Highlights from the Medical Board of California 2024–2025 Annual Report

Highlights from this year’s report include:

Licensing and Workforce Trends

The Board issued 6,647 physicians licenses and renewed 73,605 during the fiscal year, representing, in total, a 1.5% increase in the number of physician licenses in effect compared to fiscal year 2023-2024. The Board continues to pursue initiatives to support its physician members and to increase access to medical care throughout the state:

• Postgraduate Training Resource: New physicians will now have continued support for postgraduate training programs via a new online resource hub.
• Volunteer Physician Registry: The Board launched a new web application to connect physicians with volunteer opportunities across California. The Volunteer Physician Registry is intended to be used by clinics or other entities seeking volunteer physicians.
• Paperless Transition: The Board expanded its Direct Online Certification Submission portal and ceased paper renewals for Physician’s and Surgeon’s Licenses expiring after June 30, 2025.
• The Board also reported its 2024-2025 statistics on reports under Business and Professions Code section 805 et. seq. This included receiving 143 reports under Business and Professions Code sections 805 and 805.01, an increase from 93 reports in 2023-2024 fiscal year. Additionally, the Board received 1,809 reports, as compared to 1.540 reports the prior fiscal year under Business and Professions Code section 805.5. The Board also received 62 reports submitted under Business and Professions Code section 805.8 regarding reports of sexual abuse/misconduct allegations, which is an increase from 56 reports in the previous fiscal year.

Enforcement and Complaint Resolution

The Board’s Enforcement Program is responsible for reviewing the complaints received by the Board each year. Key developments for the Program include:

• Complainant Liaison Unit: Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 2220.1, in January 2025 the Board established the Complainant Liaison Unit (the “CLU”) which offers complainants, patients, or patient representatives the opportunity to be interviewed regarding quality-of-care cases. Over the course of this year, the CLU conducted 459 interviews with patients, patient representatives, or complainants.
• Expert Reviewer Program: The Board introduced a new self-paced online training for the Expert Reviewer and Medical Consultant program to improve accessibility and participation by California physicians seeking to provide expert review services.
• The Board reported that in fiscal year 2024-2025, it received a total of 9,707 complaints and of those complaints, 193 resulted in referrals for a citation and fine and 1,012 were referred for further investigation.

Budget and Financial Health

The Board reported $97.5 million in revenue for fiscal year 2024-2025, primarily from license renewals (79%), followed by application fees (8%) and reimbursements (8%). Total expenditures were approximately $77.6 million, with the largest allocations to Enforcement Operations (47%) and Legal & Hearing Services (26%).

Legislative and Policy Updates

The Board continued to advance significant policy initiatives during fiscal year 2024-2025, reflecting its commitment to patient safety, professional accountability, and modernization of regulatory practices. Policy updates include:

• Physician Health and Wellness Program: In October 2024, the Board approved proposed legislation, AB 408. If passed, AB 408 would authorize the Board to establish a Physician Health and Wellness Program designed to identify and assist physicians and other designated licensees with health conditions that may impair their ability to practice safely, thereby reducing patient risk. The pending legislation seeks to provide early intervention resources to physicians struggling with mental health, substance use, and behavioral issues. However, the bills author pulled the legislation on July 9, 2025 to continue working on suggested language.
• Updated Impairment Questions: Effective January 2025, the Board revised mental and physical health questions on initial license applications to align with national best practices and reduce stigma for applicants. The Board now seeks to ask questions related to “current” impairment rather than asking about a history of impairment.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: The Board strengthened its leadership role in statewide DEIA efforts as the Board’s Executive Director was elected Chair of the Department of Consumer Affairs’ DEIA Committee in October 2024.