Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re helping yourself just by visiting a medical facility. Going to just any healthcare provider may be a fatal decision. 

Failing to research the facility as well as the doctors that work there can result in a higher chance of injury and fatality. You may also be paying more than you need for a service. 

Checking and verifying a doctor’s credentials is essential. Not sure how to do it? Keep reading to learn how. 

Look up Board Certification

Every doctor must pass several tests in their state in order to professionally practice. This often starts with the USMLE for future doctors in the US. 

Although having a board certification isn’t a requirement to practice, it’s a great way to verify competency. Board-certified doctors meet additional standards that surpass the minimum requirements.

A doctor can get this certification within a certain specialty such as surgery, family medicine, or dermatology. 

Check State License Records

A doctor is not a doctor without recognition from the state they wish to practice in. You can look at your local state’s official website to do this. An easy alternative would be to use MedProID®. 

Rather than being limited to checking one state at a time, MedProID can help you find doctors in a single click with its large database. You will learn through the records the name of the doctor as well as license status and expiration. 

Look On AMA

The American Medical Association is another option you can do to look up a physician. Members have the ability to locate detailed profiles of a doctor. If you are not a member, you can still locate verification information, although to a lesser degree. 

Check a Hospital’s Website

Looking at the official website of a hospital is yet another idea you have in your arsenal on confirming a doctor’s credential. A hospital cannot be a good hospital without the medical professionals it staffs. 

Hospitals will display healthcare providers they have a positive history with and it is a reputable source. The hospital may have a “doctors” webpage for you to check and learn more about the doctor. 

Discipline History Is Vital

You may want to look at the good about a physical in order to determine whether or not their credentials are legit. However, you do not want to forget to look at a doctor’s background to see if there are stains on their record. 

You want to know if a doctor had their license suspended or revoked. You want to find out the reasons for disciplinary action too. The doctor may have a negative stain due to negligence, patient abuse, or fraud. 

Verify a Doctor’s Credentials First

Although we would like to believe every doctor is knowledgeable and competent, this is not the case. You can find yourself having financial or physical issues due to complications with the wrong physician.

Looking at every doctor’s credentials before you sit in their office is not something you should do. It’s something you must do. 

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