How Do I Locate the Right Person to Complain About a Doctor?

Doctors are licensed by medical boards in the state in which they practice, or by a non-state board in jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. You can file a complaint about medical services you received or other medical problems with a doctor at the board that licenses the doctor. Complaint procedures vary somewhat from board to board, but generally involve filling out a form stating your exact complaint.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit the Directory of Medical Boards at the website of the Federation of State Medical Boards, or call the federation's main office at 817-868-4000.

• 2

  Click the link to the website of the state board that licenses the doctor you want to complain about.

  In most states, there is a single medical board, but some states have more than one board for different types of medical practices. For instance, Maine has separate boards for osteopaths and for other doctors.

• 3

  Confirm your doctor's listing. Medical boards have doctor look-up directories, often called "Find a Doctor" or a similar name. Search by your doctor's name to confirm the correct spelling and address. Write down the doctor's license number that is included with the information displayed.

• 4

  Follow complaint procedures. The board's website will have a link for "Complaints," "File a Complaint" or a similar title. Click the link to see details on filing a complaint about a doctor with the board in question. This typically involves filling out a form and either submitting it online or printing the form and mailing it to the board's disciplinary section.