Starting residency · NE

Starting residency in Nebraska

Nebraska requires residents to hold a training license from the Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery (DHHS Licensure Unit): the Temporary Educational Permit. Nebraska has a graduated income tax (top rate 4.55% above $24,760 for 2026).

Checked 2026-10-21

Training license

Status
Training license required
Called
Temporary Educational Permit (TEP)
Fee
$25 (waived for applicants under 26, low-income applicants and military families); the $75 State Patrol background check is separate
Renewal
Annual; all permits expire July 1

Who applies: Resident, on a paper application; an authorized program official (such as the associate dean for GME) signs the institution section.

Nebraska requires a license to practice medicine unless an exemption applies, and residents are not exempt, so each resident holds a TEP or a full license. The permit covers MD and DO residents and does not allow practice outside the assigned program. Applicants have 90 days after issue to complete the fingerprint background check, which the board says can take 8 to 10 weeks.

Full license: MD: after 1 year of approved GME for US/Canadian graduates; 2 years for IMGs. DO: after 1 year of internship or equivalent. A full license matters if you plan to moonlight.

Source: Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery (DHHS Licensure Unit)

State income tax

Graduated income tax: top rate 4.55% above $24,760 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

      Nebraska training license

      Apply for your Nebraska 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 board licenses MDs and DOs.

    Related

    General information, checked on the date above. Board requirements and fees change; confirm with the Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery (DHHS Licensure Unit)and your program before you apply.