Resources & Information

NCMB’s Licensing and Registration department is entering its busiest time of year: RTL Season.

NCMB’s Licensing team will issue more than ~1,300 Resident Training Licenses (RTL) this year with about 90% processed between April and July. Residents begin applying en mass in late March after learning which postgraduate programs they have been accepted to.

It takes about two months after the date it was submitted by the applicant for an RTL to be issued. Here are five things applicants should know about the licensure process in NC: 

1. Work with your Graduate Medical Education office on your application. They are your first point of contact. GME offices compile all required materials and submit them to NCMB to help the review and approval process go smoothly.
2. Get your fingerprint and background check underway ASAP!
3. Be sure to explain any gaps in your chronology with enough detail to avoid follow up questions.
4. Check your NCMB Gateway for status updates and what might be missing.
5. International applicants – make sure to request that your ECFMG Status Report be sent to NCMB as soon as it is available.

A few notes:

• If your application in the NCMB Gateway says, “pending” your application is still being processed by your GME office. Contact your GME Coordinator for updates.
• If your application in the NCMB Gateway says, “under review” your application is currently being processed by our staff. Check into your NCMB Gateway regularly for updates.
• Check before you call: NCMB staff cannot process your application until it has been submitted by your GME Office along with the required documentation. Check with your GME staff before you reach out to NCMB. The volume of calls and emails asking for application status updates will slow the process down for everyone.