The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is an agreement among 20 states and 23 Medical and Osteopathic Boards found in those states that allows physicians to expedite the licensing process and begin practicing in one of the member states. To qualify for this process, applicants must meet certain eligibility criteria including:

• Hold a medical license in a Compact Member State
• Have at least one quarter of a practice in a Compact Member State or be employed in that state
• Must have graduated from an accredited U.S. medical school or a foreign school found in the International Medical Education Directory
• Must have successfully completed AOA or ACGME accredited medical education
• Must have passed the USMLE, COMLEX-USA or an equivalent within three attempts
• Cannot have a criminal history including a conviction, adjudication or community service for a felony, gross misdemeanor or a crime of moral turpitude
• Cannot have any disciplinary or controlled substance actions toward your license
• Cannot be currently under investigation by a licensing board or law enforcement authority in a state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction

The following states are currently members of the IMLC:

Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia are currently considering joining the IMLC.

The First 7 States to Offer Expedited Licensure

On April 6. 2017, the following 7 states began processing applications for expedited licensure:

• Idaho
• Wyoming
• Kansas
• Iowa
• Wisconsin
• Alabama
• West Virgina

The remaining states will begin processing applications once they obtain access to the FBI criminal background check system.

To begin the application procedure, please visit the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact website, fill out the short application and submit it. You must also complete and submit the following documents:

• Qualifications Application
• Affidavit and Consent
• Core Data Sheet

If you are working with a third party like a locum tenens staffing agency, your agency may have personnel who can complete this paperwork for you.  Along with the application you must submit your fingerprints for a federal criminal background check as well as a $700 application fee.

Once you are approved, you should receive a Letter of Qualification from your home State of Principal Licensure. At this point, you may choose from which IMLC member states you would like to obtain licensing. You will need to pay the appropriate licensing fee to each state medical licensing board, after which you should receive your license.  While the approval process for the Letter of Qualification involves a rigorous verification process with the participation of multiple agencies and may take several weeks to complete, the issuance of licenses typically only requires a few days.

The expedited IMLC licensure process should prove to be a boon to the medical staffing industry.  Almost 80 percent of all physicians in IMLC states now meet the eligibility criteria, granting them ready access to other member states in the capacity of a practicing permanent physician, volunteer or locum tenens replacement. 

Article written by:

Dr. Robert Moghim, CEO Onyx M.D.