It’s good practice to do some background checks about your physicians and all personnel working in health services.
That’s why the United States made the lookup process easy across all states. While there are slight differences, the primary route is as follows: Browse the state government’s official website, find the license verification section, and enter some information.
The Wisconsin Department of Health is no different. This guide will focus on the Wisconsin Physician License lookup and explain the process in detail.
Key Takeaways
- Wisconsin offers an online license lookup for verifying physicians’ credentials and eligibility.
- Search options include license number, name, organization, or license type.
- The lookup shows basic info like license status, renewal dates, and subspecialties.
- Always verify physician licenses to ensure safety and up-to-date medical knowledge.
Table of Contents
How to Look Up a Physician License in Wisconsin?
To look up a license, you must have one or more of the following pieces of information:
- License (credential number)
- The first and/or last name of the physician
- The organization name
- The license type
If you have any of this information, go to the Department of Safety and Professional Services’s official website and navigate your way to the License Lookup section.
You have the option of logging in with your organization credentials, but you can still look up a license without manually signing in. The website will automatically sign you in as a guest user.
From there, you can select one of the four options available in the drop-down list based on the information you have.
Note: The Wisconsin State Medical Board is the primary source verification website. Any other website that requires you to pay for the verification process is a scam.
Searching by License Number
Having your physician’s credential number is the quickest way to look up their license, as every physician has their own license number that is never duplicated.
Enter the license number, which is usually composed of a letter followed by a series of numbers, then click search.
If you do everything correctly, you should come up with only one result: the physician you’re looking for.
Searching by Name
If you select this option, you’ll first have to handle four search boxes, the first being the category which you should set to “Health” from the professional services drop-down list.
Follow by selecting the profession, then enter the first and last name of the physician. You can search using the initials of the name, but the more accurate the name is, the more refined your search will be.
Searching by Organization
If you don’t have the name or the license number of the physician you’re seeking, you may be able to look them up through the organization they work in.
Once again, select the “Health” category and the corresponding profession, then manually write down the organization name.
Searching by License Type
This is the least refined searching option, as it can potentially allow you to surf through hundreds of physicians. However, it is useful if you have no information about the physician except for their specialty.
Select their license name (which corresponds to their specialty) and start your search.
Keep in mind that looking up a physician doesn’t give you every little piece of information about them. To prevent you from exerting the search effort for results that may not show up, here’s what you’ll actually see once you find the physician:
- Full name
- Profession
- License type and number
- Eligibility to practice and current license status
- License grant date
- License expiry date
- Location of the physician’s work
- Subspecialties
- Other names (if applicable)
- Organization name (if applicable)
For demonstration, here’s a lookup of an MD named Elizabeth Anne Dabrowski:
Source: License.wi.gov
When to Look Up a Physician License?
A good practice is to always look up the license of any new physician, especially if they’re expected to perform one or more procedures on you in the near future.
Legitimate physicians in Wisconsin must finish med school and at least two years of accredited residency training (PGY-1 and PGY-2). Then, they should pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) before the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board allows them to practice medicine.
All of this requires patience, dedication, and a great deal of medical knowledge to achieve. Unfortunately, some people who lack the necessary knowledge manage to find their way around the licensing process and end up with fake licenses. This can be extremely dangerous for patient safety.
Fortunately, looking up medical licenses is available for everyone without any fees. However, if you do find something wrong in a physician’s license, double and triple-check the information you entered to avoid any accidental false claims.
Looking up a license also shows you if a physician is regularly renewing their license. Wisconsin state requires renewal every two years, with 30 hours of continuing medical education (CME).
Non-renewal suggests that the physician is not pursuing continuing education, which also suggests that they are lagging behind in terms of medical knowledge.
Related: How to Get your Wisconsin Medical License
Closing Thoughts
Just like it’s good practice for people to ensure they have the best physicians, it’s great practice for physicians to become the best version of themselves.
That involves succeeding in both the medical and financial aspects, both of which are challenging to handle on your own.
If you need a partner to guarantee your success as a physician, look no further than Physicians Thrive, a team of expert doctors who will guide you every step of the way.
Contact us to get started, let us know of your individual situation, and we’ll tailor a success plan for you.
