Physician & Surgeon Licensure Requirements Snapshot

Pennsylvania Licensure Requirements

Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities.

Degree Requirement:  

Doctorate Degree
Has graduated from an accredited medical college (within the United States/Canada) or from an unaccredited medical college (outside of the United State/Canada).  

Examination Requirement: 

1 Examination
An application must complete one of the following to satisfy the examination requirement for licensure:

A passing score on Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE);

A score of 75 on Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) I and a score of 75 on FLEX II, as determined by the Federation;

A passing score as determined by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) on the National Boards;

A passing score on Part I of the National Boards or Step 1 of the USMLE plus Part II of the National Boards or Step 2 of the USMLE plus Part III of the National Boards or Step 3 of the USMLE completed within a 7-year period;
A score of 75 on FLEX I and Step 3 of the USMLE completed within a 7-year period;

A passing score on Part I of the National Boards or Step 1 of the USMLE plus Part II of the National Boards or Step 2 of the USMLE plus FLEX II completed within a 7-year period;

Experience: 

Post-Graduate Training
An applicant must complete 2 years of graduate medical training at a first and second-year level if the applicant is a graduate of an accredited medical college. 

If the applicant is a graduate of an unaccredited medical college, the applicant must complete 2 years of approved graduate medical training and educational requirements prescribed by the board and certification by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates, or its successors.

Continuing Education: 

3 Hours (for initial licensure) 

Applicants must complete 3 hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting for initial licensure. 

100 Hours (when renewing license)  

100 hours of continuing education required for licensure renewal. 2 hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements must be completed for renewal or reactivation of a license.

4 Hours of CE in Pain Management / Practices of Prescribing or Dispensing of Opiods

Section 9.1(a) of ABC-MAP* requires that all prescribers or dispensers, as defined in Section 3 of ABC-MAP, applying for licensure/approval complete at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. Applicants seeking licensure/approval on or after July 1, 2017, must document, within one year from issuance of the licensure/ approval, that they completed this education either as part of an initial education program, a stand-alone course from a Board-approved course provider, or a continuing education course from an approved continuing education provider. 

The 4 hours of Board-approved education needs to be completed only once. See the Board’s website for the Opioid Education Forms and additional information.

Initial Licensing Fee: 

$35.00 – Graduate of Accredited Medical School 

$85.00 – Graduate of Unaccredited Medical School 

Licensure Renewal Fee: 

$360.00
Biennial renewal of license.

Licensure by Endorsement/Extraterritorial license & Licensure By Act 41:

The Board will grant a license without restriction to an applicant who does not meet the standard license requirements if the applicant has achieved cumulative qualifications which are endorsed by the Board as being equivalent to the standard requirements for the license. An extraterritorial license authorizes a medical doctor who possesses a license to practice medicine and surgery without restriction or an equivalent license to practice medicine and surgery Pennsylvania.
An extraterritorial license will be issued under the following circumstances: (1) The applicant shall possess a license to practice medicine and surgery without restriction or an equivalent license in a state adjoining this Commonwealth. (2) Reside in or maintain an office of practice in the adjoining state near its boundary line with this Commonwealth and desire to extend that practice into this Commonwealth.
(3) Submit evidence with the application that the applicant is in compliance with professional liability insurance responsibilities imposed by the MCARE Act. (4) Arrange for the licensing authority of the adjoining state to file a certification with the Board, issued by that licensing authority, attesting to the fact that the applicant is licensed in that state.

Act 41 allows for portability of out-of-state professional licensees coming to work in Pennsylvania. Act 41 does this by granting all boards and commissions within the Commonwealth the authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing and without discipline against their license or criminal conviction.