Physician Credentials Physician Credentials Medicine is a stimulating and demanding profession involving a dedication to lifelong learning that begins in undergraduate medical education and residency training and continues throughout the physician's career. All physicians educated in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and Canada, have completed approximately four years of education in a medical school or college of osteopathic medicine . Most individuals who attended medical school outside the United States are certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates . Upon completing undergraduate medical education, physicians undertake up to seven years of graduate medical education and or osteopathic graduate medical education . The length of training varies depending on the specialty or subspecialty a physician pursues.
Some physicians complete additional residency training in a specialty or subspecialty.
After completing residency training and satisfying additional requirements, physicians are eligible for voluntary medical specialty board certification or osteopathic specialty board certification . Physicians continue to acquire new and refine existing skills by participating in continuing education activities. The American Medical Association Physician's Recognition Award is earned by physicians who have documented their participation in 50 or more hours of continuing medical education annually. Physician Licensure Physicians may hold one or more licenses to practice medicine in 54 US licensing jurisdictions. Physician licensure is subject to periodic reevaluation, the requirements for which are determined by each licensing jurisdiction.