The number of years of postgraduate training required for medical licensure varies from state to state. It also differs for U. S. graduates vs. foreign medical school graduates. U. S. Graduates If you are a graduate of a medical school in the United States, the following states only require you to have completed one year of accredited postgraduate training in the United States or Canada:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
If you are a graduate of a medical school in the United States, the following states require you to have completed two years of accredited postgraduate training in the United States or Canada:
- Alaska
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Michigan
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming (1 if American Board Certified or licensed in another state for preceding 5 years).
- Nevada requires three years of accredited postgraduate training for U.S. graduates.
Foreign Medical School Graduates If you are a graduate of a medical school outside the United States, its territories or Canada, then you are considered a foreign medical school graduate (FMG) also known as an international medical school graduate (IMG).
Virginia is the only state that requires just one year of accredited postgraduate training for foreign medical school graduates.
The following states require two years of accredited postgraduate training for foreign medical school graduates.
- Wyoming (1 if American Board Certified or licensed in another state for preceding 5 years)
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas (3 total, 2 in the U.S.)
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (before 01/01/2014)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
All other states require foreign medical school graduate to complete three years of accredited postgraduate training.
