Mississippi Board of Medicine: License Lookup and Renewal for MS

Currently, Mississippi houses more than 10,000 licensed physicians among almost 3 million residents of the state. The Mississippi State Department of Health is in charge of setting the safety standards and practices for everything health-related, including physicians’ practice and healthcare facilities.

The division of professional licensure is what regulates and issues the licenses to applicants after completion of the process. In this article, we will take a look at the license renewal process and how to apply for a license through the Mississippi Board of Medicine.

Mississippi Board of Medicine:

The board was created with a mission to ensure that all health and welfare of the people are held in the highest regard. They enforce strict laws on all active practitioners to ensure that they are at par with the safety standards set in place to protect all Mississippians.

The Mississippi Board of Medicine has a special division for licensures that regulates the activity of all physicians, ensuring that they are thoroughly vetted before they can practice as legal physicians and healthcare workers.

What is the minimum requirement to issue a license?

The type of license you are applying for will dictate what kind of documents you may need to process your licensure.

Documents required:

• Birth certificate or passport, driver’s license, Fingerprints (through mail or LiveScan by using MSBML), and Photographs
• Affidavit and perpetual release form
• Medical school diploma and examination reports
• Certification from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) or the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME)
• Record of 10 years or more about the applicant’s contribution to the medical licensing examination through either the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
• Duly filled verification forms requested from previous schools and programs attended by the applicant.
• Statement from the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC), if applicable.
• Verification of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

What is the process of getting a physician’s license from the medical board of Mississippi?

To apply for a physician’s license in Mississippi, you need to submit your application form through the Mississippi Enforcement and Licensure System (MELS), available online on their website.

What you need to do:

• Complete the application form
• Pay the assigned fees
• Submit all required documents along with the application form

Documents that need notarization should be sent to the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure office. The board does not accept any electronic notary signatures on any documents.

After submitting your application form for a physician’s license to the Mississippi Board of Medicine, all information that the board needs should be duly, not leaving out any details. This includes criminal background checks conducted to ensure the credibility of the practice.

The board takes 1-2 business days to process the form and notify the applicant of any additional documents that need to be submitted. If the applicant fails to pursue their license status after a period of 3 or more months, the license is then considered invalid.

The applicant will have to reapply for the license and pay all the same fees again. The same goes for any applicant who doesn’t receive their license from the board even after a year; then, the application is null and void, so the process needs to be repeated.

How does the renewal process of the Mississippi Board of Medicine license work?

You can renew all licenses till the 30th of June in the current renewal year. However, if your license was issued only after the 1st of April, your license will be valid until the 30th of June. Renewing MD or DO licenses cost about $300.00 per year. Additionally, there is a convenience fee that you have to pay along with the total renewal fee.

Applicants should send all renewal applications through the Mississippi enforcement Licensure gateway System (MELS). Late renewals have levied a fine of $25 and add $5 every month that the person does not renew their license. If the license has been inactive for a year or more, the applicant should first send an application for reinstatement to the board before going forward in the application process.

What is the application process for foreign applicants?

Anyone who graduated from an international medical school requires all applicants to verify their documents during the application process directly. This includes any kind of employment that falls within 10 years during the license application.

The school from where the applicant graduated will also need to send transcripts and verification forms to the Mississippi board to gain their licensure under the Mississippi Board of Medicine.

In case the applicants already have an international license, these licenses also need to go through a thorough scanning by the Mississippi Board of Medicine.

FAQs

How long does it take for my license to be approved?

After submitting all your documents and the application forms, it will take 1-3 days to process the form. The board will update the status of your application and make it available for tracking online.

However, the exact time it takes the board to issue your license will depend on the type of license you are applying for. The license is typically issued within 2-4 weeks after the application process.

What is the total cost of applying for a license through the Mississippi Board of Medicine?

The total cost of applying for a physician’s license in Mississippi is $550. You can pay this amount online through their application portal. For a restricted temporary license, the cost of the application is just $50. This license will be valid till the 30th of June the following year.

Is there a temporary license to apply for before getting the permanent one?

You can apply for a restricted temporary license for MD and DO licenses. However, the restrictions with this type of license are that the physician holding a restricted license will only have the right to practice within the bounds of postgraduate training programs approved by ACGME or AOA.