Navigating Medical Boards, Physician Licensing, and Wellness: How to Advise Students and Residents #StopTheStigmaEM

Questions about health and impairment on medical board applications can spark confusion and anxiety for students and residents. Uncertainty about what must be disclosed, what may remain confidential, and how wellness practices affect licensure often leaves learners feeling vulnerable. These concerns are particularly pressing for those struggling with stress, burnout, or personal health challenges, where fear of professional consequences may delay seeking help.

This session will clarify the current landscape of medical board questions, distinguish between required disclosures and protected information, and provide practical strategies for advisors, mentors, and educators. Participants will gain tools to guide sensitive conversations, reduce stigma, and emphasize that prioritizing self-care protects, rather than threatens, long-term licensure and well-being.

By the end of this webinar, engaged participants will be able to:

• Explain the current state of medical board health and impairment questions.
• Differentiate between information that must be disclosed to medical boards and information that may remain confidential.
• Guide learners in distress by emphasizing how self-care protects, rather than jeopardizes, their ability to obtain and maintain licensure.