• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Possess Good Moral Character.
• Pre-Medical Education: Completion of two or more academic years at a legally chartered college or university, which must include courses in biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, or their equivalent as determined by the Board.
• Medical Education: Completion of four academic years of instruction, of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year, in a legally chartered medical school, and receipt of the degree of doctor of medicine or its equivalents from a school accredited by the LCME or AOA.
  • International medical graduates only: Receipt of a degree of doctor of medicine, or its equivalent from a program determined by the Board to be substantially equivalent to the medical school programs accredited by the LCME/AOA.
  • IMG – Off-Site Clinical Rotations/Substantial Equivalency Waiver: IMG’s who completed more than 3 months of any medical school clinical study off-site of their medical school and without supervision by the medical school faculty must submit a request for a waiver of substantial equivalency of medical education.
    • The Board has determined the medical education received at the following schools is substantial equivalent to that of an LCME/AOA accredited medical school. Graduates of these schools do not need to request a waiver of substantial equivalency: 
      • St. George’s University School of Medicine;
      • SABA University;
      • Ross University School of Medicine;
      • The American University of the Caribbean; and
      • American University of Antigua College of Medicine.  
• Postgraduate Medical Education:
  • U.S. or Canadian medical school graduates: Completion of two (2) years of ACGME, AOA or Canadian accredited postgraduate medical training.
  • International medical school graduates: Completion of three (3) years of ACGME, AOA or Canadian accredited postgraduate medical training.

• ECFMG Certificate: International medical graduates only. Possession of an ECFMG certificate which is valid on its face and valid as of the date of licensure.
• Examination requirements:
  • USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3 or COMLEX Levels 1, 2 and 3;
    • 7 Year Time Limit: All Steps of the USMLE and all Levels of the COMLEX must be completed within 7 years. The Board may, in certain circumstances, grant a waiver of the 7 year time limit.
    • Step/Level Attempt Limit: Each Step/Level must be passed by the 4^th attempt. No waiver is available for applicants that did not pass a Step/Level by the 4^th attempt.
    • Step 3/Level 3 Attempt Limit:  If an applicant failed Step 3/Level 3 on the 3^rd attempt, he/she must complete a year of ACGME/AOA postgraduate training prior to his/her 4^th attempt.  The Board may, in certain circumstances, grant a waiver of this requirement.
  • FLEX Components 1 and 2;
  • NBME Parts I, II and III;
  • All parts of the MCCQE; or
  • A state examination given prior to June 19, 1970.
• Completion of opioid and pain management training.
• Demonstrate proficiency in electronic health records.
• Completion of training in child abuse or neglect recognition and reporting.
• Completion of domestic and sexual violence education and training.
• MassHealth enrollment.
• Certify compliance with applicable laws of the Commonwealth.
• Submit a complete full license application and sign and swear to the contents of his/her full license application.
• Pay full license application fee in full.

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Possess Good Moral Character.
• Pre-Medical Education: Completion of two or more academic years at a legally chartered college or university, which must include courses in biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, or their equivalent as determined by the Board.
• Medical Education: Completion of four academic years of instruction, of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year, in a legally chartered medical school, and receipt of the degree of doctor of medicine or its equivalents from a school accredited by the LCME or AOA.
  • International medical graduates only: Receipt of a degree of doctor of medicine, or its equivalent from a program determined by the Board to be substantially equivalent to the medical school programs accredited by the LCME/AOA.
  • IMG – Off-Site Clinical Rotations/Substantial Equivalency Waiver: IMG’s who completed more than 3 months of any medical school clinical study off-site of their medical school and without supervision by the medical school faculty must submit a request for a waiver of substantial equivalency of medical education.
    • The Board has determined the medical education received at the following schools is substantial equivalent to that of an LCME/AOA accredited medical school. Graduates of these schools do not need to request a waiver of substantial equivalency: 
      • St. George’s University School of Medicine;
      • SABA University;
      • Ross University School of Medicine;
      • The American University of the Caribbean; and
      • American University of Antigua College of Medicine.  
• ECFMG Certificate: International medical graduates only. Possession of an ECFMG certificate which is valid on its face and valid as of the date of licensure.
• Examination requirements:
  • USMLE Steps 1 and 2; or
  • COMLEX Levels 1 and 2; or
  • All parts of MCCQE (LMCC).
• ACGME/AOA Approved Position: Proof of an appointment to an ACGME or AOA approved postgraduate training program in Massachusetts or a fellowship in Massachusetts health care facility, which conducts on its premises ACGME or AOA approved programs.
• MassHealth enrollment.
• Certify compliance with applicable laws of the Commonwealth.
• Sign and swear to the contents of his/her limited license application.
• Pay limited license application fee in full.

There are several temporary license categories which may be granted by the Board to a physician, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 9B (1):

Category 1: Temporary Faculty Appointment

A visiting physician holding a license in another state or territory who has a temporary faculty appointment (instructor, associate professor, assistant professor or higher) certified by the dean of a medical school in the Commonwealth for purposes of medical education in an accredited hospital associated with a medical school.  A temporary faculty appointment license may be renewed for a maximum of three years.

Category 2: Temporary License for Physician Coverage

A temporary license may be granted to a physician who is licensed to practice medicine in another state, or a physician who is eligible for a Massachusetts medical license and is a diplomate of a specialty board approved by the AMA or AOA. Such temporary license enables him/her to act as a substitute physician for a fully licensed Massachusetts physician who is sick, on vacation or maternity leave. Category 2 is limited to three months.

Category 3: Enrollment in Medical Education Course

Category 3 enables a physician with a current full medical license in another state, territory, the District of Columbia or another country to attend a course of continuing medical education in Massachusetts. Category 3 temporary licensure will terminate automatically at the completion of the CME course and, in any event, at the end of three months.

Category 4: Visiting Short-Term Faculty

A short-term temporary license may be granted to a physician who wishes to serve for not more than thirty days as visiting faculty in an accredited hospital associated with a medical school in Massachusetts.