Where do I begin?
Request the full name and licence details of the doctor who would see you.
The Federation of State Medical Boards brings those boards together and publishes links to every state board.
Open the relevant state board’s licence search and match the record to that person.
What am I looking for?
Check whether the doctor has permission to practise now. Look for entries about discipline, meaning action over wrongdoing, and any formal charges still awaiting a decision. A pending charge is not a completed punishment. What the board shows varies by state.
Some states keep separate records for doctors with MD after their names and doctors with DO after their names. Both groups are doctors; their licence records may be held by different boards.
Ask which board holds the licence if a search returns no match.
Does a clean record prove good care?
If no discipline is listed, the record shows no public action over wrongdoing. That does not rate how well the doctor will care for you.
Use the record alongside your questions about assessment, follow-up and cost.