Got your UG medical degree from outside the US? Do you want to get a PG medical degree from the US and work there?

Physicians who get their medical degrees (MBBS and other UG degrees) outside the United States can get into the American Healthcare system by getting certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Grads (ECFMG).

ECFMG is the regulatory body. Everyone must get an ECFMG certification before applying to a medical residency program. Otherwise, your application is not accepted.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Grads checks and certifies IMGs who want to become certified medical doctors and professionals in the United States, making ECFMG certification the first step in applying to PG residency programs.

What does ECFMG mean?

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

It is an organization for non-U.S. physicians. It serves graduates looking for work within America or applying to U.S. residency programs by providing evaluation services of their credentials.

It will check your information, all the documents you upload, and your USMLE Step scores. Based on that, it will give you a certification. A certification means you are eligible to apply for the residency Match process. You can now rank the residency programs you want to join.

ACGME-accredited programs

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires IMGs who enter ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship programs to be certified by ECFMG.

So, ACGME is the parent regulatory body that scores and ensures the proper working of different residency programs and gives them ACGME certification.

ACGME gives credits to residency programs. You are supposed to be ECFMG certified to be able to apply to these residency programs.

These certifications are a type of quality check. Program quality is maintained by the direct regulation of ACGME.

And you as an International Medical Graduate are also checked for the qualities required to enter American Healthcare System.

If you get an ECFMG certification, programs don’t have to individually do background checks on you and your qualifications. They can just review your application and choose on that basis.

Programs are ACGME certified and you are ECFMG certified. Got it?

Please beware that no medical program accepts an international medical graduate with an ECFMG certification.

Can I get into a US residency program without ECFMG certification?

US Medical graduates (USMGs) and Canadian medical graduates (CMGs) do not require ECFMG certification, given that both nations co-accredit clinical schools that acknowledge similar education and criteria.

CMGs can freely apply for residency programs in either country; however, to practice a medical career lawfully in the US, they still need to get licensed and end up being accredited.

Premeds who are not US or Canadian citizens but graduate from medical schools that accept international students in either the US or Canada are classified as non-US IMGs. These med grads do not need to get ECFMG certified.

IMGs who are seen as medical school graduates include those who finished their education at global medical schools situated outside the United States and Canada.

These even include US citizens who complete their UG medical degrees in International countries Caribbean, India, or Europe; these individuals will be classified as US IMGs.

US IMGs: Citizens born in the US and graduated from a US medical college. Do not need ECFMG certification.

Non-US IMGs: International Medical students who came to US to get their degrees from a medical school in the US. Do not need an ECFMG certification.

CMGs: Canadian medical graduates who have obtained their degrees from a Canadian medical school. Do not need ECFMG certification.

IMGs: International medical graduates. Graduated from any country and college outside US and Canada. NEED to get ECFMG certified.

US-IMGs: US citizens that got their medical degree from outside the US or Canada. NEED to get ECFMG certification.

Do I need an ECFMG certification as an IMG?

Medical graduates who need ECFMG certification = IMGs, US citizens who graduate from international med schools.

Medical graduates who DO NOT need ECFMG certification = USMGs, CMGs and Non-US IMGs

ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP)

ECFMG’s programs for the medical education community offer valuable services to international medical schools and their graduates. Through the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP), ECFMG provides access to several web-based services for international medical schools, including electronic credential verification and USMLE Performance Data.

ECFMG Information Booklet: A Comprehensive Resource for IMGs

The ECFMG Information Booklet is a useful tool that has a lot of information about how to get certified by the ECFMG, what you need to do to take the test, and the rules and regulations. The IMGs can use it as a tool as they work towards ECFMG certification.

How to Get ECFMG Certification: Step-by-Step Guide

Medical School Requirements

You need to guarantee that your medical school satisfies ECFMG eligibility requirements and has certification acknowledged by them.

You can check the eligibility of your medical school by going to the World Directory site of Medical Schools. Click here.

Ensure that your medical school includes ECFMG in the “sponsor notes” area, showing that its program is accepted.

ECFMG specifies the graduation years that are accepted and may not allow individuals who finished outside of these defined years.

Application Requirements

If the institution is qualified, the IMG can send their application, which can be completed in both digital and paper layouts. You will need to complete an online application as well as fill out a Certification of Identification (form 186) and notarize it.

The certification application can be completed online through the Interactive Web Applications (IWA) portal. First-time users will need to register and create an account.

Eligibility Criteria for IMG Certification

To get the certification as an International Medical Graduate (IMG), you have to meet 2 distinct requirements: Licensing examination requirements and Clinical skills requirements.

Exams are straightforward: they check both medical knowledge and clinical capacities.

2 USMLE Step examinations (USMLE Step 1 and 2 CK specifically) need to be passed efficiently to demonstrate this ability.

To do this properly and pass both evaluations with flying colors, appropriate planning needs to happen before sitting for any of them.

To prove your clinical and communication skills and meet the requirements, you’ll go through one of the ECFMG pathways and pass the Occupational English Test-Medicine (OET). The pathways are different ways to certify that you possess the clinical abilities and communication skills necessary to enter a US residency program.

Credential Requirements

Lastly, to become ECFMG-certified you have to complete medical school and get your clinical diploma/degree – this consists of gaining a credit rating for four years or more from an accepted medical education college.

The ECFMG will also verify your diploma with your medical school and request your official transcripts from your school. The time it takes to complete the verification process can vary depending on your medical school’s processes.

Steps to Get ECFMG Certified

After satisfying all the requirements, which include graduating from a medical institution and having your qualifications validated, you can launch the certification process.

Right here’s a short overview of the steps to obtain ECFMG accreditation:

Examine that your clinical school is present on the World Directory of Medical Schools and has the ECFMG provided as a sponsor.
Complete your medical school education and gather the necessary documentation
Send your diploma/degree and credits for confirmation by the ECFMG
Create an account through the IWA and submit the online application form
Fill in Form 186 and get it notarized from your college
Research, study for, and take the USMLE Step 1
Study for and take the USMLE Step 2 CK
Send your test ratings to the ECFMG
Complete one of the 6 ECFMG pathways
Take and pass the OET Medicine

ECFMG Certification: Applying to Residency in the US and Canada

The National Resident Matching Programme (NRMP, or “the Match”) is the main way to apply for resident programs. Before they can join the NRMP, IMGs must have an ECFMG certification by the “rank order list certification deadline” date, which is usually in February of the year of the match.

Upon obtaining your ECFMG accreditation, you’ll be eligible to take part in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Suit, an exhilarating step in the direction of your medical residency journey.

Applicants to residency programs or an ERAS fellowship program in the US will complete and submit an application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Since the match application cycle can go by quickly, it’s a good idea to plan your ERAS timeline, make note of deadlines and check the requirements.

In comparison, regular graduates from medical schools in the United States need to complete USMLE Steps 1 and 2 as well but can participate in the NRMP while still doing their final year of medical school before acquiring their medical diplomas.

In effect, taking regular administrative delays into account, and with residency programs starting around July, there is a gap of at least half a year for IMGs between graduation from medical school and the beginning of a residency program.

Here are a few of the major components of the periods application:

ERAS personal statement
ERAS letter of recommendation
ERAS experiences section
ERAS supplemental application
ERAS residency interview

If you’re not acquainted with the ERAS application process, it’s a great concept to obtain some professional aid from an ERAS application testimonial service that can examine your application and supply feedback.

Applying to residency programs in Canada as an IMG

To be eligible to apply for residency programs in Canada, you must be either a Canadian person or permanent homeowner of Canada.

You are also eligible if you have graduated from a recognized US medical college.

To meet the demands of the Medical Council of Canada, you require to write and pass both the NAC OSCE and the MCCQE Part 1 to show your medical understanding and professional expertise. To get ready for these exams, you can take an MCCQE prep course for global trainees or a NAC OSCE prep program.

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) looking for entrance into Canadian residency programs will certainly make use of the CaRMS application, which stands for Canadian Resident Matching Service. The CaRMS application consists of similar elements to the ERAS application, such as a CaRMS individual statement, a CaRMS letter of recommendation, and a CaRMS interview.

Exactly how competitive are residency programs for IMGs?

Residency programs in the United States and Canada are highly competitive, specifically for IMGs. Depending on the medical speciality you apply for, the level of competitiveness can differ. Overall, non-US IMGs have a match percentage just over 59%, while US IMGs had a total match rate simply over 67%.

59.4%- Non-US IMG Match Percentage Overall.

67.6%- United States IMG Match Rate Overall.

For much better possibilities of matching, check out the most IMG-friendly residency programs and apply for the specialties that have the best matching rates for IMGs.