Our Selection Process
How We Choose the Top Doctors You Can Trust
Quick Summary: Our Selection Process
Top3Doctors.com finds the best doctors through a careful review process. We check over 25 important details about each doctor, including their education, licenses, reputation among other doctors, and patient safety records. Only 31% of doctors who apply make it into our network. We check every doctor again each year to make sure they still meet our high standards.
Finding a great doctor shouldn’t feel like taking a chance with your health. At Top3Doctors.com, we’ve built a detailed selection process that finds doctors who have the right qualifications, excellent medical skills, and strong professional ethics. Every doctor in our network goes through a tough evaluation to make sure you connect with only the most qualified, board-certified medical professionals.
Our High Standards: We accept only 31% of all doctors who apply, which means you get access to truly outstanding healthcare providers.
Our Medical Review Board & Independent Oversight
Who Reviews the Doctors?
Our selection process is guided by experienced medical professionals who have decades of combined experience across many specialties. These review committees are the foundation of how we check credentials, making sure every doctor meets the highest standards of medical excellence.
Who Sits on Our Review Committees?
Our review committees include board-certified professionals from:
Dentistry – Experts who evaluate dentists and oral healthcare providers specializing in preventive care, restorative procedures, and dental surgery.
Pediatrics – Doctors who assess physicians specializing in caring for infants, children, and teenagers, with deep knowledge of child development and health.
Internal Medicine – Specialists who review adult medicine doctors expert in preventing, diagnosing, and treating complex medical conditions.
We also include:
Independent medical professionals who have no financial connections to the doctors being reviewed.
Experienced healthcare administrators and patient advocates.
Quality assurance specialists with healthcare backgrounds.
How Our Independent Medical Advisory Board Works
Our Independent Medical Advisory Board makes sure that:
Fair Assessment: No one on our board has financial relationships with the doctors they review.
Medical Expertise: Doctors are evaluated by other qualified doctors in the same specialty (dentistry, pediatrics, internal medicine, or other medical fields).
Consistent Quality Standards: We apply the same high standards across all medical specialties.
Professional Ethics: We verify that doctors follow ethical practice standards and put patients first.
Our 25-Point Verification System with Point Values
Each doctor’s evaluation uses specific weighted criteria that add up to 100 points. Doctors must score at least 85 points to be included in our network.
| Phase & Duration | Criteria | Total Points Available | Description of What We Check |
| PHASE 1: Basic Credentials & Source Verification (Days 1-3) | Medical License Verification | 12 Points | Active, unrestricted medical licenses in all states of practice. Cross-checking with state medical board databases. Score 0: Current restrictions or probation (automatic disqualification). |
| Board Certification Verification | 10 Points | Direct verification with ABMS for current certification status, recertification, sub-specialty, and Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Score 0: Board eligible or expired certification (automatic disqualification). | |
| Medical Education Verification | 8 Points | Confirmation of graduation from accredited medical schools, completion of residency, fellowship training, and academic performance. Score 0: Incomplete verification or unaccredited institution (disqualification). | |
| PHASE 2: Background Investigation & Professional Standing (Days 4-7) | Disciplinary Action Review | 15 Points | Thorough background investigation, searching state medical board disciplinary records, hospital peer review actions, malpractice case history, and the National Practitioner Data Bank. Score 0: Any current disciplinary action, license suspension, or multiple malpractice claims (automatic disqualification). |
| Hospital Affiliations and Privileges | 10 Points | Verification of active medical staff appointments, current clinical privileges, and department memberships at multiple accredited facilities. | |
| PHASE 3: Clinical Excellence & Professional Assessment (Days 8-11) | Peer Professional References | 10 Points | Confidential reviews from medical colleagues, checking professional society memberships, leadership roles, and participation in quality improvement projects. Score 0: Poor peer references or lack of professional engagement (disqualification). |
| Patient Safety Record & Clinical Outcomes | 10 Points | Complete review of malpractice history, analysis of patient safety incidents, assessment of hospital quality metrics, and review of patient satisfaction scores. Score 0: Pattern of patient safety concerns or poor outcomes (automatic disqualification). | |
| PHASE 4: Excellence Evaluation & Ongoing Development (Days 12-14) | Clinical Performance Analysis | 12 Points | Assessment of adherence to evidence-based medicine protocols, treatment success rates, and participation in quality improvement projects. |
| Continuing Professional Development | 8 Points | Verification of Continuing Medical Education (CME) compliance, participation in medical conferences, and commitment to staying current with medical advances. Score 0: Does not meet CME requirements (automatic disqualification). | |
| Patient-Centered Care Excellence | 5 Points | Evaluation of communication skills, cultural awareness, patient education effectiveness, reasonable appointment availability, and use of electronic communication tools. | |
| TOTAL | 100 Points | Minimum Passing Score: 85 Points |
How We Evaluate Different Medical Specialties
Each doctor is evaluated by other board-certified doctors in their same field of practice.
Specialty-Specific Evaluations
Dental Specialists (Dentists & Oral Healthcare Providers): Evaluated for expertise in preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry; surgical skills; and adherence to infection control/patient safety standards.
Pediatricians: Assessed for expertise in well-child care, monitoring developmental milestones, diagnosing childhood diseases, following vaccination protocols, and strong parent communication/family-centered care.
Internal Medicine Specialists: Evaluated for expertise in preventive care, management of chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension), diagnostic reasoning, and care coordination.
Surgical Specialties (Surgeons): Additional evaluation includes analysis of surgical volume, outcome metrics, complication rates, assessment of technique mastery, and post-operative care management.
Medical Subspecialties: Assessed for verification of advanced training, familiarity with cutting-edge treatments, publication record, and involvement in professional societies.
Ongoing Monitoring and Annual Re-Verification
Our commitment to quality continues after initial selection.
Quarterly Reviews (Continuous Monitoring Process)
We conduct regular monitoring that includes:
Tracking new disciplinary actions or license changes.
Updating hospital affiliation and privilege status.
Reviewing new malpractice claims or professional issues.
Verifying continued board certification compliance.
Monitoring license status through national databases.
Assessing ongoing patient feedback and satisfaction scores.
Annual Re-Assessment & Re-credentialing (Complete Yearly Re-Verification)
Every twelve months, we conduct a complete re-evaluation by:
Completing full credential re-verification across all 25 verification points.
Renewing all professional credentials and license verification.
Updating clinical performance metrics and reassessing reputation among peers.
Confirming continued adherence to our 85-point minimum standard.
Doctors who score below our 85-point threshold during annual review are removed from our network.
What We Don’t Accept – Strict Exclusion Rules
Financial Factors We Reject
We maintain our integrity by refusing:
Pay-to-Play Models: Doctors cannot buy their way into our network.
Marketing-Based Selection: Advertising spend, premium memberships, or marketing campaigns have zero influence on selection.
Strict Medical Exclusions
We automatically exclude doctors with:
Self-Reported Credentials: All information must be independently verified through primary sources.
Expired Certifications: We only accept current, active board certifications.
License Issues: Any history of medical license suspension or revocation results in immediate disqualification.
Patient Safety Concerns: Unresolved malpractice cases with patient safety implications are grounds for exclusion.
Disciplinary Actions: Any disciplinary actions by state medical boards that are under active investigation.
Criminal Convictions: Any criminal convictions related to medical practice or patient care.
Your Assurance of Quality
When you see a doctor featured on Top3Doctors.com, you can be confident they have met our standards:
✓ Current Board Certification from recognized medical specialty boards.
✓ Active Medical License with a clean disciplinary record.
✓ Hospital Privileges at accredited medical facilities.
✓ Peer Recognition from fellow medical professionals.
✓ Patient Safety Record that meets our strict standards.
✓ Continuing Education Compliance with ongoing learning requirements.
✓ Independent Medical Advisory Board Approval – 100% of selected doctors reviewed by our expert panel.
✓ Minimum 85-Point Score on our complete weighted evaluation criteria.
✓ Top 31% Selectivity – Acceptance into an elite network of exceptional healthcare providers.
Selection Statistics & Performance Metrics
| Metric | Detail |
| Average Evaluation Time | 14 days per doctor |
| Verification Points | 25+ individual checks per candidate |
| Medical Advisory Board Review | 100% of selected doctors evaluated |
| Acceptance Rate | Only 31% of all applicants meet our standards |
| Re-Verification Cycle | Every 12 months with full 25-point reassessment |
| Minimum Passing Score | 85 out of 100 points |
Contact Our Selection Team
Email: selections@top3doctors.com
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM PST
Response Time: Within 24 hours for all inquiries
Additional Resources
Verify a Doctor – Check if your doctor has been recognized
Frequently Asked Questions – Common questions about our process
About Top3Doctors – Our mission and organization details
Disclaimer
Top3Doctors.com is committed to being transparent about our selection process. We do not provide medical advice and recommend consulting with qualified healthcare professionals for all medical concerns.
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