This guide explains how to verify a physician's credentials. It is not a medical practice, doesn't evaluate or recommend individual doctors and gives no medical advice. A clean record is one useful input, not a guarantee.
A state medical license and specialty board certification are two separate things, checked on two separate websites. The license comes from the Texas Medical Board. Board certification comes from a specialty board: the American Board of Internal Medicine for adult endocrinology, or the American Board of Pediatrics for pediatric endocrinology. Each check takes a few minutes.
We point you to the official lookup tools rather than describe every screen, because we haven't yet tested and documented each step live, and official sites change their layouts. Type the official web address yourself, and if a result is unclear, contact the board directly.
| Check | Who runs it | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Texas medical license | Texas Medical Board | Physicians practicing in Texas |
| Adult board certification | American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) | Adult endocrinologists, certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism |
| Pediatric board certification | American Board of Pediatrics | Pediatric endocrinologists |
Step 1: Check the Texas medical license
The Texas Medical Board's website, tmb.state.tx.us, has a license lookup tool. Use it to confirm that the doctor you plan to see is licensed in Texas.
- Get the exact nameCopy the physician's full name, including a middle initial if listed, from the practice or hospital website. Common names can return several results.
- Open the board's site yourselfType tmb.state.tx.us into your browser rather than following an ad or a link in an email, then find the license lookup.
- Search and matchSearch by name and match the result to details you already know, such as city or specialty, before drawing conclusions.
- Read the status and any notesLook at the license status and read anything else the board displays about the physician. If something is unclear, contact the board.
- Write it downNote the date you checked and what you saw. Records change over time.
Step 2: Check adult board certification with ABIM
For adult endocrinology, the board to check is the American Board of Internal Medicine (abim.org), which offers a certification lookup. The specialty to look for is Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism. This matches local training: UT Southwestern's Endocrinology Division sits within its Department of Internal Medicine, and its fellowships carry the same Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism name.
- Go to abim.orgType the address yourself and look for the certification lookup.
- Search the physicianUse the same full name you used for the license check.
- Look for the specialtyCheck specifically for Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism in the results.
- Note the dateRecord what you saw and when you checked.
Step 3: For children, check the American Board of Pediatrics
Pediatric endocrinologists are checked through the American Board of Pediatrics. Use the same approach: get the full name, go to the board's official site yourself and look for pediatric endocrinology. In Dallas, UT Southwestern's Division of Pediatric Endocrinology provides all endocrinology services to Children's Health and reports 18 faculty and 3 fellows (undated).
What "fellowship-trained" means in Dallas
A fellowship is specialty training a physician completes after residency. When a practice says its endocrinologist is fellowship-trained, it means the physician completed that additional training in endocrinology. Ask the practice where the physician trained if it isn't listed.
UT Southwestern is the main local example. Its Endocrinology Division runs two fellowships in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism plus one in Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases. Fellows train at Parkland, a primary teaching site whose clinics include the Parkland Endocrine Clinic, Lipid Clinic, Mineral Metabolism Clinic and Multidisciplinary Endocrine Tumor Clinic, and at VA Medical Center endocrine and insulin pump clinics, according to the fellowship page.
At teaching sites such as Parkland and the VA, fellows are part of the care team. The Parkland Diabetes Clinic, for example, lists fellows among its 16 providers alongside endocrinologists, physician associates and nurse practitioners (Clinical Diabetes). If you want to know who is on your care team and what each person's role is, ask.
A hospital name isn't a credential
A practice can carry a hospital system's name without its doctors being employed by that system. Methodist Health System, for example, says the physicians at Methodist Endocrinology Specialists in Grand Prairie are not its employees; MedHealth/Methodist Medical Group runs the office (Methodist). Check the individual physician, not just the name on the building.
Questions to ask the practice
- Is the physician board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, or in pediatric endocrinology for a child?
- Where did the physician complete fellowship training?
- Who else will be on my care team: fellows, physician associates, nurse practitioners or diabetes educators?
- Which hospital is the physician affiliated with, and who owns the practice?
- Is the physician taking new patients with my insurance?
What these checks can't tell you
A license and board certification are baseline checks. They don't tell you whether a doctor's communication style suits you, how long the wait is or whether the practice takes your insurance, and online star ratings don't answer those questions well either. Use credentials as a starting point, then ask the practice directly. For the access side, see our appointment guide and our hospitals and clinics guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a doctor's medical license in Texas?
Use the license lookup tool on the Texas Medical Board's website, tmb.state.tx.us. Search by the physician's full name and match the result to the practice details you know.
How can I tell if my endocrinologist is board certified?
For adults, check the American Board of Internal Medicine (abim.org) for certification in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism. For a child's endocrinologist, check the American Board of Pediatrics.
Is a license the same as board certification?
No. The license comes from the Texas Medical Board, and board certification comes from a specialty board such as ABIM or the American Board of Pediatrics. They are separate checks.
What does fellowship-trained mean?
It means the physician completed specialty training in endocrinology after residency. In Dallas, UT Southwestern runs two Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism fellowships and one in Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases.
Will I be seen by a fellow at a teaching clinic?
At teaching sites such as Parkland and the VA, fellows are part of the care team. Ask the clinic who will see you and what their role is.
Sources
- Endocrinology fellowships — UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Endocrinology fellowship — UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Division of Endocrinology — UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology — UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Parkland Diabetes Clinic — Clinical Diabetes
- Methodist Endocrinology Specialists — Methodist Health System