Key points
- The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice's lookup tools show a physician's licensure, training and disciplinary information.
- The board says its online data counts as primary-source verification consistent with Joint Commission and NCQA standards.
- ABIM's Verify Physician Status shows current certifications, Maintenance of Certification status and initial certification years.
- If ABIM shows no certification, the doctor may be certified by another American Board of Medical Specialties board. Ask before assuming.
License and board certification are different things
A Minnesota medical license is a state matter. The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice says its mission is to protect the public's health and safety by assuring that the people who practice medicine or as an allied health professional are competent, ethical practitioners.
Board certification comes from a certifying board. For cardiology, that is the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), which certifies physicians in the cardiovascular disease subspecialty. ABIM states that to become certified in cardiovascular disease, physicians must meet specific requirements set by the board.
Checking both gives you a fuller picture. The state record shows license status, training and any public disciplinary information. The ABIM record shows which certifications the doctor currently holds.
| Your question | Where to check | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| Is this doctor licensed in Minnesota? | Minnesota Board of Medical Practice | Licensure information |
| What training is on file? | Minnesota Board of Medical Practice | Training information |
| Is there any disciplinary history? | Minnesota Board of Medical Practice | Disciplinary information |
| Is the doctor board certified? | ABIM Verify Physician Status | Current certifications and initial certification years |
| Is the doctor keeping certification current? | ABIM Verify Physician Status | Whether the doctor is in Maintenance of Certification |
Step 1: Check the Minnesota license
- Open the board's lookup toolsGo to the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and choose Find a Practitioner or Verify a License. The verification page sits at mn.gov/boards/medical-practice/licensing/verification/.
- Search for the physicianEnter the doctor's name as it appears on the clinic website or your referral letter. If more than one person comes up, compare the details with what the clinic lists.
- Review the recordLook at the licensure, training and disciplinary information shown for that physician.
- Keep a noteWrite down what you saw and the date you checked, so you can compare later or ask the clinic about anything unclear.
The board says its online data counts as primary-source verification consistent with the Joint Commission and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards, according to its licensing forms page. In plain terms, the board's own website is the official record, not a third-party summary.
The same tools let you find a practitioner in your area. That can help if you live in Greater Minnesota and want to see who practices near you.
Step 2: Confirm board certification with ABIM
- Open Verify Physician StatusGo to ABIM's Verify Physician Status page.
- Find the right recordSearch for the doctor and select the record that matches the name and details the clinic gives.
- Read the certifications listedA result shows the doctor's current certifications, whether they are in Maintenance of Certification, and the years they were first certified.
Reading an ABIM result
- Current certifications: check whether cardiovascular disease is listed. If the doctor holds more than one certification, each current one appears.
- Maintenance of Certification: shows whether the doctor is participating in ABIM's process for keeping certification current.
- Initial certification year: shows when the doctor first earned each certification.
- Timing: ABIM says certification status is updated in its system within 5 days of notification to the physician, so a very recent change may take a few days to appear.
ABIM says that if you do not find your physician or they are listed as not certified, they may be certified by another board of the American Board of Medical Specialties. If that happens, ask the clinic which board certified the doctor, then check with that board.
Making sense of what you find
If something in a record isn't clear, read it on the board's own site, ask the clinic, or contact the board through its website. Third-party summaries can be incomplete or out of date, so go back to the official source.
Credentials are one part of choosing a doctor. Location, your insurance network, the subspecialty you need and how well you communicate with the physician matter too. See our guide to cardiology subspecialties and our overview of Minnesota's major heart centers.
Questions you can ask the clinic
- Which board certified the doctor, and in which specialty?
- Is the doctor in network for my plan at this location?
- Which subspecialty clinic is this appointment with?
- What should I bring or send before the appointment?
These tools confirm credentials. They can't tell you whether a doctor is right for your medical situation. That decision belongs with you and your physicians.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I look up a Minnesota doctor's license?
On the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice website, using its Find a Practitioner and Verify a License tools. The verification page is at mn.gov/boards/medical-practice/licensing/verification/.
Does the license lookup show discipline?
Yes. The board says its tools let you look up licensure, training and disciplinary information.
Which board certifies cardiologists?
The American Board of Internal Medicine certifies physicians in the cardiovascular disease subspecialty. You can check status with ABIM's Verify Physician Status tool.
My cardiologist isn't in ABIM's results. Should I worry?
Not necessarily. ABIM says a physician who isn't found or is listed as not certified may be certified by another American Board of Medical Specialties board. Ask the clinic which one.
How current is the ABIM information?
ABIM says certification status is updated in its system within 5 days of notification to the physician.
Can this site check a doctor for me?
No. We explain how to use the official tools, but we don't verify individual doctors or collect personal or health information.
Sources
- Minnesota Board of Medical Practice — State of Minnesota
- Find a Practitioner and Verify a License — Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
- License Verification — Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
- Licensing Forms — Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
- Cardiovascular Disease Policies — American Board of Internal Medicine
- Verify Physician Status — American Board of Internal Medicine