Starting residency · LA
Starting residency in Louisiana
Louisiana requires residents to hold a training license from the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners: the PGY-1 Internship Registration. Louisiana has a flat income tax (3% for 2026).
Training license
- Status
- Training license required
- Called
- PGY-1 Internship Registration, then a PGY-2 permit; IMGs: Graduate Education Temporary Permit (GETP)
- Fee
- PGY-1 registration $50 (renewal $100); GETP $200. The PGY-2 permit fee is $100 on the board's page but $200 in its rule.
- Renewal
- Issued for up to 12 months and renewable annually; the board issues no PGY-3 permit, so US graduates must pass all exam steps before the PGY-2 permit expires
Who applies: Resident, online. The hospital administrator signs the PGY-1 registration, and the program director certifies PGY-2 and GETP applications.
Board rule bars enrolling in a PGY-1 program without registering with the board. US graduates move to a PGY-2 permit after the first year; IMGs hold a GETP and must pass Step 3 within 24 months. The PGY-2 permit and GETP limit practice to the training program, so moonlighting requires a full license. The board says licensure processing in general takes from a few weeks to several months.
Full license: US/Canadian graduates (MD or DO): after 2 years of accredited training, or 1 year plus a commitment for a second year, plus Step 3. IMGs: after 3 years in the same specialty. A full license matters if you plan to moonlight.
State income tax
Flat income tax: 3% 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.
Mid-March
Match Day
You learn where you'll train. Your program sends its residency (GME) agreement and onboarding steps.
March–April
Louisiana training license
Apply for your Louisiana training license as soon as your program sends instructions. Applications often need school records and background checks that take weeks.
April–June
Credentialing and onboarding
Hospital credentialing, health screening, payroll and benefits forms, and a DEA registration if your program requires one.
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.
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.
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.
One board licenses MDs and DOs. The US-graduate training requirement could not be confirmed against the current text of LAC 46:XLV § 311; one medical school's guidance says 1 year of training plus Step 3. Confirm with the board.
Related
- Compare RAP, IBR and Tiered Standard on a resident's income
- Louisiana physician non-compete law, for when you sign your first attending contract
- All states
General information, checked on the date above. Board requirements and fees change; confirm with the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examinersand your program before you apply.