How to Check Medical Credentials & Degrees
When you trust your health to physicians, you want to make sure they are educated, trained in their specialties and have the proper credentials to support their training. Although you can directly ask your physician about his educational background and credentials at your next appointment, you may want to verify this information prior to making your first appointment. Educational background and credentials are not personal information for a physician. It is information most physicians want to share with their patients to help establish a working relationship.
Things You'll Need
- Name, address and phone number of physician
- Telephone
- Internet connection
Instructions
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Verify Your Physician's Degrees and Credentials
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Call your physician's office and ask to speak with the office manager. Inform the office manager you would like to discuss the physician's educational background and credentials. The office manager will know where the physician went to undergraduate and medical school, and what training programs he attended and for which he received credentials. The office manager may request that the doctor call you back after office hours. If you are a new patient, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns prior to your visit.
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Call your state's medical board. Each state has its own licensing board that is responsible for issuing medical licenses. These boards must have information on file for a physician's educational background. They may also have credentials for sub-specialties, such as specific cancers, on file if the physician updated his information after obtaining an M.D. degree.
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Check websites to view educational background and credentials. Information presented online may also include patient ratings, information about the physician's office and hospitals the physician is associated with.
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