Physician - Initial Licensure

Education - Graduation from a medical or osteopathic college approved by the board.

Postgraduate Training – Completion of at least 24 months postgraduate training accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Note: Applicants who have completed 12 consecutive months of training and are continuing in the same program can apply if the postgraduate training program completes the attestation in Form 2165.

National Exam – Completion of a national exam sequence approved by the board.

Applicants, recruiters, institutions, and others involved in the placement of individuals who seek to be credentialed in the state of Wisconsin should understand that the credentialing process takes time and that credentialing is not guaranteed to any applicant. Factors that determine the length of time it may take to process an application include the length of time the applicant has been in practice, the total number of jurisdictions in which the applicant has been credentialed, and the length of time it takes for supporting documents to be received in the Board office and reviewed.

The application consists of an all-inclusive packet with instructions and information on all applicable requirements. We strive to process applications in a timely fashion. We cannot issue a credential until all of the required documents have been received and reviewed in the Board office.

It is the Department’s mission and legislative mandate to provide consumer protection for Wisconsin residents. The Department and the Board have been asked to waive requirements to expedite the process, only to discover legitimate grounds to deny a credential. This can present a serious problem for the applicant, recruiter, or institutions if the applicant has relocated, purchased property, or made other commitments prior to the issuance of a Wisconsin credential. We urge you not to make these moves until you know that your credential has been issued. Please “plan ahead” as we cannot speed up the credentialing process or waive supporting documents even in emergency situations.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

After logging in, select Apply for a License and choose:

• Category: Health

• License Type: Physician – MD or Physician – DO

• Application Method: Initial Application

Optional: Enter your FSMB Federation ID information

If you have an account and profile with the FSMB, you may enter the FSMB Federation ID during the application process to prepopulate school information, post-graduate training and fellowships, practice history, and other activities. This does not verify these items. We are currently aware of an issue where some FSMB Federation IDs are not being recognized by LicensE. If you receive an error when entering your ID, continue with your application by entering education, training, and other activity information manually into the application.

Optional: Enter your Specialties

We do not verify specialties. This information may be updated in the future on your application and/or license by submitting a LicensE support ticket. A support ticket may be submitted by using the Request Support feature at the top of the page.

Please Note: You are not required to provide all documents before initial application submission. You do not need to upload documents to every available category. 

The Department accepts the physician information profile completed by FCVS through the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). If you choose to utilize FCVS, you may not need to submit DSPS forms to verify the following:

• Medical School Education (Form 2164);

• Post-Graduate Training (Form 2165);

• Reporting of licensure exam scores;

• Physician Data Center Profile from the FSMB;

• National Practitioner Data Bank Report;

• ECFMG certificate. 

If the FCVS is incomplete, you will be prompted to request the missing items. Staff will upload documents from FSMB when they review your application.

Note: The FSMB Uniform Application (UA) does not provide the same items as the FCVS report.

Complete the applicant portion of Form 2164 and send directly to your medical school. We will also accept education verification provided via the FCVS report.

Complete the applicant portion of Form 2165 and send directly to your postgraduate training program(s). We will also accept postgraduate training verification provided via the FCVS report. 

Note: not all postgraduate training programs are included in an FCVS report. Both accredited and unaccredited training programs require verification.

Foreign medical graduates: Upload a copy of your Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Certificate to your application documents area. We will also accept the ECFMG provided via the FCVS report.

All candidates must request the “Practitioner Request for Information Disclosure” (Self-Query) from the National Practitioner Data Bank. 

Visit the NPDB website and select the option that reads “Self-Query.” After the NPDB has completed your request, they will send the Self-Query response directly to you. 

Once received, you will need to provide a copy of the response to the Department by uploading directly to your LicensE application. If you have further questions regarding this report, contact the NPDB helpline at (800) 767-6732.

All MDs applying for licensure must complete the Physician Profile Data Report from the American Medical Association (AMA). You do not need to be an AMA member to request the report.

All DOs applying for licensure may use the AMA or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) website. AMA or AOA will send your report directly to our department.

Staff will upload this when they review your application.

All candidates must request the “Physician Data Center Profile” (PDC Report) from the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). FSMB will provide your report(s) directly to our department through a web portal. Staff will upload this when they review your application.

For all other licenses or certifications, both current and expired. Have verification of your license sent directly to us from each state where you have ever held a full license (not temporary or educational/training license).

We can accept verifications directly from other state boards by email (DSPSCredMedBd@wisconsin.gov), postal mail, VeriDoc, or the LicensE third party upload portal.

Questions and clarifications about your application should be submitted as support tickets in LicensE. Email addresses provided for document submission are not monitored for support purposes. After a document is emailed, you can submit a support ticket to alert our staff.

Complete the applicant portion of Form 2167 and send to each facility where you have worked in the last three years, They will complete the document and upload it to your application. We cannot accept verification submitted by the applicant. 

If a facility is unwilling or unable to complete the form, we will need a statement from the facility as to why they cannot complete the form. Applications without all employment verifications may require additional review. 

We are not collecting photographs at this time. This will be marked off on your due diligence once your application is reviewed

Complete Form 12829 - Physician Malpractice Suits or Claims Form if appliable. Upload all required documents directly to your LicensE application’s Supporting Documents page in the Malpractice Suits or Claims section.

Supporting Documents for State Board Discipline – If a licensing agency has ever taken disciplinary action against you, upload a statement and copies of all disciplinary documents.

The following information is required to be submitted to the Board when requesting a waiver of ACGME/AOA approved postgraduate training in addition to a complete initial application.

• License in another jurisdiction or hardship (must define what your hardship is and why it kept you from completing 2 years of ACGME/AOA approved postgraduate training). If you do not have either of these, you are not eligible to request a waiver.

• A letter requesting the waiver, which must include what training and/or experience you have received and your rationale as to why the training should be considered equivalent to that provided by 24 months of an ACGME/AOA approved post graduate training program.

• Completed Form 2165 for any and all training programs you have participated in, whether it is in or outside of the U.S., provided to the Department directly from the training facility.

• Optional: any other documentation related to your training/experience that the Board can use in determining equivalency (letter(s) of recommendation, explanation/details of the content of training completed, etc.).

Please note: The burden of proof of such equivalence shall lie upon the applicant.

Completed applications will be reviewed by the Medical Examining Board at the next available Board meeting. All applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Equivalency cannot be determined until the file is complete and reviewed by the Board. Credentialing staff are unable to make equivalency determinations.

You must complete at least one of the following:

• United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

• Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX)

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)

• Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX)

• Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) endorsement (must be taken after January 1, 1978)

• Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) endorsement (before January 1, 1978) if also board certified, subject to approval

Please see Administrative Code for additional information.

The oral examination must be completed if needed. Please see Administrative Code for additional information. You may be required to complete an oral exam if you:

• Have a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits the applicant’s ability to practice medicine and surgery with reasonable skill and safety.

• Use chemical substances so as to impair in any way the applicant’s ability to practice medicine and surgery with reasonable skill and safety.

• Have been disciplined or had licensure denied by a licensing or regulatory authority in Wisconsin or another jurisdiction.

• Have been found to have been negligent in the practice of medicine or has been a party in a lawsuit in which it was alleged that the applicant had been negligent in the practice of medicine.

• Have been convicted of a crime the circumstances of which substantially relate to the practice of medicine.

• Have lost, had reduced or had suspended his or her hospital staff privileges, or has failed to continuously maintain hospital privileges during the applicant’s period of licensure following post-graduate training.

• Have been graduated from a medical school not approved by the board.

• Have been diagnosed as suffering from pedophilia, exhibitionism or voyeurism.

• Have engaged in the illegal use of controlled substances.

• Have been subject to adverse formal action during the course of medical education, postgraduate training, hospital practice, or other medical employment.

• Have not practiced medicine and surgery for a period of 3 years prior to application, unless the applicant has been graduated from a school of medicine within that period.

The oral exam process in the State of Wisconsin was created under Administrative Code. If you are selected to appear for an oral exam, you will be scheduled to appear before the Review Panel at one of the regularly scheduled Board meetings.  If you are selected for an oral examination, an additional oral examination fee of $266.00 will be required prior to being scheduled for this exam.

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.