New York disciplines roughly 200 physicians and other clinicians a year. An analysis of 8,678 state misconduct actions shows what actually gets a license restricted, and how often the conduct first came to light in another state.
New York's Board for Professional Medical Conduct publishes every disciplinary action it takes against physicians and physician assistants, going back to 1990. This analysis covers 9,232 board actions in that record, of which 8,678 are disciplinary, and it asks a simple question the raw list does not answer on its own. When a New York clinician is disciplined, what did they actually do.
What gets a New York clinician disciplined
Share of the 8,678 disciplinary actions that involve each type of conduct.
| Out-of-state discipline | 42.9% |
|---|---|
| Criminal conviction | 38.3% |
| Negligence or incompetence | 27.2% |
| Fraud or false filings | 15.9% |
| Substance abuse | 15.5% |
| Inappropriate prescribing | 11.3% |
| Inadequate records | 9.5% |
| Sexual misconduct | 3.7% |
Categories are derived by keyword from the board's own written description of each action and can overlap, since a single action often involves more than one type of conduct. They will not sum to 100 percent.
Discipline often starts somewhere else
The single most common thread is not a botched surgery or a crime committed in New York. It is discipline that began in another state. 43% of New York's disciplinary actions reference an action by another state's medical board or licensing authority, meaning New York frequently acts only after a clinician has already been sanctioned elsewhere.
Analysis. This echoes a long-running concern, raised years ago by NYPIRG's “Questionable Doctors” work, that state oversight is often reactive. The pattern is not necessarily a failure, because honoring other states' findings is appropriate, but it does suggest New York is more often a follower than a first mover in catching problem clinicians.
Disciplinary actions over time
New York Board for Professional Medical Conduct, by year of action.
| 2010 | 275 | 7.5% |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 251 | 6.8% |
| 2012 | 221 | 6% |
| 2013 | 305 | 8.3% |
| 2014 | 221 | 6% |
| 2015 | 217 | 5.9% |
| 2016 | 304 | 8.3% |
| 2017 | 274 | 7.4% |
| 2018 | 201 | 5.5% |
| 2019 | 198 | 5.4% |
| 2020 | 220 | 6% |
| 2021 | 192 | 5.2% |
| 2022 | 205 | 5.6% |
| 2023 | 212 | 5.8% |
| 2024 | 197 | 5.3% |
| 2025 | 190 | 5.2% |
The board has averaged roughly 200 to 250 disciplinary actions a year, with no clear upward or downward trend over the past decade. 2026 is a partial year.
Crime, negligence, and impairment
Beyond out-of-state cases, 38% of actions involve a criminal conviction, 27% cite negligence or incompetence, and 16% each involve fraud or false filings and substance abuse or impairment. Sexual misconduct appears in about 4% of actions.
Analysis. The mix is a reminder that a medical license can be lost for conduct that has nothing to do with a specific patient injury, from a drunk-driving conviction to insurance fraud. For patients, a disciplinary history is a meaningful signal, and New York lets anyone look up a physician's record before an appointment.
What this means for patients
A disciplinary action does not by itself prove that a particular patient was harmed, but a pattern of negligence findings, impairment, or repeat discipline is a red flag worth checking. New York publishes physician backgrounds and conduct histories through the state's online physician profile. If you believe a doctor's negligence caused you or a family member harm, a medical-malpractice attorney can review the records and the clinician's history.
If you or a family member may have been harmed by a doctor's error in New York, the team at Porter Law Group can review the medical records and your options at no cost.
Methodology
Figures come from the New York State Professional Medical Conduct Board Actions dataset, which records 9,232 actions since 1990. Of these, 554 are marked as not disciplinary in nature and are excluded, leaving 8,678 disciplinary actions. Conduct categories are derived by keyword from the board's written description of each action and can overlap, so they do not sum to 100 percent. An action is counted as out-of-state or reciprocal when it references another state's board or licensing authority, or a duly authorized disciplinary agency. This report presents aggregate statistics only and does not name or characterize any individual clinician.
