Medical Licensure & Board Examinations

Whether you’re completing your Maintenance of Certification (MOC) cycle or simply looking for more information about medical licensure requirements or upcoming board examinations, AAPM&R is here to help make it easy and accessible. 

Medical Licensure

Are you looking to practice in another state or do you need to renew your medical license?  According to Part I (Professional Standing) of the MOC program, all physicians must hold a valid, unrestricted medical license in at least one state or jurisdiction in the United States, its territories or Canada. 

If you have questions or need to learn more about the medical licensure requirements for your state, please click on the link(s) provided below.

If you need general information regarding state medical licensing, please visit the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

For a list of Canadian medical licensing authorities, please click here.

Board Examinations

The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) oversees annual certification and MOC examinations in PM&R and its related subspecialties.  For a complete schedule of upcoming ABPMR examinations, fees, application deadlines, and locations, please refer to the ABPMR Examination Calendar.

ABPMR MOC Examinations

Part III (Cognitive Expertise) of the MOC process requires that physicians must demonstrate, through formalized examination, that they have the fundamental, practice-related and practice environment-related knowledge to provide quality care in PM&R and its subspecialty fields.

• You must take and pass the primary ABPMR MOC Exam once during the 10-year MOC cycle.  Renewal of a subspecialty certificate(s) also requires passing a subspecialty MOC examination(s).
• All exams can be taken during years 7, 8, 9, or 10 of the 10-year cycle.
• Exams are multiple-choice questions pertaining to clinical practice.  An outline of MOC exams can be obtained through the ABPMR.
• Physicians subspecialty certified in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine may substitute the Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Subspecialty Examination for the primary MOC Examination.

Please refer to the ABPMR Examination Calendar for more information.

ABPMR Specialty & Subspecialty Certification Examinations

In addition to certification in the field of PM&R, the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) currently offers subspecialty certification examinations in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, Pain Medicine, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and Sports Medicine. 

Please refer to the ABPMR Examination Calendar for more information.