Alaska Medical License Verification

Have you been dreaming of becoming a physician when you were a child? Many of us and especially our parents did as it was considered a respected and well-paid occupation.

It’s not a secret that studying in medical school requires much effort and motivation. The next step toward successful career growth is to get a medical license to prove your credentials. In fact, getting a license and verifying it is a part of each doctor’s life.

Overall, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought some changes. It affected the lives of people and the healthcare system as well. Many states faced shortages of doctors and nurses in hospitals and burnout of physicians. Alaska appeared to be one of them. According to some estimates, it is the fourth in the United States on a number of health professional shortages. Let’s see how to get and verify the license in this changing environment.

Where to apply for a medical license?

The state medical boards throughout the United States deal with issuing it. Accordingly, the local State Medical Board is responsible for issuing the Alaska medical and physician license.

The statistics show that 2021 was its busiest year ever. After all, due to the pandemic, the number of issued licenses stood at 812.

Moreover, back in 2020, the board launched a new type of licensing - the Emergency Courtesy License (ECL). Its goal is to make the process quicker to meet the urgent need of personnel. The good news is the process continues in 2022. The board offers to apply or extend the existing document.

The estimated number of physicians in 2021 was over 1,700. Now the numbers seem to be much higher. Thus, it is a good time to apply for ECL through an expedited procedure. The average processing period is between 6 and 8 weeks. Let’s admit it is much shorter as compared to the usual 12-14 weeks or longer. The applicant receives monthly updates after the initial screening. Thus, the applicant can see if he/she has any missing papers.

What to consider when applying?

Luckily the healthcare system is constantly reviewing its tools. The online mechanisms make it quicker to apply. Access to information and frequently asked questions are here to help. The Board’s detailed website provides information in a structured manner. Here you can find all forms and guidelines.

The Board regulates the following occupations:

· Physician

· Physician Assistant

· Osteopath

· Podiatrist

The first prerequisite to being certified is passing an exam, of course. There are many articles that brief the applicants on the entire process and the number of necessary documents. The USMLE examination series is acceptable for the medical board. After passing an exam with a minimum score of 75 it’s time to fill in the forms and pay the fees.

Verification mechanisms

Each employer also uses official databases to verify and monitor the credentials. The facilities keep track of their physicians’ qualifications. A license search offers to check the candidate by license number of his last name. The additional note informs about any disciplinary actions taken.

Furthermore, all states make the doctors verify all licenses they have ever had. Alaska State Medical Board has a special tool that makes the process smoother.

Thus, there are two options:

· Checking online via Veridoc

· Request for verification

The Veridoc system will promptly send the form to another state board. The online platform unites 28 health care boards.

This refers to the documents on physicians and their assistants. The process takes up to 10 minutes. What’s more, the platform enables to choose several boards to send the documents. The fees may vary, as each state charges different payments. For example, in the case of Alaska, it costs $37.

The second option is to simply send a request. This is a signed and sealed paper that is ready within 14 days. The cost of each verification in this case is $20.

To sum up

The pandemic and turbulent situation prompt the boards to make changes. Time-consuming and complicated solutions are not effective anymore. Alaska with its growing demand for physicians and health care personnel is one example. It adopted expedited licensing processes and joined a platform for quicker document verification. The result is it now provides quick access to reliable information.