Starting residency · OH

Starting residency in Ohio

Ohio requires residents to hold a training license from the State Medical Board of Ohio: the Training Certificate. Ohio has a flat income tax (2.75% on income above $26,050 for 2026).

Checked 2026-10-21

Training license

Status
Training license required
Called
Training Certificate
Fee
$130 plus a $3.50 transaction fee; renewal $100
Renewal
Valid 3 years; renewable once for 3 more years

Who applies: Resident, online through eLicense; the program director completes a Training Program Certification form, which the program sends to the board.

Board rule makes the certificate mandatory for residents and fellows without a full Ohio license, including residents from other states on elective rotations in Ohio. If the certificate is not issued by the start date, the board issues an acknowledgment letter that allows training for 120 days. The board asks applicants to allow 10 business days for initial review. Activities are limited to the training program, so moonlighting is not covered. Rotations through several hospitals need only one certificate per training year.

Full license: After 12 months of GME (through the first-year level) for graduates of LCME or AOA schools; 24 months for ECFMG-certified IMGs. A full license matters if you plan to moonlight.

Source: State Medical Board of Ohio

State income tax

Flat income tax: 2.75% on income above $26,050 for 2026. About 670 municipalities tax wages, mainly where the work is done (Columbus and Cleveland 2.5%, Cincinnati 1.8%). About 210 school districts add an income tax on their residents.

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

      Ohio training license

      Apply for your Ohio 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 State Medical Board of Ohioand your program before you apply.