or more years out of active clinical practice. The agreement sets out the terms and conditions under which the licensee will transition back into active practice. The agreement is binding on the licensee and is a public document, but it is not disciplinary in nature. The best way to tell if a licensee with a “public file” has been disciplined is to look at the public documents available through the licensee’s profile page.
Yes. Since maintenance or acquisition of CME may not be feasible while you are deployed to a combat zone or in support of a contingency operation, the Board will waive your CME requirement during that time. Please send the Registration Department a copy of your deployment and/or discharge orders or other documentation that shows you are supporting the armed forces so we may, at your written request, reset your three-year CME cycle at the end of the waiver period.
Your three-year CME cycle is calculated based on the CME rule (Subchapter 32R – Continuing Medical Education requirements).
Questions regarding your CME?
Your current CME hours can be accessed on our website. Visit www.ncmedboard.org and click on “Update Licensee Info Page” in the green Quick Links menu on the right. Log in using your FileID# and date of birth. The tab “Preferences/CME” will allow you to view the CME hours in your current three-year cycle.
If you have questions or need to make changes, please .
All CME documentation should be kept for 6 years.
Please complete your renewal, and then email the Board. Click here and select “Questions about Annual Renewal” to send your message to the correct department. Corrections to the CME cycle or hours from previous years can be made after the renewal is complete.
Category 1 hours are educational provider-initiated CME given by an ACCME or AOA accredited organization. You will typically receive a certificate from the accredited CME provider stating how many Category 1 hours you received for that particular course.
Category 2 hours are physician initiated and self-reported by the licensee on an hour-for-hour basis. Please see the CME rule to see what’s included in Category 2.
Your hours can be logged on our CME logging form
Presentations or promotions by pharmaceutical company sales representatives specific for, and promoting, one particular drug; as for instance, when a pharmaceutical company sales representative comes to a physician’s office with drug samples and provides brochures and information regarding that specific drug is drug sales promotion; MAY NOT be claimed as CME.
Seminars, lectures, or presentations sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, in which the treatment of a medical/surgical condition is discussed in an objective scientific manner, during which treatment with a drug manufactured by the pharmaceutical company sponsoring the presentation is discussed, may be considered Category 2 CME. Physicians should use educated and thoughtful judgment regarding the content of the seminar, lecture or presentation. If the physician believes they were provided unbiased, balanced and objective information regarding medical practice, the mere sponsorship or subsidization of the seminar by a pharmaceutical company would not preclude claiming appropriate Category 2 CME credit.
Volunteering at a clinic alone does not count as CME but clinic directors or volunteer physicians who provide mentoring, teaching, student assessment and consultation-type activity may claim the hours directly (explicitly) involved in that activity as “Physician-Initiated” Category 2 CME hours.
Your 3 year cycle depends on when you were licensed. The 3 year cycle shall run from the physician’s birthday beginning in the year 2001 or the first birthday following initial licensure, whichever occurs later.
Residents and Fellows who are enrolled in ACGME- or AOA-accredited graduate medical education programs are exempt from the requirement, until the first birthday following completion of their training program. During your online renewal there is an EXEMPT box to check, which will reset your CME cycle.
Please send your questions via to the Board’s renewal department.
Yes. As long as you have an active license to practice medicine in the state of North Carolina you are required to abide by the CME rule, which requires 150 hours over a 3 year period, with at least 60 hours qualifying as Category 1.
No. Licensees must ensure that they earn a total of 150 CME hours by the end of the current three-year cycle, with at least 60 hours being Category 1 CME.
You receive 90 Category 2 CME hours for passing or recertifying a specialty board. Those 90 hours would fulfill your Category 2 requirement for the 3 year cycle.
For publishing an article you would count the time you spent researching and writing on an hour-for-hour basis. So if you researched for five hours and wrote for two hours you would get seven hours Category 2 CME.
For teaching you would get the time you spent preparing and also the time you spent teaching. This should also be calculated on an hour-for-hour basis and counts as Category 2 CME.
Any hours that you put in to receive the Physician’s Recognition Award that also qualify as relevant may be used. The Physician’s Recognition Award and similar awards, taken by themselves, cannot be accepted as documentation.
No. The CME hours earned within a three-year cycle can be used only to fulfill the requirements for that cycle.
Documentation for Category 1 CME (provider-initiated) can be as simple as keeping a dated record of your attendance at or participation in relevant CME programs conducted by ACCME or AOA accredited institutions, along with a file of receipts or certificates verifying the information recorded.
Documentation for Category 2 CME (physician-initiated) can be simply keeping a list of relevant CME activities initiated by you and noting the nature of the activity, the date, and the hours earned.
Licensees should not mail CME documentation to the Board unless specifically asked to. Please maintain your own CME records, so that you can furnish them to the Board in the event of a CME audit. You will report hours annually during the license renewal process.
The CME used to satisfy the North Carolina CME requirement must be relevant to your actual practice of medicine.The Board considers CME that has a direct impact on the care of patients to be practice-relevant.
Public documents are most easily accessed via the Board’s web site. All public documents associated with a particular licensee are listed at the bottom of the licensee’s information page, which may be viewed using the “Look Up a Licensee” tool on this web site. Documents will be listed in the order posted and may be printed or downloaded from the Board’s site. Certain documents, such as hearing transcripts, may not be available via the web site but they are available to the public. for assistance in obtaining copies of transcripts.
Typically, a disciplinary case first becomes public information when the Board issues a notice of charges and allegations, a legal document that states the Board’s case against the licensee and provides certain details of the evidence the Board has gathered in the case. Once charges are issued, a public hearing is typically held and, after hearing both sides of the case, the Board determines what discipline, if any, is warranted. Alternatively, a case in which charges have been issued may be resolved with a consent order, which is a negotiated settlement that resolves the case without the need for a hearing. Consent orders are presented for the Board’s consideration in open session
A significant number of cases are resolved before the Board takes the step of issuing formal charges and allegations. In such cases, the case becomes public when Board attorneys, and the counsel for the licensee involved, present the terms of the consent order to the Board for consideration and possible approval.
The Board employs a full time Legal Department, which currently employs five attorneys, including the department director, and three legal assistants. The Legal Department prepares charges and allegations against licensees and prosecutes cases the Board has voted to pursue. The department also assists other Board staff in following licensees who have entered into consent orders (negotiated settlements) with the Board or who have accepted other conditions or discipline to resolve a case to ensure compliance.
No. Physicians wanting to practice teleradiology will need to obtain a full license
It will be detemined upon completion of the application as to whether a physician will be required to appear for a personal interview.
You should not expect the application process to take less than four months. Processing time will take longer during the months of March through August, due to the increased number of residents and relocating physicians. We recommend you allow four to six months of total processing time if you wish to be granted a license during these months.
Most states do not use the NC Medical Board’s license verification form as they have their own form which is acceptable to the NC Medical Board. The NC Medical Board accepts Veridoc license verifications.
If you have a Connecticut license, complete the form and forward to the Connecticut Medical Board.
You should always send mail to the PO Box address unless you are sending the information via overnight delivery.
Fax documents are not permitted unless prior permission has been given by the license department.
You can check the status of your online application by clicking the “check status“ link on the website.
You should send an e-mail to and advise which requirement states not received and that it’s not applicable to you.
Yes. North Carolina law requires that physicians register their license within thirty days of their birthday each year.
You should contact their office at 817-868-4000 or www.fsmb.org/fcvs.html
The NC Medical Board does not require verification of training licenses.
No.
No.
You will need to complete the full physician license application online.
Fingerprint cards and the authority to release information form should be sent to the NC Medical Board together. Fingerprint cards cannot be forwarded to the appropriate agency until the online application fee has been paid.
Send an e-mail to the and provide your mailing address. When you receive the cards from us, go to your local law enforcement agency, have them filled out and mail them back to the NCMB.
No. North Carolina does not have “reciprocity” with any other states at this time. Physicians who wish to practice in North Carolina must obtain a license in this state.
Your three-year CME cycle is calculated based on the CME rule (Subchapter 32R – Continuing Medical Education requirements).
Questions regarding your CME?
Your current CME hours can be accessed on our website. Visit www.ncmedboard.org and click on “Update Licensee Info Page” in the green Quick Links menu on the right. Log in using your FileID# and date of birth. The tab “Preferences/CME” will allow you to view the CME hours in your current three-year cycle.
If you have questions or need to make changes, please .
To request that a license be placed on inactive status, send an email to the Board’s renewal coordinator. This email address may be accessed by going to “Contact Us” on the Board’s web site or by clicking here. Be sure to include your full name and license number in your email request for inactive status. You may also send us your request in writing via USPS. Send your letter to the North Carolina Medical Board, Registration, PO Box 20007, Raleigh , NC 27619-0007.
ALL licensees are strongly urged to understand the implications of going inactive before taking this step. Practitioners with inactive licenses are not required to renew annually with the Board or to pay the annual renewal fee. Inactive practitioners MAY NOT practice medicine or surgery, write prescriptions or administer prescription drugs in NC under any circumstances.
To reinstate an inactive license, it is typically necessary to apply to the Board, meet the current licensing requirements and pay the full licensing fee, which is currently $388 for MD/DO licensees. This fee includes $38.00 for a criminal background check. If there has been an interruption in the continuous, clinical practice of medicine greater than two (2) years, the applicant must reestablish his or her competence to practice medicine safely to the Board’s satisfaction. Click here to read the Board’s position on re-entering the practice of medicine.
Before making any decision about going inactive, the Board recommends that licensees thoroughly familiarize themselves with the requirements of reactivating or reinstating a license, including the possible need for a plan of re-entry. Please read the related FAQs on reactivating and reinstating licenses. For additional information, check the license application requirements for reactivation and reinstatement. This content can be found in the Licensing section of this web site.
CME hours must be reported in a certain way for the database to recognize them. Use only whole numbers (no decimals) when entering your CME hours. Do not add any additional text.
You may inform the NC Medical Board by filling out the survey at the end of the renewal process or by e-mailing the renewal department.
Only North Carolina residents are required to enter hospital privileges.
Only licensees who practice in North Carolina are required to enter their county.
Online renewals are processed immediately. You can verify that your renewal went through by simply going to “Look Up a Licensee” on the Board’s website. Enter your name and then click on the details page link. If the “annual renewal” date has been updated your registration has successfully gone through.
Yes, but if it is more than 60 days before your next birthday, you must contact the renewal department.
Yes. If you have not registered within 30 days of your birthday, a late fee is added and you will be sent a certified return receipt letter. You have 30 days from the date of receipt of this letter (as evidenced by the return receipt) to renew. If your renewal is not received within this period, your license will be placed on inactive status. It is unlawful to practice with an inactive license.
Yes. All active licensees in NC must register their license every year within 30 days of their birthday. This requirement applies even if the license is issued shortly before the birthday. The licensee must pay the annual renewal fee in addition to the license application fee.
Your current CME hours can be accessed on our website. Visit www.ncmedboard.org and click on “Update Licensee Info Page” in the green Quick Links menu on the right. Log in using your FileID# and date of birth. The tab “Preferences/CME” will allow you to view the CME hours in your current three-year cycle.
If you have questions or need to make changes, please .
The file is probably being opened by QuickTime. You need to uncheck the TIFF Mime Type in QuickTime. In QuickTime, click on: Edit, then Preferences, then QuickTime Preferences, then Browser(tab), then Mime Settings…(button), then Images - Still images files and then TIFF. This should allow you to view the entire document.
Licensees are asked to limit their cited publications to peer reviewed published work; choose articles that are clearly indicative of expertise in your area of practice.
No, the address you select as ‘public’ will appear on our website. If you select the practice address to be public and there is no data entered, the city and state from your home address will be posted.
No, the information you entered during the renewal process will appear on your Licensee Information Pages. However, you have the opportunity to enter additional information on your Licensee Information Pages to market yourself and your practice. If any required information changes, you must update that information on your Licensee Information Pages within 60 days. A list of required information can be accessed through the Licensee Information login screen.
No. Email addresses will not be posted on the Board’s public website. See the note on the Address pages, which reads: “Your public address (except for email) will be visible to the public on the Board’s website.“
To retrieve your File ID number go to the Licensee Information Update log in page. On the bottom right side of this page click the “Recover File ID” button. A window will appear asking your Social Security Number and Date of Birth.
No, you are required to enter your information online through the North Carolina Medical Board’s website. We will not supply forms for you to complete.
You may email us at .
Failure to provide the required information by licensees to the Board may constitute unprofessional conduct and could result in disciplinary action pursuant to NCGS 90-5.2. We recommend you review and update the data on your Licensee Information Pages to insure complete and accurate information will be published on the Board’s website.
Yes. You are required to list all malpractice cases that resulted in a judgment, award, payment or settlement. However, only payments that occurred on or after May 1, 2008 will be public. If the payment was made as part of a settlement that occurred on or after May 1, 2008, only settlements of $75,000 or more will be public.
Any page that is not applicable, please leave blank.
If you do not get a message stating “Your changes have been successfully applied”, you should review the top of the page for any error messages in red. An error message alerts you to any corrections that may be required to complete the page.
The Licensee Information system is programmed to time out in 20 minutes. If you need to step away for a while, click on “Apply” at the bottom of the page to save the information you have entered. After the system has timed out you will need to log back in to continue. It may be necessary to close your Web browser and relaunch it before logging back in.
You may log in to the NCMB Licensee Information system as often as needed to add new information or to make changes. The Licensee Information system is available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Go to www.ncmedboard.org and click on “Update Licensee Info Page” which is the second item listed in the green “Quick Links” column on the right. You will be prompted to provide your File ID and your Date of Birth. Then click on the Login button.
Sometimes we receive information from the SBI background check that wasn’t indicated on the application. When this occurs, the applicant is required to send in additional information/materials. There are also documents (such as reference forms & education certification forms) that must be submitted by other individuals and agencies. The licensure process for perfusionists is:
1. Application is submitted.
2. Application is processed (biographical data is entered into our system & fingerprint cards are submitted to the SBI).
3. Once the application is complete (license verifications, databank queries, SBI report and all other requested information has been received) the application is sent to Perfusionist Advisory Committee (PAC) member for review.
4. If the application or SBI report reveals negative information, the applicant may be asked to come for an interview with the PAC.
5. The applicant is then placed on the vote list for the next meeting of the PAC.
6. If approved by the PAC, the applicant’s name will then be placed on the vote list for the next meeting of the North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) - extracted
If you have applied for a provisional perfusionist license you will need a supervising perfusionist. You will be required to complete and submit a Designation of Supervising Perfusionist form.
Once you have passed the exams for certification, have the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) send us verification. They may require a fee for this. You will also need to submit a written request and the required NCMB fee to have your provisional license converted to a full license.
Those schools and programs that closed probably have an agency or person that still possesses transcripts of the student who attended the program. If a school or program has closed and there is no way to obtain transcripts from some other source, then the applicant should contact the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP), since the perfusionists have to provide transcripts to that certification agency. If all of that fails, then you will need to submit a statement to the PAC stating that you are not able to obtain transcripts.
Yes, CFR 1306.12 prohibits the refilling of schedule II controlled susbstances. PA rule 21 NCAC 32S .0212(4) mandates that a PA can only prescribe a 30 day supply for schedules II, IIN, III, and IIIN.
The federal government may employ a PA to work in a federal facility in North Carolina without requiring the PA to hold a NC license. However, many PAs employed by the federal government and working in federal facilities do hold an active NC license.
Federally employed PAs are governed by federal rules and regulations in regard to how they practice while working within federal facilities. However, a federally employed PA who holds a NC license and wants to maintain the license must comply with NC rules that pertain to maintaining an active license (i.e. annual renewal, CME and payment of fees). Also, any PA who carries a NC license is expected to practice competently, act professionally and be of requisite good character no matter where, or for whom, he or she works.
The Board sends information to the address you provide on your application. It is important to maintain a current address in order to receive correspondence from the Board. You can easily change your address online.
The Board’s website is considered primary source verification. You must see “active” under your name and the primary supervising physician’s name along with the date on the website in order to begin practicing. A letter will be mailed to you and the primary supervising physician within two business days. You and your supervising physician(s) must keep a copy of this Intent to Practice Acknowledgement Letter at all practice sites.
Intent to Practice forms are processed on the Board’s website. As soon as you complete the form you will be able to view the information on the website under your name. If the primary supervising physician is not displayed as “active” but rather says “pending,“ this may be because the PA, physician or both have a public file/other issues. These types of Intent to Practice forms may take longer to process.
Be sure to use correct grammer and punctuation and include the full site address when completing this form. Failure to do so may delay processing.
You may send your completed PA application, two fingerprint cards and Authority to Release Information form to the Board before sending other items, such as reference letters, etc.
There are appoximately 3,900 PAs licensed to practice in North Carolina.
No. NCMB cannot share applicant information with anyone except the applicant.
No.A physician in a resident training program must be supervised by a fully licensed physician.
No, this is not required under state law or by the NCMB. However, PA entries into inpatient charts (hospital, long-term care facilities) must comply with the institution’s rules and regulations. This means that any given supervising physician, medical practice, hospital or medical facility is free to impose its own guidelines, including co-signing of patient charts, and the physician assistant is expected to comply with that physician’s or institution’s rules and regulations.
First six months of new supervisory arrangement: The primary supervising physician and the PA in a new practice arrangement must meet monthly for first six months to discuss relevant clinical problems and quality improvement measures.
After first six months: The primary supervising physician and PA must meet at least every six months to discuss relevant clinical problems and quality improvement measures.
A record of all of these meetings must be signed and dated by both primary supervising physician and PA and be available for NCMB representative inspection.
Yes, the primary supervising physician retains professional responsibility for the care rendered by the PA within the scope of his or her individualized supervisory arrangement.
The PA is an agent of his or her primary supervising physicians in the performance of all medical practice related activities, including ordering of diagnostic, therapeutic and other medical services within the scope of his or her individualized supervisory arrangement.
The back-up supervising physician is responsible for the medical acts performed by the physician assistant only when the back-up supervising physician is actively supervising the PA.
No. However, PAs may not practice without a primary supervising physician in place. Physician and PA teams must ensure that the PA’s scope of practice is identified, that the delegation of medical tasks is appropriate to the skills of the supervising physician as well as the PA’s competence level, and that the relationship of, and access to, each supervising physician is defined, and that the PA’s performance evaluation process is established.
A PA is only required to have one primary supervising physician. The primary supervising physician is the physician who accepts full responsibility and liability for the PA’s medical activities and professional conduct at all times, whether the physician personally is providing supervision or supervision is being provided by a back-up supervising physician.
A physician assistant is not required to have a back-up supervising physician but is encouraged to have one during those times a primary supervising physician may not be readily available. The back-up supervising physician is the physician who accepts responsibility for supervision of PA’s activities in absence of primary supervising physician. The back-up supervising physician is responsible and liable for PA’s activities ONLY when providing supervision.
All supervising physicians must be licensed by NCMB and not prohibited from supervising PAs. Primary and back-up supervising physicians must ensure PA has adequate back-up for any procedure performed by PA in any practice location (office, home, hospital, etc.).
A supervisory arrangement is a written statement that describes medical acts, tasks and functions (including prescriptive authority instructions) delegated to the PA by the primary supervising physician appropriate to the PA’s qualification, training, skill and competence. The primary supervising physician and the PA must sign and date the supervisory arrangement, keep it on file at all practice sites and make it available to the Board if requested.
If there is a back-up supervising physician, they are required to complete the back-up supervising physician form. This form must be signed and dated by the back-up supervising physician, primary supervising physician and the PA. This form must be kept onsite as a part of the supervisory arrangement.
A PA’s scope of practice includes those medical acts, tasks or functions, including prescribing and dispensing of drugs and medical devices, that are delegated by the supervising physician in his or her individualized supervisory arrangement.
All active licensees in NC must register their license no later than 30 days after their birthday. After 30 days, if you have not registered, then you will be sent a certified return receipt letter stating that you have 30 days from the date of receipt to register (as evidenced by the return receipt). It is during the second 30 days you must pay the late fee. If your registration is not received within this period your license will be placed on inactive status.
Yes. All active PA licensees must renew annually within 30 days of their birthdays.
There is no specific limit. However, the supervising physician is expected to provide adequate supervision and comply with all applicable laws and rules.
Reactivation Application: PAs whose licenses have been inactive one year or less due to failure to register and have no issues may complete the online reactivation application.
Reinstatement Application: PAs with licenses that have been inactive for more than one year due to failure to register, or whose licenses have been suspended or revoked, should complete the online reinstatement application.
Yes. North Carolina law requires that physician assistants register with and pay a fee to the NCMB within thirty days of their birthday each year, no matter when the PA license is issued.
When engaged in professional activities, PAs must wear a name tag consistent with N.C.G.S. 90-640. It is acceptable for physician assistants to use the abbreviation “PA” on their badges.
Applicants who graduated from a PA program two or more years ago must submit documentation of at least 100 hours of CME earned in the last two years. If it has been less than two years since your graduation, you are not required to submit CME.
No. The primary supervising physician must ensure that the PA’s scope of practice is clearly identified and that the delegation of the medical tasks is appropriate to the skills and competencies of both the supervising physician and the PA.
No, you need not place your license on inactive status; however, you are required to find a new primary supervising physician in order to practice, generally within 30 days. You will be required to successfully submit a new Intent to Practice form with the new supervising physician’s information in order to resume practice as a PA in NC.
No, but you are required to keep a backup supervising physician list at all practice sites of all backup supervising physicians. The lists must be signed and dated by each backup supervising physician, the primary supervising physician, and the PA.
The NCMB Website is considered primary source verification. If you look up your name on the Website and can see your name as active with the primary supervising physician’s name as active along with the date, you can begin practicing. Letters are processed and mailed out within two business days. The Intent to Practice Acknowledgement letter is sent to the physician assistant and the primary supervising physician. PAs and their primary supervising physician(s) should keep a copy of the Intent to Practice Acknowledgment letter at all practice sites.
As of January 2007, Intent to Practice forms are processed via the Board’s Website. Paper forms are no longer accepted. Processing via the website occurs in real time. As soon as the process has been completed you should be able to view the information on the website under your name. If your primary supervising physician is not showing as “active” but rather as “pending” this is because either the PA, the physician (or both) may have a public file or other issues. These types of Intent to Practice forms will take longer to review and process.
The three reference forms included with the PA application are required. One must be from a physician and two must be from peers. References cannot be from relatives or fellow students.
Failure to submit a complete application is a major reason for delays. Please do not use nicknames and include all names used (i.e. first, middle, last, maiden, married, etc.). Make sure the application is signed/dated/notarized correctly. Please send original forms. Processing will NOT begin without a completed original application and paid fee.
If you answer any of the screening questions with an affirmative answer, please send all original supporting documentation and request that the court(s) send their documentation/transcripts directly to the NCMB. Please send the completed fingerprint cards (2) and the completed original Authority for Release of Information form as soon as possible.
While each case is different, due to the volume of applicants, it is usually a three to four month process from the time of receipt by the NCMB for applications with no “yes” answers to the “red flag” questions on the application. Applications that have affirmative answers may or may not take longer based on the information received.
The PA completes the online application, pays the fee and sends the original, completed application with all the attachments. NCMB staff reviews the application and updates its database daily as information about credentials and education is received. It is the PA’s responsibility to check the status of their application online using the “Check Status” tool on this website to determine whether documents have been received by the Board. The completed application is reviewed by a Board Member and the license may be issued, or an interview may be necessary, or the file may be added to the next Board Meeting schedule to be voted on. Due to the amount of applications received, it may take three to four months to process your application.
Helpful tips when completing your PA application:
We can not begin to process your application without receiving the completed application and fee. Be sure the application is signed, dated and notarized correctly and that you send all original forms. Please include all names used (i.e. maiden, married, etc.), but do not include nicknames.
If you answer any of the questions with an affirmative answer, send all original supporting documentation and request the court(s) send any documentation or transcripts directly.
Please send your two fingerprint cards and the completed original Authority for Release of Information form as soon as possible.
Finally, it is best to check the website to see if your license has been issued.
No; however, you may not commence practice until you receive notification that your Intent to Practice form has been processed by the Board.
No. PAs are required to have an active license and primary supervising physician acknowledgment (NCMB must have processed the Intent to Practice form) to practice as a PA in NC.
Reactivation is appropriate for physicians who were previously licensed in NC and have been inactive for LESS THAN one year.
However, if the license was made inactive as a result of a disciplinary action by the Board (e.g., suspension) the physician MAY NOT submit an application for reactivation, even if he or she was inactive for less than 12 months.
In short, reactivation is for practitioners who were previously licensed in NC and have been inactive for LESS THAN one year. Reinstatement is for previously-licensed practitioners who have been inactive for MORE THAN one year and for ALL licensees who are inactive as a result of disciplinary action by the Board.
Physicians who previously held a NC license but who have been inactive for MORE THAN one year may submit an application for reinstatement of their license.
In addition, ALL licensees who are inactive as a result of disciplinary action by the Board, regardless of how long they have been inactive, must submit an application for reinstatement to be considered for an active medical license.
Candidates for reinstatement must essentially submit a new application for licensure in NC. To see the full requirements for reinstating a NC physician license, click here.
It is important to understand that any licensee who has been out of clinical practice for two or more years must meet an additional requirement to reestablish their competence to practice medicine safely to the satisfaction of the Board. This typically involves having a licensed physician colleague approved by the Board mentor the re-entering licensee for a set period (this period is determined by the licensee and the Board on a case-by-case basis). Click here to read the Board’s Position Statement on the subject of competence and re-entering the practice of medicine.
A candidate for reactivation must complete a process similar to the annual license renewal. They must answer a series of detailed questions designed to identify potential problems or “red flags”, pay a fee, submit completed fingerprint cards to the Board and document continuing medical education (CME) earned during the period they were inactive (if any), among other requirements. To see the full requirements for reinstating a NC physician license, click here.
If you are seeking verification of NC licensed doctors for international adoptions, please contact our office via . In your email message, please include all relevant doctors’ names. The cost is $25 per doctor and you will receive two copies of the verification for each doctor.
This has a tendency to slow down the overall process. We mail all verifications within three days. We can easily tell you that we mailed it, but what you really want to know is if the receiving end has received it. So, you may wish to start there. You must allow for processing on both ends, especially on the receiving end. If they have not received (or internally processed) it in two weeks please and we will verify the mail date for you via return email.
If the exam you took in North Carolina was the FLEX, SPEX or USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3, you will need to request these scores directly from the Federation of State Medical Boards, which is the repository for these exam scores. However, if you took the North Carolina Licensing Exam prior to 1976, then you can request these scores by sending a written request along with a check or money order in the amount of $35.00 payable to the North Carolina Medical Board. The North Carolina Licensing Exam is an older exam predating FLEX, SPEX and USMLE.
Although verifications are requested from the NCMB online, the actual verification letter and supporting documents are processed on paper. Once the verification is requested, a report is generated, letters are printed and signed by the Executive Director, and the Medical Board seal is affixed to them. Finally, the documents are mailed to the destination you typed in during the verification process.
Different boards and credentialing agencies have different names or terminology for licensure verification, including “letter of good standing”. The terms verification and letter of good standing are equivalent for any medical or training license you hold in North Carolina, whether active or inactive. The NCMB has had no problems with other states or authorities refusing to accept its verifications.
Once you order a verification online, the NCMB generates a letter form typed on Board letterhead that contains all of the information that the receiving authority needs to verify a license (or past license) in North Carolina. Our letter form has been accepted by all other state medical boards and credentialing agencies for more than ten years.