Check who will treat you before the visit

Start with the doctor’s public licence record

The state office responsible for checking doctors’ licences is called a medical board. Its public records show whether a doctor has a licence.

The records also show public steps taken against the doctor, such as punishment for breaking rules or formal charges still waiting for a decision.

Find links to medical boards in states and territories in the directory provided by the Federation of State Medical Boards.

The federation is a group of licensing boards. The board for your state is where the public licence record is kept.

How to check a doctor’s record

1. Get the exact name

   Get the full name and licence details for the doctor doing your assessment.

2. Find the right state board

   Use the medical-board directory in the sources box. Choose the state where you will be for the visit.

3. Match the record

   Use the board’s licence search. Match the doctor’s name and licence details. Check the licence’s current status and any steps the board has taken against that doctor.

4. Ask about anything unclear

   Before arranging a visit, ask the service or board to explain any difference between the details.

MD and DO are different medical degree names.

Some states have separate boards for doctors with MD and DO degrees, so a search in the wrong board can miss a record.

Ask which board holds the doctor’s record rather than guessing.

A clear record still leaves care questions

A record with no public steps against the doctor still tells you little about their skill or whether the treatment fits you.

For remote care, permission to practise in your location matters as well as the doctor’s home-state licence.

Now ask about the medicine, the reason for it, and the plan for follow-up. Those answers belong in the consultation.