In 1886 the 21st General Assembly of Iowa created the Board of Medical Examiners. The Board of Osteopathic Examiners was established in 1907 and worked separately until 1968 when the 60th General Assembly merged the two boards in to the Board of Examiners. In 2007, the General Assembly changed the Board's name to the Iowa Board of Medicine.

The Board regulates the practice of medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, osteopathy, and acupuncture under the authority of Iowa Code chapters 147, 148, 148E, 150, 150A, and 272C. In addition, it regulates M.D.s, D.O.s, and L.Ac.s (Licensed Acupuncturists) through the Board’s administrative rules that are found under Medical Board [653] Iowa Administrative Code.

Board Members

The ten-member Board must include five practicing M.D.s, two practicing D.O.s, and three members of the public. State law requires that five members be male and five be female. No more than half of the members may be affiliated with the same political party. Board members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Iowa Senate for a specified term, usually three years. Members may serve up to nine years based on continued approval of the Governor and the Senate.

If you would like to serve on the Board, please contact the Governor’s staff member in charge of appointments at 515 281-0215.

For more information about the current Board members, click here .

Board members who are appointed to a three-year term begin serving on May 1; those who fill in a vacancy begin serving at the time of appointment.

The Board elects a chairperson, vice chairperson and a secretary at its last regularly scheduled meeting before May 1, when its new year begins. The new chairperson assigns Board members to committees and selects the chairperson for each committee.

Board Responsibilities

The Board safeguards the public health, safety and welfare by:

licensing qualified physicians and acupuncturists;
investigating complaints against physicians and acupuncturists, establishing peer review committees, taking corrective action, and monitoring those under board order;
operating a program for physicians and acupuncturists with an impairment;
defining the scope of medical and acupuncture practice;
working cooperatively with certain other agencies, e.g., Board of Physician Assistants, Board of Pharmacy; and
operating within specified limitations, e.g., public meetings law, public records law, and the waiver and variance law.

Board Meetings and Structure

Every eight weeks the Board meets for two days at its Des Moines office. The focus of the meetings is policy making and decision making about licensure and discipline. Teleconferences are held between regularly scheduled board meetings to discuss matters of immediate importance.

Board meetings are open to the public; however, portions of the meetings may be closed pursuant to applicable Iowa law. Meeting agendas are posted about two weeks before each regularly scheduled meeting and 24 hours prior to a conference call. Click here for meeting dates. Press releases are posted within about one week of the Board taking formal action against a licensee. Click here if you would like to be notified by e-mail of meeting agendas or the posting of press releases.

Committees comprised of Board members are used to facilitate the Board’s work at meetings.

Executive Committee

Elected officers (chair, vice, chair, and secretary) serve on Executive Committee along with two members appointed by the chair. This committee guides and supervises the executive director, reviews the budget and makes recommendations to the board, and recommends administrative rules, legislative proposals, and other policy positions.

Screening Committee

This Board committee reviews complaints that the staff Complaint Review Committee has recommended for review and closure and determines if investigation or case closure should be recommended to the full board. The Screening Committee recommends closure on approximately 80 percent of the cases it reviews.

Licensure Committee

The Licensure Committee reviews and recommends to the Board appropriate action on completed applications for licensure. Committee members may at times interview applicants and review licensure examination matters. The Committee recommends to the full Board whether the Board should indemnify volunteer physician applicants from any malpractice that might occur in the free clinics.

Monitoring Committee

This committee oversees the monitoring of physicians and acupuncturists with Board disciplinary orders and recommends actions to the full Board on these matters.

Board Data

At the end of the calendar year and the end of the fiscal year, the Board gathers statistics on its overall operations. Click here for the latest data on licensure, compliance, and the Iowa Physician Health Program.

Peer Review

The Board may establish a peer review committee comprised of one or more physicians to evaluate the professional services rendered by an M.D. or D.O., who is under investigation. Likewise, the Board may establish such a committee of licensed acupuncturists if the professional services of a licensed acupuncturist are being investigated.

A professional who is interested in serving as a peer reviewer may contact the medical advisor, John Olds, M.D., at 515 242-3229 or click here to email.

Board Overview