FAQ
Q: What is the Board's position on Primary Source Verification?
A: The Licensing Division of the Board of Registration in Medicine requires primary source verification of the following documents for M.D.’s and D.O.’s prior to issuing a medical license:
- Completion of two years of premedical school education
- Completion of medical school training
- Examination scores from USMLE, National Boards, and/or FLEX
- Postgraduate training from an ACGME-accredited program (two years for graduates of medical schools in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico; three years for international medical graduates). All years of postgraduate training are collected and primary source verified at the time of initial licensure. Postgraduate training after the license is issued is not primary source verified.
- Verification of all full active and inactive licenses granted in any other state
- ECFMG status report
- National Practitioner Data Bank Profile
- American Medical Association Profile
- Federation of State Medical Boards Action Profile
- Malpractice history reports from liability carriers
Please be advised that the on-line verification information is maintained by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine and is updated every evening, in compliance with TJC and the NCQA standards for primary source verification of physician information. The AMA Physician Masterfile is recognized by the NCAQ as a primary source to verification of both medical school and postgraduate training. The information on board certification status is provided by the physician on the license application, profile, or renewal application. Board certification is not a requirement for licensure and therefore is not primary source verified. Please access the Board’s website for additional licensing requirements.
The attached document is the latest version of the Board's position letter, issued annually.