How To Become A QME

STEP 1: If you are not already licensed to practice in the state of California, you must first obtain your license. This process can take weeks or months, so begin the process as early as possible. Visit the California Department of Consumer Affairs to find the appropriate Boards and Bureaus. 

STEP 2: Complete and submit the QME Competency Exam Packet and the Application for Appointment as Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME Form 100)  with your $125 application fee. This must be mailed and postmarked by a specific cut-off date that can be found in the Exam Packet on DWC website. See this article about best practices for shipping your packet. 

You must also submit a copy of your current California Professional License.

• For M.D.’s, D.O.’s:  A copy of your board certificate(s) and certificate(s) completion of  residency & fellowship training program(s) by the Accreditation  Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic  Association. Provide a copy for each specialty in which you are  requesting appointment to perform QME Exam.
• For ALL OTHERS: A copy of your professional diploma.

STEP 3:  You will receive a notification, usually via email, that your registration packet has been processed. At this point, you will be prompted to select a test date within the 7-day testing window; you will  take the examination at a Pearson VUE testing center. Once you choose a date and time, make sure it's confirmed. Here are some Peason VUE tips on what to expect on testing day.

OPTIONAL (but Recommended) Step 3.1: The QME Exam is notoriously difficult. In fact, only about 50% of testers pass on their first attempt so it is recommended that you enroll in a QME Exam Prep Course. 

• For D.C's: Chiropractors are required to take a 25-Hour training course in order to be appointed; although it is not required to take before testing, it also proves ideal as an exam prep course. Our 25-Hour IDE course is approved by & meets the California's Division of Workers' Compensation requirement for a DC to become a QME. Note: this IDE course is open to all specialties as exam prep, not just DCs.
• For M.D.’s, D.O.’s: Physicians who don't want to take IDE usually opt for our White Coat Exam Prep, a less intensive course comprised of self-paced video lessons along with some live instruction.

STEP 4:  Pass the QME Competency Exam offered by the Division of  Workers’  Compensation (DWC). The exam is given twice per year (April and   October).

Step 5: Before being appointed as a Qualified Medical Evaluator, all doctors are required to complete some form of a training course that includes instruction on report writing, anti-bias training, case law review, specific instruction on disability evaluation, and other med-legal topics. Chiropractors who have already completed the 25-Hour IDE Training Course we talked about in 3.1 above will have already met this requirement! All other specialties must complete our 16-Hour Report Writing Course which is approved by the California Division of Workers’  Compensation to satisfy the requirement to be appointed as a QME.