Forget travel, forget rental cars, forget apartment keys under the mat at midnight…Getting licenses in new states can actually be one of the most challenging aspects of locum tenens practice—or medical practice in general for that matter. But there is a glimmer of “standardize this process for the betterment of humankind” hope on the horizon.
A new, on-line application process called the CLAF, Common License Application Form, has been launched. Ohio was the first board in the country to implement it in 2007, followed by Kentucky and New Hampshire. The new on-line system application is linked from each board’s web site to the Federation of State Medical Boards. Physicians do need to have an FCVS Profile or apply for one to use the CLAF system.
As other licensing boards implement use of this system, physicians will be able complete one application using the CLAF. The common information that all boards require is integrated into the form used by the state board, leaving only state specific data requirements to complete.
This process will save physicians the tedium and time of entering the same information on different applications every time they apply for a license in a new state. I can’t imagine anyone appreciating this more than a seasoned locum tenens physician, or the agency supporting said physician.
Kudos to the Buckeye, Bluegrass, and Granite states for taking this leap into the information age.