Resources for House Staff

If your current/previous Program Director is not available to complete the Evaluation Form, a Section Chief or Associate Program Director may complete it. Other faculty, advisors, or staff cannot complete the form.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate must be submitted to your training program at BMC.

The ECFMG Status Report must be sent directly to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM).

Please note that the status report is available for a limited time after you submit the request. It is recommended that you wait for your program office to alert you that the application is on its way to the MA Medical Board before you purchase the status report.

The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) requires that you pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK before a license will be issued to you.

The Board has suspended the requirement for initial limited license applicants to submit evidence of having passed USMLE Step 2 CS. This temporary suspension will automatically occur if the applicant has not previously failed USMLE Step 2 CS. If an applicant failed USMLE Step 2 CS prior to March 13, 2020, they will need to submit a request for the temporary suspension of this requirement. These requests will be considered by the Board’s Licensing Committee.

USMLE transcripts can be submitted two ways:

• A printout from the ERAS application (must show passing marks for Step 1, Step 2CK, & Step 2CS)
• An official transcript from the FSMB in a sealed envelope

“Previous training” on this application refers to all training that has been done prior to the date you enter your new training program. So, it does include your current program.

Form B cannot be submitted until after you have completed all the requirements for medical school.

By logging into your Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) portal or by calling your program office.

Do not, under any circumstances, call the Mass Medical Board.

All notaries must be U.S. notaries. If you are outside the U.S. please check with your local consulate to see if they can provide you with a notary.

No. Once you obtain a full medical license in Massachusetts, you cannot return to a limited license.

If you have a full medical license in another state, you can still apply for a Massachusetts limited license.

All non-English documents must be translated. Translations are accepted only in one of the following ways:

1. Translated by the medical school (translations and original documents must be submitted and each page much have the school seal), or
2. Translated by a company based in the United States.

The only reason you would apply for a full medical license during your training program is to moonlight, or because some specialty boards may require you to have a full license before you can take the board examination (check with your program administrator).

You should speak with your Program Director to find out if moonlighting is allowed in your program, and also review the BMC policy for residents/fellows with full medical license (posted further up this page) before applying for a full medical license.

All completed materials must be mailed directly to your program administrator. Do not mail anything to the state Medical Board.

The Credentials Verification Service of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FCVS) obtains primary-source verification of medical education, postgraduate training, examination history, board action history, board certification and identity. This repository of information allows a physician and/or physician assistant to establish a confidential, lifetime professional portfolio with FCVS which can be forwarded, at the applicant’s request, to any state medical and osteopathic board that has established an agreement with FCVS, hospital, healthcare, or other entity.

In order to use FCVS for primary source verifications, you will need to have already created an FCVS profile. If you plan to use FCVS for submission of your license application to the Massachusetts Medical Board, you will need to make sure that you send the e-file directly to the MA Medical Board, and they will download it directly from FCVS.

Please note that the e-file is available for a limited time after you submit the request. It is recommended that you wait for your program office to alert you that the application is on its way to the MA Medical Board before you submit the e-file request online.

Boston Medical Center requires a copy of the FCVS file if it is used for your license application.

As of 2023, the Massachusetts Board of Registration has switched to online medical license applications.

You must be emailed an invitation and invite code from the institution (in this case, BMC).

You can submit items piecemeal (if everything is in sealed envelopes with signature across the seal), or in one packet. Your program administrator will let you know how they would prefer to receive the information.

We highly suggest organizing the information into one packet to assure that no materials are misplaced.

Medical school diplomas are required only for graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada.

International medical school graduates must provide either (1) a notarized copy, or (2) a copy directly from the medical school with an official school seal on it.

No, the only forms returned from the Massachusetts Medical Board are original marriage certificates, and those only if the Board is (1) notified up-front that the applicant wishes them returned and (2) the applicant provides a self-addressed, stamped envelope for their return.