Administrative Law Topics: Arrests

California Medical Board Postgraduate Training Licenses

Before January 2020, medical residents in California attending Medical Board-approved postgraduate training programs did not need a physician and surgeon's license until their third year of residency training. An exception was foreign medical graduates who were required to have a Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter or "PTAL". Foreign graduates also needed two years of approved training in order to receive a Physician and Surgeon's Certificate. Domestic and Canadian residents only needed to complete one year of training.