IRVINE / GETTING CARE
Who is reviewing my health?
Begin with two details about whoever treats you: their full name and their licence type. A practice name by itself is not enough for this check.
NAME → TYPE → RECORD
Use the state record.
In September 2026, the state search showed whether a licence was valid, had expired, or had discipline on its public record.
Discipline can include suspension, which stops the licence for a time, or revocation, which takes it away.
Match the person’s name and type of licence. Open any linked documents about discipline and ask what they mean for the proposed care.
Ask about a mismatch before relying on the record.
Search California licencesA CHECK, NOT A REVIEW
Does a clean record settle it?
A clean public record leaves the quality of that person’s care unanswered.
The record is a useful check, not the whole conversation.
For doctors, there are different boards.
- MD
- A medical doctor.
- DO
- Doctor of osteopathic medicine: a doctor with a different degree name from MD, licensed by California’s Osteopathic Medical Board.
In September 2026, California’s Medical Board handled MD licences; its Osteopathic Medical Board handled DO licences.
Use the letters after the doctor’s name to choose the board; both are in the same state search.
What if a nurse or physician assistant treats me?
The California nursing board’s search includes nurse practitioners, nurses with further training, and their prescribing certificates.
Physician assistants, often called PAs, have a separate board and licence search.
In September 2026, California PAs worked under a practice agreement with a supervising doctor.
The Medical Board publishes certain court judgments and settlements about harm caused by a doctor’s care.
The PA board does not publish that information about physician assistants, though it publishes discipline and formal accusations.