Timelines for Submitting a Medical Application for Licensure Using the Examination Application

The Department of Health (DOH) licenses health care providers in Florida, from physicians to nurses and more and it’s their job to issue licenses to qualified candidates.  There are two (2) types of applications: Mobile Opportunity by Interstate Licensure Endorsement (MOBILE Act) and Examination.   Knowing and understanding the difference between these two (2) applications and the timelines related to the application process can be crucial to a health care provider’s future employment.

Requirements for Examination Application

Below are the minimum requirements for applying using the Examination application:

• Graduate of an allopathic medical school or graduate of a foreign medical school with ECFMG certification;
• Completion of one (1) year of postgraduate training for American medical graduates and two (2) years of postgraduate training for foreign medical graduates;
• You must have passed a national examination;
• You must have actively practiced medicine for four (4) years preceding application for foreign medical graduates;
• You will be required to attest that you are not currently the subject of a discipline; and
• For foreign medical graduates, has an offer for full-time employment in Florida.

Key Components for Submitting an Application

• Start completing your online application as early as possible. You may submit a paper application if your prefer.
• It helps to have your curriculum vitae or resume with you when you are working on your application.
• The application requires dates in the MM/DD/YYYY format. The online application will not allow you to enter just the month and year.  Having these dates ready is also helpful.
• Be sure to submit your application fee. You will not be able to submit a completed application either online or in paper format without the required application/licensure fee.  Failing to submit the fee slows down the application process considerably.
• Request that your national examination scores or national certification be sent to the DOH, appropriate Board office.
• Request that your medical school diploma be verified to the DOH, appropriate Board office.
• Request that your postgraduate training be verified to the DOH, appropriate Board office.
• Request your ECFMG certification be verified to the DOH, appropriate Board office for foreign medical graduates.
• Go to a Live Scan Provider and get your fingerprints completed as soon as possible. Be sure to provide the Live Scan Provider with the correct ORI number for your profession, which is available on the DOH website.  Once you have completed your fingerprints, obtain the tracking number, or TCN, complete the fingerprinting form the DOH provides in the application packet and submit the form to your Board office.

Application Process and Timeline

• Once an application has been submitted, it takes 7-10 days for DOH to receive the application and post the application/licensure fee. If no fee is attached, this time frame becomes longer.
• Once the application is posted, the application processors have 30 days to conduct a review of the application and send a deficiency notice to you if there is anything missing from the application.
• Waiting for verifications and other primary source documents to arrive at the appropriate Board office generally takes the longest time in the application process. That’s why it’s important to request those documents as early as possible.  Another option is to use the Federation Credentialing Verification Service.
• When an application has been deemed complete, the DOH will issue a license to a qualified applicant within ninety (90) days.

Issues Effecting the Application Process

If there are any issues in your background, such as one or more of the following, you may be ineligible for licensure by Examination.

• Criminal history;
• Impairment history;
• Lack of required training;
• Failing to pass a national examination or failing to have a national certification recognized by the respective Board;
• On the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities; and
• Other reasons.

If any of these factors affect your medical application, the attorneys at Howell Buchan & Strong have over 30 years of health care law experience and are ready to help you with your MOBILE application.