Do Doctors Own Their Degrees & Licenses?

Are degrees and licenses owned by doctors or by the institution that issued them? The answer to this question is a complex one. On the surface, it appears that doctors own their degrees and licenses; however, there are important qualifications that must be reviewed in order to accurately answer this question.

When a doctor completes medical school, they usually receive certain legal documents. The contents of these documents typically include a degree, such as an MD or DO degree, as well as other certifications of different kinds.

It’s easy to assume that if a doctor has earned these documents through hard work and commitment, then they should own them. But that’s not always the case.

In many cases, the institution that awarded the degree retains ownership of it. This means that even though the doctor completed all of the requirements to earn their degree, they do not actually own it–the institution does.

Many medical schools have policies in place stating this explicitly. Furthermore, even if an institution does not explicitly state that it owns its degrees and licenses, laws in various states may still give them ownership over these documents.

What does this mean for doctors? Well, for starters, it means that if a doctor moves to another state or country where their license is no longer valid, they cannot simply transfer their license to another state–they would need to obtain new documentation from the appropriate authorities in order to practice in those states or countries.

Similarly, any disciplinary action taken against a doctor could restrict them from transferring their credentials elsewhere without permission from their former employer or licensing board.

So while it may seem like doctors own their degrees and licenses outright when they receive them from a medical school or hospital system, legally speaking this is not true in most cases.

If you’re considering entering into medicine or already practicing medicine but haven’t looked into your legal rights related to your credentials, now is an opportune time to do so.

For doctors who are already practicing medicine, there are a few steps they can take in order to better understand their rights when it comes to their credentials.

Review local policies

One step is to review the policies of their medical school or hospital system. Institutions should have policies in place outlining who owns degrees and licenses once they are awarded.

It’s important to note that even if an institution does not explicitly state that it owns degrees and licenses, laws in various states may still give them ownership over these documents.

Check for expirations

It’s also important for doctors to keep track of any disciplinary action taken against them. This could include suspension or revocation of credentials, failure to renew a license or other disciplinary proceedings taken by a licensing board.

If this occurs, the doctor’s ability to transfer their credentials elsewhere may be restricted without permission from their former employer or licensing board.

Get legal counsel

Finally, doctors should always make sure they stay up-to-date with the laws in the states they practice medicine in. Laws regarding who owns degrees and licenses can vary significantly from one state to another; therefore, understanding the laws in each state could help protect a doctor's rights related to their credentials.

Final Thoughts

Given the complex quagmire of medical certifications and professional licenses - and how easy it is to lose it all, one often wonders about the concepts of legacy and private ownership.

Personally, I too have faced this confusing situation about handing over my rights as a professional to an authority that may just treat me as another random registration number in their vast database. Lost in the numbers and yet easily identifiable for deletion, such harsh measures are quite common.

As a physician entrepreneur, I have come to realize that medical professionals only truly own two things in their professional lives (related to healthcare) which can be indemnified, protected by common law, and in essence, may have compounded value over time:

1. A corporate entity (eg. PLLC/LLC/C-Corp)
2. Intellectual property

Do you agree with me on this point? Share your comments below