Licensing and Renewal

1. Medical License: An unrestricted license to practice medicine and surgery.
2. Doctor of Osteopathy: An unrestricted license to practice medicine

Telemedicine License: A limited medical license that allows a Physician located outside New Mexico to practice medicine on patients located in New Mexico.

Post-graduate Training License: A limited training license issued by the Board to Physicians who are enrolled in a Board approved training program.

Physician Resident Training License: A limited training license that is required if accepted into a NM PGT program.

Public Service License: A limited license issued by the Board to Physicians in training who have successfully completed one year of post-graduate training.

Temporary (Temp. Camp & Temp. Teaching): A limited license that allows a Physician to practice medicine for a limited time after meeting certain specific conditions.

Federal Emergency: An unrestricted license to practice medicine and surgery issued without receipt of all documentation required for a medical license because of a major disaster.

Part 12, Supervision of Non-Licensed Physicians (a special purpose permit): Strictly speaking, this is not a license. A Physician licensed in New Mexico can obtain permission to function temporarily as the Supervising Physician of a Physician actively licensed to practice medicine in a jurisdiction other than New Mexico. Please refer to NMMB Rule 16.10.12 for specifics.

Physician Assistant License: A license for a healthcare professional to practice medicine under the direct supervision of a New Mexico licensed Physician. Must meet the qualifications for licensure specified in NMMB Rule 16.10.15.8.

Anesthesiologist Assistant License: A special category of “Assistants to Physicians” who provides anesthesia services to patients under the direct supervision of an Anesthesiologist.

Pharmacist Clinician Supervisor: A licensed NM Physician who is approved by the Board as a Pharmacist Clinician Supervisor after the Pharmacist Clinician registers with the Board by submitting an application for authority to practice under the supervision of the Physician.

Genetic Counselor License: A license to practice Genetic Counseling in New Mexico after meeting the requirements set forth in NMMB Rule 16.10.21.

Polysomnographic Technologist (Sleep Tech) License: A license to practice Poly somnographic technology after meeting the requirements set forth NMMB Rule 16.10.20.

Naprapathic Practitioners: A license to practice Naprapathy after meeting the requirements set forth NMMB Rule 16.6.1.

Naturopath Practitioners: A license to practice Naturopathic Doctors after meeting the requirements set forth NMMB Rule 16.10.22.

Podiatric Physicians: A license to practice Podiatry after meeting requirements set forth NMMB Rule

It depends on the Physician’s background. Generally, the licensing process (Board, HSC and FCVS) takes approximately 60 days for an American medical school graduate and 90 days for an international graduate. The most important factor is the prompt submission of a complete application! Several other factors may prolong the process: licensing of a physician with long experience history, many hospitals, and several state licenses will take as much as 30 days longer; International medical graduates from slightly less than completely cooperative medical schools may also experience prolonged processing by 30 days or more; experience with discipline or other license restriction in another state may trigger an investigation and create a delay; similarly, criminal action may cause a delay while the requisite documents are obtained. It is always important for the applicant to track the status of the application and to personally contact the source of any documents not furnished to the Board. That said, once the application is complete, it is reviewed for quality assurance, and then forwarded to the medical or the executive director for review. From this point, it usually takes less than 10 days from the time the application is deemed complete to the time a license is issued.

The Board does not require an applicant to be interviewed prior to being granted a license. Interviews may be requested on a case-by-case basis. If, for example, a question arises regarding the information supplied in support of the application, the Board Chairman, Executive Director or Medical Director may wish to discuss that issue with the applicant in more depth.

1. Am I American Board of Medical Specialties certified?
2. Have I continuously practiced outside of my post-graduate training program for at least three years immediately preceding my application?
3. Did I graduate from an approved school or am I ECFMG certified?
4. I have not ever had any disciplinary action taken against any state license that I have ever held. If you responded positively to all four of the above, you are qualified to apply for licensure by endorsement. You will NOT need to provide the Board with primary source verification of your medical education, postgraduate training or exams, and therefore the process may be a bit faster. You will need to have your work experience, state licenses and professional recommendations sent into the Board directly from the sources. If you have an extensive work history, e.g. Locum Tenens, it may take a while for your work experience to be verified. To qualify for Licensure by Exam, you must have:

1. Graduated from a Board approved medical school. The NM Medical Board uses the California State Medical Board list of approved schools.
2. Successfully passed one of the exams or a combination of exams set forth in NMMB Rule 16.10.3.
3. Completed two years of Board-approved post-graduate training.
4. If you are a foreign medical school graduate, you must be ECFMG certified.

Yes., Please refer to the Board’s website at the link below to the Board’s Governing Statute and Rules. Part 3 of the Board’s Rules addresses the examination requirements and Paragraph 16.10.23.10 F. 1-9, and G. address the requirements for applying for an exception to the 7-year rule.

Almost all materials that are requested by a Medical Board must come from the original source. For example: graduate medical education; medical school transcripts; examination scores; and letters of recommendation. Each of the individuals or institutions from which these materials are requested must send them directly to the Medical Board. When such information is provided by the practitioner (an original medical school transcript, for example) it is called secondary source verification.

One year from the date of receipt. When the initial application is received from the physician, it is “date stamped.” If all required materials have not been received by the end of one year (365 days), and there is no acceptable reason given by the applicant and agreed to by the Board, the file becomes “dormant” and the applicant must start over from the beginning. Your original application fee is forfeited.

You have choices. There are five levels of activity for medical licenses: Active, Inactive, Retired, Voluntary Lapsed, and Lapsed for non-renewal.

ACTIVE: For Active status, you must fulfill the triennial requirement of 75 hours of Category I AMA CME’s, submit a renewal application, and pay the renewal fee.

INACTIVE: To place your license on Inactive status, you would pay a one-time fee of $25.00. That would lead to two consequent choices: To reinstate your license within 2 years, you would need to request a reinstatement form, submit proof of 75 hours of Category 1 AMA CME’s and pay the usual renewal fee plus the $200.00 reinstatement fee. To reinstate after 2 years, you would request an application in which you would detail your activities and provide us with 2 letters of recommendation, work experience verifications for the previous five years, and proof of 75 hours of Category 1 AMA CME’s. Also, you would pay the usual renewal fee plus the $200.00 reinstatement fee.

RETIRED: For Retired status, you must submit a request in writing to the Board. There is no fee for this status. Were you to choose later to re-activate, you would submit a new application to the Board.

VOLUNTARY LAPSED: This would occur by allowing your license to lapse. The difference is that there is no fee, and your Board license file would indicate “Voluntary lapsed” instead of “Lapsed.” The method for re-instatement for this “Voluntary” approach is identical to that for Inactive status. Also, you would pay the usual renewal fee plus the $200.00 reinstatement fee.

LAPSED DUE TO NON-RENEWAL: If you choose not to renew, your license will automatically be “lapsed for non-renewal”. The method for reinstatement of such a “lapsed” license would also be the same as for the Inactive choice, except that in addition to the usual renewal fee and reinstatement fee, there would be a penalty of $200 for not having chosen one of the other four categories of licensure at the time of renewal by June 30th: Active, Inactive, Retired, or Voluntary Lapsed.

Pursuant to 16.10.7.10 NMAC, Rules of the New Mexico Medical Board, it is the licensee’s responsibility to assure that the Board has the most current contact information. Effective as of November 14, 2019, the Board voted to assess $150 administrative cost for failing to update their address as outlined in 16.10.9.14.

When an application is approved and a license is issued, the license is placed in the next renewal cycle, which gives an expiration date of the following July 1st. After the physician renews, the next renewal will occur in (3) years. See Board Rule: 16.10.2.9 G.

Initial New Mexico licenses are not issued for more than 13 months and not less than 1 month and expire on July 1. The application fee was $400.00, and the triennial renewal fee is $600.00.

This usually happens when the Board has not received the required notification of a change of address. License renewal notices are sent out approximately 3 months before the date of license expiration. You may begin to renew online 3 months before the date of expiration. You must renew no later than the 30th of June. The Rules impose a fine for late renewal within 45 days, and a larger fine for the next 45 days. If the license is not renewed by October 1st of the year due, the license automatically lapses. After October 1st you must apply for reinstatement of your license if you wish to keep it in active status.

Your license will be issued and mailed within five working days after you renew. If you answered “Yes” to any of the professional practice questions, issuance of the license may take a little longer. You may now also print an unofficial copy of your license by logging into your personal portal.

Yes, the NMMB’s statutory mandate is to protect the public from the improper, unprofessional, incompetent, and unlawful practice of medicine. In the fulfillment of that mission, the NMMB has joined the majority of states in the country by requiring all applicants for license to submit to a state and nationwide criminal background check. All applicants are required to complete a criminal history background check submitted through IDEMIA.

No, you need to register online separately for both licenses. The registration site for the DEA is http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugreg/index.html and the renewal site for the New Mexico Controlled Substance license (Board of Pharmacy) is http://www.rld.state.nm.us/Pharmacy/.

The Board has contracted with VeriDoc to send license verifications to other state boards. Go to www.veridoc.org and follow the steps. The verification is sent electronically to the requested state within two days. All state boards accept VeriDoc verifications. There is a $37.00 fee for this service.

For verifications to be sent to entities other than another state Board, please put a request in writing to the NM Medical Board at [email protected] or with the web-portal. There is a $37.00 verification fee.

It depends. If you have had a major illness or other catastrophe, you can request an emergency deferral of the CME requirement, but you still must complete the missing hours by October 1st. You will remain licensed during that time. In the event that there is no acceptable excuse, your license may be suspended by the Board until such time as the CME’s are completed and the appropriate fees and fines paid. The important steps include: prompt notification to the Board; prompt completion of the renewal; payment of the Triennial fee; AND a letter explaining the circumstances and how the CME requirement will be met. With that information, the Board will usually continue the practitioner’s license in an Active Status until the requirement is met, provided that occurs before October 1st of the renewal year. In the absence of prompt notification (before June 30th), the Board will automatically impose the appropriate fine for lateness. If the CME requirement is not met by October 1st, the license will automatically be lapsed for non-renewal.

Anyone not completing the CME requirement on time will automatically be audited on the next renewal cycle and will not be allowed to use the same CME hours again, even though they fall within the “current” renewal cycle for the subsequent renewal.

The Rules are on the Web Site. Follow this link to find the rules for CME:

The Board also utilizing CE Broker, this is where you can update and track all your CME credits.

In order for your application or reinstatement to be considered complete, the Board office will need to receive verification that you have completed your background check from Gemalto (background check processing entity). Neglecting to complete the required background check process would delay license issuance because your application will be considered incomplete. If the background screening reveals a felony or a violation of the Medical Practice Act, the applicant or licensee will be notified, and the Board will determine what action may be taken.

Answer the Professional practice question on the application “Yes” and then explain. It is far better to err on the side of explanation than to omit an answer to ANY professional practice question and then have the Board discover the omission. In the case of “expunged records” that followed an arrest, they have almost invariably been expunged, BUT the fingerprint records obtained at the time of the arrest remain in the system.

You must have your fingerprints taken by a qualified individual. Qualified individuals include a public law enforcement office or other agency staff trained by the Department of Public Safety, county sheriff, as well as state, municipal, campus, military and tribal police. In some locations, it may be possible to find other agencies with staff trained to take fingerprints, including some local school districts. Some agencies may charge a fee to take fingerprints. The applicant is responsible to pay the fee to the fingerprinting agency.

Your prints will be rejected if they appear too light, too dark, smudged, your fingers have not been completely rolled from side to side or your fingers have not been printed below the first joint. Please take the time to look at your prints prior to leaving the facility. If you see any one of these issues, do not hesitate to ask them to reprint them. It could save you from needing to go back and get them done again.

We do not send a confirmation when fingerprints are received. If there is anything wrong with the prints, we will contact you.

NO. The FBI does not allow one entity to share information with another entity.

No, they are obtained one time only by the New Mexico Medical Board.

A New Mexico Licensed Physician may delegate the use of devices and performance of procedures to a medical assistant (MA). The MA is limited to using medical therapeutic and cosmetic devices that are non-invasive and non-ablative. The MA MUST be certified to use the specific devices and the Supervising Physician must be immediately available on the premises.

THE INJECTION OF COSMETIC OR AESTHETIC SUBSTANCES IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE

PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND CANNOT BE DELEGATED TO AN MA.

To register an MA with the Medical Board, the following must be submitted to the Board office:

1. A completed Certification of Training form:

2. A training outline that includes:

• device physics and safety,
• basic principles of use,
• clinical application of the device,
• indications for use,
• contraindications for use,
• pre-operative care,
• post-operative care,
• recognition and acute management of complications, and,
• infectious disease procedures.

3. The certification and C.V. or résumé of the trainer.

You should go to the following link to see the complete New Mexico Medical Board Rule regarding medical assistants:

A current professional license must be conspicuously displayed at all times, usually at the place of the Physician’s, the Physician Assistant’s, Anesthesiologist Assistant’s, the Genetic Counselor’s and the Polysomnographer’s principal employment location.

Contact the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy at www.rld.state.nm.us/pharmacy or at 505-222-9830 for information regarding DEA and Controlled Substance Registration.

Follow the Rules! The Board recommends that you review the following link to the Board’s Management of Chronic Pain with Controlled Substances Rule:

Yes. All Physicians who are receiving post-graduate training in New Mexico will be licensed by the Board through ACGME Medical Programs.

If you have an unrestricted license in another State or Territory (Puerto Rico, for example), that license is valid for practice in the Military, in Public Health Service settings, or in Government facilities like the VA (Veteran’s Administration). Verify this with the Federal entity you will be employed by, as your employer may require you hold a license in New Mexico. See 61-6-17 Exceptions to the Act Part D. of the Medical Practice Act.

Yes and No. The key to this (which also includes interstate Internet activity) is the presence or absence of an established Physician-patient relationship. This is defined as the Physician having recorded a history, performed a physical examination, and the existence of an informed consent. If an out of state Physician has an established relationship with a New Mexico patient, then the pharmacy can fill a prescription brought or mailed to New Mexico. If not, then that Physician must have a New Mexico medical (and, possibly, controlled substance) license. The only exception would be for treatment in an emergency, or if the Out-of-State Dr. is formally “covering” for a New Mexico licensed Physician and has a valid temporary New Mexico license.

Yes. 16.10.10.14 REPORTING IMPAIRED, INCOMPETENT, DISRUPTIVE OR UNETHICAL COLLEAGUES:

A. Consistent with 16.10.8.9 NMAC (adopting the ethical standards of the American medical association), licensees and applicants having a good faith basis for believing that the public health and safety may be at risk must report impaired, incompetent, disruptive and unethical colleagues, including specifically other licensees and applicants. “Impaired” means any condition affecting the ability to engage safely and effectively in professional activities. “Incompetent” includes practices or conduct creating the potential for harm, whether or not harm has resulted. “Unethical” includes, but is not limited to corrupt, dishonest or illegal actions.

B. The duty to report imposed by this section does not limit or replace the duty to report to other organizations or entities, including law enforcement.

C. Reports under this section may be made anonymously but must include sufficient information to allow investigation by the board.

D. Reports made under this section will be held in confidence in the same manner as all investigations by the board.

E. Specifically exempt from the reporting requirements contained in this section are “peer review” communications protected by law.

F. The submission of a false or malicious report under this section constitutes unethical conduct subject to disciplinary action. [16.10.10.14 NMAC – Rp 16.10.10.14 NMAC, 9/17/2018]

No. Except for DUI or DWI offenses of any kind. Licensees are only required to report acts or conduct that would constitute grounds for action under the Medical Practice Act. This requirement includes arrests for either a misdemeanor or felony. Reports must be received by the Board within 30 days from the date the action occurs. Arrests must be reported within 30 days from the date of the arrest. See NMSA 1978, § 61-6-15(D)(21)(a) through (g) and 16.10.10.13 NMAC.

Responsibility for Child Support. The Board has adopted the Parental Responsibility Act under its Regulations. If a licensee is identified as not in compliance with a judgment and order for child support, the Board can deny the renewal of a license, or suspend or revoke a license. See 16.10.6.29 NMAC.

Very simply, anyone with a valid release. This includes attorneys, insurance companies, government agencies, the patient himself/herself, appointed representatives, or a subpoena from an appropriate agency. You need to make sure that the patient’s signature is on the release. If the patient is dead, you need to make sure whoever is signing the record is the personal or legal representative of the estate. Just because someone is a spouse, he or she is not automatically entitled to the records of a deceased spouse. The same is also true regarding living spouses. A husband is not automatically entitled to the records of the wife nor is the wife entitled to the records of the husband; there must be a signed release. With proper authorization, all records can be released. However, the first thing to do is make sure it is an appropriately signed release and see what is being asked for in the records. If the requester just wants a copy of H & P’s, discharge summaries, labs, etc., send only what is requested. Please also look at the wording in the release. If it says a copy of the entire record, then you need to make a copy of the entire record. Traditionally, the policy was to send only the records which the doctor generated. However, that policy has changed as a result of court cases throughout the country. Now, the practitioner must send the entire chart if that is what is requested in the release. Note: Psychotherapy records considered “process notes” must be maintained separately from the patient’s main medical record and may be withheld from the patient unless specific permission for such records has been provided.

Yes, assuming it is a reasonable amount. The New Mexico Board Rule 16.10.17.8 B, allows for a reasonable cost-based charge to be made for the cost of duplicating and mailing medical records. The Board considers a reasonable charge to be NOT more than $30.00 for the first 15 pages, and $.25 per page thereafter. The actual cost of reproduction for electronic records and record formats other than paper, such as x-rays, may be charged.

No, you must send a copy regardless of whether or not the patient owes you money. Caution: never send the original records: make copies and send those.

1. For adults, you must retain medical records for at least ten (10) years after the date of the last treatment or the time frame set by state or federal insurance laws or by Medicare and Medicaid regulation.
2. For minors, the records must be retained until the date the patient is twenty-one years old. NOTE: If hard copies of medical records have been converted to an electronic format, the hard copy must be retained by the Physician for a minimum of thirty (30) days after the conversion.

Destruction of medical records must be such that confidentiality is maintained. Hard copy records should be incinerated (where permitted) or shredded. Electronic records must be purged from computer hard drives, server hard drives or other computer media or disks with existing practices for data deletion available at the time. In addition, some companies are in the business of destroying printed material and can provide you with a certificate of destruction. Whatever method is used, records should be rendered completely illegible. Maintain a log of all records destroyed, including the patient’s name and the date of destruction.

Occasionally, a physician may feel that the quality of the physician-patient relationship is no longer a productive one and may wish to discharge the patient from the practice. It may be because a patient consistently fails to follow medical advice, displays hostility, is disruptive to the practice, or misses many appointments. The Board has adopted the ethical standards set forth in the latest published version of the AMA’s “Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 1.1.5”. When considering withdrawing from a case, physicians must: notify the patient (or authorized decision maker) long enough in advance to permit the patient to secure another physician, and facilitate transfer of care when appropriate. Some form of certified documentation of the effort to notify the patient, such as a certified letter, is highly recommended.

A special category of “Assistants to Physicians” that provides anesthesia services to patients under the direct supervision of an Anesthesiologist. The rules for provision of these services are somewhat different from those governing the PA’s (Physician Assistants). The average “AA” educational program is 108 weeks. “AA’s” only provide anesthesia services, and cannot otherwise work as “PA’s”. They work only in the operating room or in special anesthesia clinics, and only under the supervision of a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist. To maintain licensure, the “AA” must take the National Commission on Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) exam and maintain 100 hours of Continuing Professional Education every two years.

A “PA”, or Physician Assistant, is a health professional licensed to practice medicine with Physician supervision. PA’s are educated in accredited programs located in schools of medicine or allied health, universities, or teaching hospitals. The average PA program is 108 weeks. To maintain licensure, the PA must take the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and maintain 100 hours of Continuing Professional Education every two years.

The guiding principle is that the PA provides services that are within the Scope of Practice of the Supervising Physician (or Alternate Supervisor) and the PA. The specific services that are provided by the PA are determined by agreement between the Supervising Physician, the PA, and must conform to the Rules of the Board under the Medical Practice Act.

Yes. You have one year from date of graduation to become NCCPA certified.

Yes. You must submit a signed Supervising Physician Statement of Responsibility Form to the Board office for each Primary Supervising Physician and inform the Board about Alternate Supervising Physicians.

The Physician who assumes primary responsibility for the medical supervision of the PA must submit a special form so stating. A fee of $25 must also be submitted at the time of employment, and the PA cannot begin work until this form is filed with and approved by the Board. The fee does not apply to new applicants prior to beginning employment, but the form and the fee must be re-submitted each time the PA changes the Primary Supervising Physician. There is no fee for the “Alternate” supervisors, though the PA must inform the Board of the names of such Alternate Physicians. Always allow at least 5 working days for processing.

The Supervising Physician and/or the Physician Assistant must inform the Board of employment termination within thirty days. Notification must be in writing and provide the date of termination and the reason for termination. Notification of termination may be faxed and no further correspondence is necessary.

No. The Physician Assistant will need to find a new Primary Supervising Physician and file the necessary Supervising Physician Statement of Responsibility before continuing to work as a PA.

No. The Physician Assistant need not function only in the office of the Primary Supervising Physician or any registered alternate Supervising Physician. However, the PA must have prompt access to the Supervising Physician or alternate Supervising Physician by telephone, text, email or other electronic means. Also, a Quality Assurance program for review of medical services provided by the PA must be in place and actively followed.

Those that are specified in the PA’s individual “formulary.” Part 16 of the Rules describes the PA’s responsibilities in prescribing, administering, and dispensing all forms of medications. PA’s may administer formulary drugs; including Schedule II-V con- trolled substances, where there is an established Physician-patient, or Physician Assistant-patient relationship, under the direct supervision of the Supervising Physician. PA’s must comply with all other state and federal laws. The guiding principle is that the PA’s formulary must be within the scope of practice both of the PA and of the Primary Supervising and alternate Physicians.

Physician Assistants may request, receive and sign for professional sample medications and may distribute sample medication to patients. Samples requested or received must be appropriate to the scope of the Supervising Physician’s practice and be consistent with the Board of Pharmacy regulations. See Board Rule 16.10.16 for details.

A Physician may supervise as many Physician Assistants as the Physician can effectively supervise and with whom he can effectively communicate within the circumstances of a particular practice setting.

Both the PA and the Supervising Physician. A Physician Supervising a licensed PA is responsible and liable for the performance of acts and omissions by the PA supervised by the Physician. However, this does not relieve the PA of responsibility and liability for any of his or her own acts and omissions.

Yes. The Board regulates Allopathic and Osteopathic physicians.

Call New Mexico Health Resources. Whether you are fulfilling your obligation under the requirements of an H-1 visa or you are simply a Physician looking for employment in New Mexico, it is worth going to http://www.nmhr.org/ or calling 1-800-288-6930 for information. NM Health Resources maintains a current list of employment opportunities and vacancies for many medical professionals.

The New Mexico Department of Health, Health Facility and Licensing Bureau. Go to: http://dhi.health.state.nm.us/hflc/index.php or call (505) 476-9025.

At the New Mexico Department of Health: https://www.rld.nm.gov/or call (505) 827-2321.

Yes, some fees are changing. All fees are coinciding with the current fees that the NM Medical Board charges for the Medical Doctor profession. For the most part most fees are remaining the same. Telemedicine application fee will now be $400, and tri-annual Telemedicine renewal will also be $400. Verifications of Licensure will be $37.

Yes, the requirement by the Board is that a completed Criminal Background check is needed to issue any License OR renew any license.

You can mail, email or fax in your updated address to the Board Office. The

Board requires both a personal address and a business address for your file. The personal address remains confidential. The business address is used for the public and will be displayed on the licensee look up online on our website. For convenience we have a form that you can fill out to update your address, click on this link.

The Osteopathic Physician Application is located on the website under Licensing, Physician Application.

Osteopathic Physicians Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions