Mail a written request for records to the physician by certified mail, return receipt requested. This method provides assurance that the request was delivered. State law allows a patient to obtain a copy of their records, or ask that a copy be sent to a new doctor or someone else, such as an insurance company. This law requires a physician to release copies of a patient's medical records (or a narrative summary) if the physician receives written consent from the patient or the minor patient's parent or legal guardian. The physician shall furnish the information within 15 business days after the date of receipt of the request, and reasonable fees for furnishing the information. The reasonable fees shall be paid by the patient or someone on his/her behalf.

At this time there is no centralized state repository for medical records. Sometimes patients send a written request for records to the doctor’s next of kin or the executor of the doctor’s estate. A patient may also contact the TMB to determine if a custodian of records has been reported. If another physician has taken over the practice, the records may be available there.

The TMB doesn’t make referrals or recommendations. However, if you look up a doctor using “Look up a Licensee,” you can see the doctor’s reported specialty area of practice and any reported specialty board certifications. You can also see where your doctor went to medical school and whether your doctor has been disciplined by the Texas Medical Board.

In addition to medical education, a doctor of osteopathy also studies the alignment of the spine and osteopathic manipulation. Osteopathic manipulation is the movement of the bones and joints.

A physician generally has the right to terminate the doctor/patient relationship. The doctor should give adequate notice to the patient and provide required care until the patient has had reasonable time to find a new physician. Adequate notice will depend on the circumstances.

The TMB does not provide a referral service or make recommendations to patient consumers regarding specific health care providers. Here are some tips on locating a new physician:

• Contact your health insurance provider – check with your group or individual health plan or employer’s benefits office. Plans will have a listing of providers who accept your insurance and can offer further guidance.

For physicians who accept Medicare payments, visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Physician Compare: https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/.

For Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), visit https://hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip.

• Check the Texas Medical Board’s website – licensees of the Medical Board are searchable several ways including by city, zip code and specialty. Visit the following link: http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/page/look-up-a-license.

• Texas Health Compare – an online guide from the Texas Department of Insurance for choosing health plans and providers, available at the following link: http://www.texashealthoptions.com/compare/index.html.

• Other provider directories – another helpful resource is the National Institutes of Health’s MedlinePlus, available at the following link: https://medlineplus.gov/directories.html.

Registering a supervising physician for an NCT will no longer be required.  However, an NCT will still need to obtain and maintain placement on the MRT Board’s general registry, or have an approved a hardship exemption, prior to starting practice.  

Section 185.4 of the PA Board Rules covers licensure requirements.

A foreign education evaluation is one tool the board uses in evaluating the medical education of a physician applicant who attended a medical school located outside the United States. The board will accept evaluations from the Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA). The cost of the evaluation is borne by the applicant. Applicants can find the appropriate request form on our website at Supplemental Forms "Form N".

For information concerning practice opportunities in rural Texas please contact the State Office of Rural Health or the Southern Rural Access Program

No. The Board Rules specify that you have to have worked for a licensed physician in the US who has an unrestricted license. This means an MD or DO only.

Email renewal reminders are sent 60-90 days before the expiration date, from no.reply@tmb.state.tx.us. We recommend that you add this email address to your contacts list so they will not be lost.  Please check your junk and spam mail for these notices if you are not receiving them.  If you have any questions about the fingerprint requirements or the renewal process, please contact us at Registrations@tmb.state.tx.us.

TMB is not legally able to receive fingerprint results for individuals who are not existing applicants or licensees, and is not able to publicly provide the service code. This is why we provide the service code directly to licensees in the detailed instructions that are part of the email renewal notice.  If you have not received your email renewal notice, or you would like to complete the fingerprint requirement early, please contact us at Registrations@tmb.state.tx.us and we will provide you with your ID number, and instructions that include the TMB service code.