We begin with a complimentary eligibility assessment. We review your education, assess where you stand in the exam sequence, and consider your clinical experience and overall suitability for the ITPE licensure pathway.
Not all applicants are accepted. We may follow up with clarifying questions before reaching a decision, and if we believe a case is not viable, we will say so at this stage.
If accepted, we schedule a video interview to assess your professional presentation and communication, since you will eventually need to present yourself to a hiring manager and communicate effectively with patients and colleagues.
Based on your file and the interview, we build a specific roadmap outlining what you still need to complete — exams, documentation, or other prerequisites — before you are ready to be presented to an employer. This step is free of charge.
We pull existing primary-source verification of your medical education and training to confirm your file is accurate. Most applicants who have completed at least one USMLE step already have this verification on record, so this step is typically quick and low-cost.
As you approach readiness to be presented to an employer, you arrange and pay for employment history verification and background screening directly with third-party verification providers, timed so the results remain current when needed. We coordinate and guide this step; the payment relationship is between you and the provider.
We match you with one of our partner NC hospitals or qualifying rural practices, and coordinate the employer-side requirements for that specific placement — including a supervising physician, if you're matched to a qualifying rural practice. Timing depends on current openings at our partner institutions — some candidates are matched quickly, others may wait for the right opening to become available.
Once a qualifying employment offer is in hand, we prepare and submit your application to the NC Medical Board. There is no charge to you for this step — our placement fee is paid by the employer, not by you.
The Board may request additional information or clarification. Review times vary, and approval is not guaranteed. Being matched with an employer is also not guaranteed — the hiring decision belongs to the employer, not to us.
Once the license is issued and onboarding is complete, you may begin work under your ITPE license. Required reporting obligations begin during this period, in accordance with Board rules.
PPG's engagement ends here.
NC ITPE became effective in January 2026 and has no completed cases yet, so Board review timing in particular is not yet established. These ranges reflect our best estimate based on the process design, not observed outcomes, and will be updated as real cases complete.
Required exams already complete, matched quickly to an existing opening at a partner institution, responsive credential verification, straightforward Board review.
Remaining exam requirements (commonly Step 3) still to complete, standard credentialing turnaround, normal Board processing times.
Exam requirements not yet started, documentation complexity, or waiting for a matching opening at a partner institution.
Placement with a qualifying employer is the end of PPG's engagement — but it is not the end of your pathway to full licensure. The four-year period continues under the ITPE license.
You practice at an NC-licensed hospital (statewide) or a qualifying rural medical practice in an NC county with fewer than 500 people per square mile. Rural placements require a designated NC-licensed physician supervising on-site; hospital placements are governed by the hospital's own credentialing structure instead. Required compliance obligations are maintained throughout. No phase change or second license application is required.
After successfully completing the four-year period in good standing, you become eligible to apply for a full, unrestricted NC medical license with no geographic restrictions. Managing ongoing compliance and reporting during the four-year period is the responsibility of the physician and their employer.