How to Find a Doctor's Qualifications

One of the most important things you can do for your health is to seek treatment from a doctor who is qualified in the area of medicine in which your health is challenged. Each state has a medical board that licenses medical professionals. Without that license, a doctor cannot practice medicine in that state. You can verify that the doctor has a license and also investigate whether or not she is certified by a national medical specialty association.

Instructions

• 1

  Obtain the doctor's full legal name and his specialties, if any.

• 2

  Contact your state's Medical Board and request verification of the doctor's license. See the References section for a link to the American Medical Association, which provides links to each state's medical board. Realize that there may be more than one state medical board in your state. For example, Maine has the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine and the State of Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure.

• 3

  Contact the national organization that your doctor lists as the certifying body for her specialty to verify that her certification is current. See the References section for a link to the American Board of Medical Specialties, which lists links for each specialty board. For example, there is an American Board of Allergy and Immunology, an American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and an American Board of Pediatrics.