Before you trust someone with your thyroid, your blood sugar or your hormones, it takes only a few minutes to confirm who they are. Texas makes its physician license lookup free and public, and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) reports board certification status. This guide shows how to use both, and how to tell an endocrinologist from a business that only sounds like one.
In short
- The Texas Medical Board's free Look Up a License tool shows a practitioner's license details and profile.
- ABIM reports whether a physician is board certified and whether they take part in Maintenance of Certification.
- A name like hormone clinic or wellness center describes a business, not a credential. Check the person, not the brand.
- Neither tool recommends doctors. They confirm facts you can weigh yourself.
Two checks, two different questions
A license and board certification answer different questions. The license is the state's permission to practice medicine in Texas. Board certification is a separate credential reported by a specialty board such as ABIM. You want to see both.
| Check | Who reports it | What you learn | What it won't tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas medical license | Texas Medical Board | License and permit information, the physician's profile and verification details | Whether the doctor is right for you, since the board doesn't recommend physicians |
| Board certification | ABIM | Whether a physician is board certified, and whether an ABIM-certified physician takes part in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) | Bedside manner, wait times or which insurance the office accepts |
How to look up a license with the Texas Medical Board
- Open the lookup toolGo to the Texas Medical Board's Look Up a License page. It covers license and permit information, physician profiles and verification details for Texas-licensed practitioners.
- Search the way that suits youThe board's consumer and public guide says you can search by name, city, zip code, specialty and more. If you only know a clinic, try its city or zip code together with a specialty.
- Match the right personCompare the full name and practice location with what the clinic told you. Common names can return several results.
- Read the profileState law requires the board to keep a profile on every licensed physician. Note the license type and status, and anything you want to ask the office about.
- Keep a recordWrite down what you found with the date you checked, and keep it with your visit notes.
The Texas Medical Board does not give referrals or recommend physicians. An active license is the minimum to look for, not a quality rating.
How to check board certification with ABIM
- Start with ABIM's patient pageABIM's page for patients explains what board certification means and how to check your doctor's status.
- Look for certification statusABIM reports whether a physician is board certified and whether ABIM-certified physicians take part in Maintenance of Certification (MOC).
- Check what the certification coversNote which specialty or subspecialty is listed. If it isn't clear that the certification relates to endocrinology, ask the office which board certified the doctor in endocrinology.
- Recheck before big decisionsABIM offers primary-source verification to credentialing staff and suggests they re-check every year on April 1. Status can change, so a check close to your visit is the most current.
For this guide we could not confirm ABIM's exact public lookup page or the ABMS Certification Matters tool, and we did not find a direct ABIM source listing endocrinology as one of its subspecialties. Start from ABIM's patient page and follow its current instructions.
What endocrinology training looks like in Houston
The field's full name is usually Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, and Texas fellowship listings show it as an internal medicine fellowship/tx/). In Houston, Baylor College of Medicine runs an endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism fellowship, and MD Anderson runs an Oncologic Endocrinology Fellowship focused on tumors of the thyroid, adrenal glands, parathyroid, pituitary and pancreas.
When an office describes a doctor as an endocrinologist, it is fair to ask where they completed their endocrinology fellowship and which board certified them. These are ordinary questions, and you can cross-check the answers with the tools above.
Endocrinologist or 'hormone clinic'? How to tell
Words like hormone, wellness, low T and medical weight loss show up in clinic names and ads. They describe a business, not a medical credential, and they don't tell you who will evaluate you or what training that person has. Some of these businesses may be led by qualified physicians and some may not. The only way to know is to check the individual clinician.
| Ask | Why it matters | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Who exactly will I see, and what is their full name? | You can only verify a named person | Ask the front desk before booking |
| Is that person licensed in Texas, and as what? | A brand name holds no license, people do | Texas Medical Board lookup |
| Is the physician board certified, and in what? | Endocrinology is a specific credential | ABIM patient page |
| Where did they complete an endocrinology fellowship? | Fellowship is the specialty's training path | Ask the office and compare with the profile |
| Will my primary care doctor get notes from my visits? | Shared notes keep your care coordinated | Ask the office |
Notice how a clinic answers. Vague replies, reluctance to name the clinician, or pressure to commit to a package before you have been evaluated are reasons to pause and verify.
If you are already being treated somewhere and aren't sure about credentials, you can run these checks today. If you have concerns about your treatment, talk with a licensed physician before stopping or changing anything.
What these checks can't tell you
- Whether the doctor takes your insurance. Ask your plan and the office.
- How long the wait is for a new-patient appointment.
- Whether the doctor focuses on your condition, such as thyroid, bone or pituitary problems. Program pages linked in our guide to choosing an endocrinologist list services.
- Whether you will feel heard. A first visit is the real test of that.
Once you have someone in mind, our first appointment guide covers referrals, insurance questions and what to bring.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a doctor's license in Texas?
Use the Texas Medical Board's free Look Up a License tool. You can search by name, city, zip code or specialty and view license details and the physician's profile.
How can I tell if my endocrinologist is board certified?
ABIM reports whether a physician is board certified and whether they take part in Maintenance of Certification. Start at ABIM's patient page, which explains how to check.
Does the Texas Medical Board recommend doctors?
No. The board says it does not give referrals or recommend physicians. Its lookup confirms license facts only.
Is a hormone or wellness clinic the same as an endocrinologist?
Not necessarily. A clinic's name says nothing about the clinician's training. Ask who you will see, then check that person's license and board certification.
Can board certification status change?
Yes. ABIM suggests credentialing staff re-check status every year on April 1, so it is worth checking close to your visit.
What does MOC mean?
Maintenance of Certification. ABIM reports whether ABIM-certified physicians take part in it, alongside whether they are board certified.
Sources
- Look Up a License — Texas Medical Board
- Consumer and Public Guide — Texas Medical Board
- Contents of the Online Profile System — Texas Medical Board
- For Credentialers — American Board of Internal Medicine
- For Patients — American Board of Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (IM) programs in Texas — ResidentSwap
- Oncologic Endocrinology Fellowship — MD Anderson Cancer Center