ECFMG

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

Through its program of certification, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) assesses the readiness of international medical graduates to enter residency or fellowship programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

ECFMG acts as the registration and score-reporting agency for the USMLE for foreign medical students/ graduates, or in short, it acts as the designated Dean's office for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in contrast to the American Medical Graduates (AMGs).

It conducts three examinations: Step 1, Step 2CK, Step 2CS. The ECFMG certificate is issued to a physician if he or she passes the above the three exams within a time period of seven years.

Medical schools in Canada that award the M.D. are not assessed by ECFMG, because the Liaison Committee on Medical Education historically accredited M.D.-granting institutions in both the U.S. and Canada (today, Canada has its own accrediting body that generally follows U.S. standards). M.D. graduates of American and Canadian institutions are not considered IMGs in either country.

History

First established in 1986.

 

Preparing for Certification

To be eligible for certification by the ECFMG, you should be graduate of a medical college that is listed in the International Directory of Medical Schools. Certification requirements include a passing score in USMLE step 1 and step 2 examinations. Foreign graduates are especially advised to undertake a thorough preparation before embarking on what is a long and arduous undertaking that involves passing multiple examinations, and obtaining a visa to enter the United States to take USMLE step 2 CS.