Your Locum Tenens recruiting agency will take care of the bulk of your licensure requirements. It is beneficial, however, for physicians to have an understanding of this process.
When participating in Locum Tenens work, each physician must be properly licensed in any state he or she will be completing assignments in. Fortunately, the experts at your recruiting agency will take on the majority of the responsibility for these licensure applications. These individuals have vast experience in dealing with the requirements of each and every state. As such, the physician is free to focus on the core of his or her work, as opposed to handling this time consuming process. Still, it is beneficial for physicians to have a grasp on the basics of state licensing.
Primary Considerations
When applying for licensure, every state will require:
- Verification of medical degree, current licenses, work history, and references;
- Documentation of any malpractice action;
- Finger Prints
- Background Check
- Follow-ups on any additional or missing information.
While all states will require this information, the process for doing so varies greatly among licensing boards. Additionally, some states are easy to work with and provide a clear outline of the required documentation, while others don’t specifically define their requirements.
What Physicians Can do to Streamline the Process
Many of these applications can take up to six months to complete, or even more if they require additional documentation or verifications. Many may even void an application if it is not completed within a certain time frame. Thus, to expedite the process, physicians can take the following steps:
- Keep a record of your malpractice information, including any current or prior suits and any coverage by past employers;
- Have your references and their contact information handy;
- Keep any certification, training, or other credential-related paperwork together for quick access; and
- Respond to your recruiter’s requests for information as soon as practicable.
Despite this seemingly complicated process, recruiting agencies are highly skilled at completing the applications with ease, accuracy, and efficiency. They are adept at responding to requests for additional information, even from states that tend to be more difficult to work with.
If you are ready to practice medicine in any location you desire, please contact us at Medstaff National Medical Staffing. We have a licensing service available to help handle all of the details and streamline the process. No matter where you want to work, our professionals will ensure that your licensure process runs smoothly.