California Medical Licensure

The Osteopathic Medical Board of California requires all trainees to be licensed. You will need either a Post Graduate Training License (PTL) or Osteopathic Physician and Surgeons License.

Trainees in their first 12 months of American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) or ACGME training need to obtain a Post Graduate Training License, (PTL).

Click here to learn more from the Osteopathic Medical Board of California website

• A trainee must obtain a PTL within 180 days after enrollment in the program.

• Tip: We recommend applying as soon as you have confirmation of acceptance into an AOA, COCA, or ACGME program. Even though you apply online there are still hard copy forms that will need to be submitted by others into your file: Medical Education Documentation, Fingerprints, COMLEX-US Scores, and misc. other forms.

• Fees-The application fee of $491.00 received with your application will start the review of your application. Programs submit form OMB.23 as proof of an AOA or ACGME training. Effective January 1, 2022, The board will no longer charge the $49 finger print fees with license applications. Applicants will pay finger print fees for DOJ processing directly to the vendor.
• You must have taken and passed the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. (NBOME) Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-US) levels 1.

Osteopathic PTL Information and License Checklist
Osteopathic PTL FAQs

Trainees who have 36 months or more of AOA or ACGME Training must obtain a full and unrestricted Osteopathic Physician and Surgeons License.

Click here to learn more from the Osteopathic Medical Board of California website

• A trainee must obtain a full & unrestricted Osteopathic Physician’s & Surgeon’s license within 90 days after enrollment in the program.
• Note training must be 24 consecutive months of ACGME training in the same ACGME program and within the first 36 months of training.
• Fees-The application fee of $200.00 received with your application will begin the review of your application. Applicants who hold an active California Postgraduate Training License Effective January 1, 2022, The board will no longer charge the $49 finger print fees with license applications. Applicants will pay finger print fees for DOJ processing directly to the vendor.
• The Program must submit form OMB.25 as proof of ACGME training. This form must be signed by the applicant and photo affixed to it before sending it to the training program. The training program must complete the form, sign it with the seal or have it notarized and sent directly from the training program to the Board.
• You must have taken and passed the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. (NBOME) Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-US) levels 1, 2 Cognitive Evaluation (CE) and 2 Performance Evaluation (PE), and level 3.

Osteopathic Physician & Surgeon’s License Information and Checklist

EFFECTIVE June 27, 2023:

The US Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will require a new one-time eight (8) hour training requirement for all DEA-registered practitioners on the treatment and management of patients  with opioid or other substance use disorders. 

As part of the initial registration or renewal process, practitioners will be required to check a box on their online DEA registration form affirming that they have completed the new training requirement. For practitioners who are renewing their DEA certification, the deadline to satisfy this new training is the date of a practitioner’s next scheduled DEA registration submission-regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration.

The memo sent out by the DEA can be viewed Here.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration

Unless the Medical Center Chief Medical Officer issues a specific written exemption, licensed residents are required to obtain and use their assigned DEA registration number. A copy of this DEA certificate must be on file in the Office of Graduate Medical Education and the appropriate departmental office. Effective July 1, 1996, all residents (GY-3 and above) must present documentation that they have applied for or possess a current DEA registration. Failure to do so will result in suspension of employment without pay until the deficiency is corrected.

How To Apply For Or Renew Your DEA On-Line

Visit the DEA website and follow instructions to apply for DEA registration on-line (DEA-224). If you have questions, you may contact the DEA directly at (800) 882-9539.

As a Harbor-UCLA Medical Center employee, you are eligible for a fee exemption for your DEA registration. Please note, an exempt fee DEA is only valid at the exempting institution and any affiliate hospital rotations within the scope of your training. An exempt fee DEA is not valid for moonlighting purposes.

To receive the fee exemption complete the DEA application on-line using the hospital address as follows:

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
1000 W. Carson Street, Box #
Torrance, CA 90509
Department Phone#
Department Fax#

The Certification for Fee Exemption box must be checked in order to receive the fee exemption with the following information:

EFFECTIVE February 26, 2024:

Harbor-UCLA Certifying Official – Griselda Gutierrez, M.D., Chief Medical Officer; Grgutierrez@dhs.lacounty.gov; (424) 306-6599

When you receive your DEA certificate, please provide a copy to your residency program office.

How To Change Your Exempting Institution

If you are joining a Residency Program at Harbor-UCLA after obtaining an fee exempted DEA# at another facility you will need to update the DEA with a new address and exempting institution. Follow these steps:

1. Visit the DEA website.
2. Click on “Make changes to my DEA registration”.
3. You will be required to enter the DEA license number associated with the fee exemption status which you would like to change.
4. You will be required to enter Harbor-UCLA’s Certifying Official’s Information (see paragraph above for this information).
5. Continue to follow the steps.

How To Change From a Fee Exempt to a Paid Status DEA

An exempt fee DEA is only valid at the exempting institution and any affiliate hospital rotations within the scope of training. If a resident decides to moonlight he/she needs to obtain a paid status DEA.

There are two ways to change a “fee exempt” DEA registration to “fee paid” for purposes of moonlighting outside of DHS or upon separation from county service. Follow these steps:

1. Submit a new application online at www.DEAdiversion.usdoj.gov and, if approved, will result in the issuance of a new DEA registration certificate marked “FEE PAID.” The new certificate will be a new DEA number and expiration date (initially 28 to 39 months). Approximate turnaround time 4-6 weeks to receive new DEA by mail.
2. Complete the form below in order to pay the $731 registration fee and return by fax, email, or mail. Your current DEA certificate will be changed to reflect “FEE PAID”. The current expiration date does not change. Approximate turnaround 3-5 business days for payment processing, 1-2 weeks to receive updated DEA by mail.

For questions, contact DEA Registration Support at 1-800-882-9539 (8:30 – 5:50 pm ET), or at DEA.Registration.Help@usdoj.gov.

Controlled Substance Prescription Pads

At Harbor –UCLA, all Controlled Substance Security Prescription pads are ordered by department on the County HS2 order form through the regular Procurement Office. Please contact your residency program coordinator to place your order.

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center requires that each trainee obtain an NPI number and report it to his/her department.

How do I look-up an NPI number?

Visit the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) website where you can look up NPI numbers for individuals or organizations.

What is the purpose of the NPI?

The purpose of the NPI is to uniquely identify a health care provider in standard transactions, such as health care claims. NPIs may also be used to identify health care providers on prescriptions, in internal files to link proprietary provider identification numbers and other information, in coordination of benefits between health plans, in patient medical record systems, in program integrity files, and in other ways.

How do I obtain an NPI?

Visit National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) to apply for an NPI online.

When applying for an NPI, what taxonomy (provider type) do I select?

Unlicensed physicians must use the option: Student, Health Care (390200000X). To view a list of all taxonomy codes click here