Starting residency · IL

Starting residency in Illinois

Illinois requires residents to hold a training license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR): the Temporary Medical License. Illinois has a flat income tax (4.95% for 2026).

Checked 2026-10-21

Training license

Status
Training license required
Called
Temporary Medical License (3-year)
Apply
Department rule: file at least 60 days before training starts.
Fee
$230
Renewal
Valid up to 3 years; longer programs need an extension ($230 for 3 years, $165 for 2, $100 for 1); changing programs costs $20

Who applies: Resident, to IDFPR, with proof of acceptance into a program; the license is kept in the hospital's custody.

Illinois law has no resident exemption, and the Department's rule requires every resident without a full Illinois license to hold a temporary license before training starts. The license covers only practice within the residency program; moonlighting requires a full license. Residents from out-of-state programs rotating in Illinois use other routes, such as a visiting resident permit.

Full license: After 24 months of approved postgraduate clinical training, for US graduates and IMGs (MD or DO). A full license matters if you plan to moonlight.

Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)

State income tax

Flat income tax: 4.95% for 2026.

Source: taxfoundation.org

Match Day to your first loan payment

    Assumes you enroll in RAP or IBR when the grace period ends, recertify once a year, and file each tax return by April. Your servicer's dates govern.

    1. Mid-March

      Match Day

      You learn where you'll train. Your program sends its residency (GME) agreement and onboarding steps.

      What a residency agreement covers →

    2. March–April

      Illinois training license

      Apply for your Illinois training license as soon as your program sends instructions. Applications often need school records and background checks that take weeks.

      Board requirements →

    3. April–June

      Credentialing and onboarding

      Hospital credentialing, health screening, payroll and benefits forms, and a DEA registration if your program requires one.

      The physician's guide to credentialing →

    4. Late June–July 1

      Move and start

      Intern orientation usually starts in the last week of June. When the first paycheck arrives depends on the hospital's payroll schedule, so budget for a few weeks of moving costs without one.

    5. About 6 months after graduation

      Federal loan grace period ends

      Payments start 6 months after you leave school. Choose a plan before then, or request residency forbearance, during which interest accrues and months don't count toward PSLF.

      Compare RAP, IBR and Tiered Standard →

    6. First year of payments

      Payments use last year's income

      RAP and IBR use the adjusted gross income on your most recent tax return, which for most new residents is a student year. Payments rise after you recertify with a resident's income.

      How RAP works →

    One licensing body covers MDs and DOs.

    Related

    General information, checked on the date above. Board requirements and fees change; confirm with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)and your program before you apply.