If your medical career is taking you to the Sooner State, then one of your first tasks to complete is getting your medical license with the Oklahoma Medical Board. Oklahoma, located in the Great Plains, offers a rich culture and several spectacular natural features.
Many people know Oklahoma for its natural beauty, aviation and oil industries, delectable cuisine, and the need for doctors. But, of course, that doesn’t mean that getting a medical license here is any easier.
There are still plenty of questions to ask and red tape to cut. So what do you need to know to get your medical license in the state of Oklahoma?
Table of Contents
Why Consider Oklahoma Your Home?
One of the main pulls for out-of-state migrants is the diversity of locations to live in the state. As a result, you can be certain to discover the proper town in which you will feel comfortable and accepted. It may entice residents from highly populated states such as California or Texas to larger cities such as Tulsa or Oklahoma City in search of familiar metropolitan amenities at a lesser cost.
If you are opting for a calmer pace of life, you may find that a small town with easy access to surrounding cities is the way to go. But, whatever sort of lifestyle you choose, Oklahoma offers a location that will exceed your expectations.
Of course, there is another reason physicians might consider the Sooner state when looking to hang out their shingle. They need doctors, and they especially need them in rural areas. In addition, moving to Oklahoma could be a way for newly practicing doctors to pay off their school debts.
Specifically, loan repayment help is available to primary care physicians if they agree to practice in rural Oklahoma communities. But if rural life isn’t for you, there are plenty of big cities with a hometown atmosphere to consider in this state. In fact, Oklahoma City is called the biggest small town you can find. In 2017, Oklahoma City made the top 10 list of best places to raise a family.
How to Apply for a Medical License in Oklahoma
Like many states, Oklahoma has a separate process for medical doctors, or MDs, and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs. Although these two healthcare professionals do the same basic job, there is some difference in the type of training they receive. Osteopathic medicine is a science-based practice that treats the total person rather than a collection of wounded or sick bodily parts.
In Oklahoma, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine gets licensure from the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners. A Doctor of Medicine (MD) gets their license from the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision.
Requirements for a DO license in Oklahoma
Since two different governing bodies handle licensure in Oklahoma, it makes sense that the requirements are a little different for each kind of license. For a DO, full licensing requires one year of post-graduate coursework. This experience must be as a rotating internship or its equivalent in a Board-approved accredited internship or residency program.
An approved program comprises:
- General Practice training for one month
- Internal Medicine training for two months
- General Surgery training for one month
- Obstetrics and Gynecology training for one month
- Pediatrics training for one month
The DO training must also include three months of selective and three months of elective options. If the DO applicant completes a residency training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), that will also fulfill their requirement for a full license.
Read this: A Comprehensive Guide to Winning More Business and Views From Your LinkedIn Profile
Application Process
The application for a DO license is in a printout form. You can apply for a new applicant log-in to complete the application and upload documents.
After verifying the educational requirements for licensure, you must pass an exam covering the provisions in the Osteopathic Medicine Act. This will show your basic knowledge and that you follow the same philosophy as other Osteopathic doctors. You must pass the National exam prior to starting post-graduate training.
Candidates may be licensed by passing the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners or the National Board of Medical Examiners test sequence. You must provide documentation of passing examinations offered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners or the National Board of Medical Examiners with a minimum passing score or higher.
Requirements for an MD license from the Oklahoma Medical Board
As an MD, you must have completed the progressive post-graduate coursework allowed by the Board. In addition, medical school graduates in the United States must complete twelve months of advanced post-graduate training.
Applicants from overseas medical schools must submit documentation of successful completion of twenty-four months of progressive post-graduate medical training in the same medical specialty from an ACGME-approved program.
The state will also consider candidates with a post-graduate training program that must be approved by the following Royal Colleges:
- Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- Family Physicians of Canada
- Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Surgeons of England
- Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
- Surgeons in Ireland
They also accept graduates of programs in New Zealand and Australia.
Application Process
The process for a medical doctor’s license in this state starts with the application which is online. You will fill out a license application and provide documentation for verification. It is not complete until you provide all requisition documentation.
The application is comprehensive and requires chronological life history from the age of eighteen to the present, covering schooling, training, employment, military service, and non-work time.
You will also make your application payment online. The cost for a standard medical license is 500 dollars.
Verification
You must contact the Federation Credentials Verification Service to get the verification forms as part of the application process
This information can be acquired directly from the medical school as an alternative. However, the school must process a Verification of Education form and include a transcript of grades in a sealed envelope sent directly to the board.
The state also requires verification of all post-graduate education using the Verification of Post-Graduate Training form. As with the school verification, the training program must directly mail the form to the Oklahoma Medical Board and have the institution’s seal of authenticity:
Oklahoma Medical Board
101 NE 51st St,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Board Approval
Once an application is complete, you will send it to Oklahoma Medical Board members for consideration. The review process takes around two weeks. When you submit a medical licensing application, an analyst evaluates it and gives you a letter informing you of any flaws. You may check the progress of your application on our website at any time.
The application is first sent to the Board Secretary for evaluation. If everything checks out, the staff will mail your application to all Board members for voting. (They mail applications every other week to Board members.) It usually takes around two weeks for each member to return their ballots.
If all Oklahoma Medical Board members approve the application, they may award a license. However, if one or more Board members do not approve, they will examine the application at the Board’s next regularly scheduled business meeting. At that point, they will contact you and offer you the option to meet with the Board to discuss your application.
The Oklahoma Medical Board may uncover exceptions or make discoveries that cause them to deny an application. The Board shall show unequivocally why they made such exclusions in such cases. Additionally, the board may, at its discretion, request additional evidence of clinical expertise.
Exam Requirements for the Medical Board in Oklahoma
Applicants must request that test scores from the Federation of State Medical Boards or the National Board of Medical Examiners be sent directly to the Board, depending on the examination.
The board recognizes the USMLE, NBME, FLEX, and LMCC tests for licensing. The Board, however, will not accept exam scores or combined FLEX results from repeated FLEX sittings.
The Board will accept the following combinations of the USMLE, NBME, and FLEX tests:
- NBME Part 1 or USMLE Step 1 plus NBME Part 2 or USMLE Step 2 plus NBME Part 3 or USMLE Step 3
- FLEX component 1 plus USMLE Step 3; or c. NBME Part 1 or USMLE Step 1 plus NBME Part 2 or USMLE Step 2 plus FLEX Component 2
You must complete the licensure examination in ten years. A license is not available to any candidate who fails any component of a licensing examination three times. They consider an incomplete score a failing score.
Further, any candidate who has failed over six examinations is ineligible for a license if you use a combination of NBME, FLEX and USMLE. An exemption may be granted if an applicant has received certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Board.
Applicants must request that test scores from the Federation of State Medical Boards or the National Board of Medical Examiners be sent directly to the Oklahoma Medical Board, depending on the examination.
State Testing
All candidates for the first licensure as a physician or surgeon in Oklahoma must take and pass an online examination covering medical jurisprudence with a score of at least 75%. In addition, you can obtain a copy of the Jurisprudence Handbook for study. Still, if you fail three times, you must work with the Board Secretary before attempting the exam again.
Foreign Medical School Graduates
Graduates of international medical schools must present original translations of papers not printed in English. The Oklahoma Medical Board accepts translations from US Consulates and formal foreign language education institutions certified by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
An applicant may request to use another translator. You must submit such a request in writing and include the suggested translators, address, and credentials to be approved. Additionally, both the applicant and the translator must certify the translation’s correctness.
Compact License
Oklahoma is one of several states taking part in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. This provides a faster licensure path for doctors with already licensed in other participating states.
This is a voluntary and expedited pathway to getting an Oklahoma medical license for those who wish to practice in multiple states. The application process begins on the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact website.
Temporary License from the Oklahoma Medical Board
When you satisfy the Oklahoma Medical Board Secretary that you meet the legislative conditions for a complete and unrestricted license, they may award you a temporary license. For the Board Secretary to consider providing a provisional license, they must have all other state licensing verification and examination records, plus the application and costs. Issuing a temporary license is entirely discretionary. A temporary license will cost you an extra 250 dollars.
In conclusion, if you are considering making the Sooner State your home as you practice medicine, keep in mind that it takes time to collect all the proper documentation and obtain the Oklahoma Medical license. Therefore, it is a good idea to plan ahead. If you succeed in getting your Oklahoma Medical license and are going to start your own medical practice, let us help get you on track with our private practice startup service.
Want to work in a different state? We also have guides on getting licensed in many other states!
Subscribe to our email newsletter for expert tips about finances, insurance, employment contracts, and more!
