Certification News
Changes to USMLE Reexamination Policy
Two changes have been made to the policy on retaking a failed or incomplete USMLE Step or Step Component.
- For all Steps and Step Components, the 60-day waiting period between attempts has been eliminated. Examinees who fail or do not complete a Step or Step Component will be able to reapply and retake that exam as soon as their score report is available.
- For the computer-based Steps and Step Components (Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3), the limit on the number of attempts during any 12-month period has been increased; examinees are now permitted up to four attempts on the same Step or Step Component in any 12-month period. The limit for Step 2 CS of no more than three attempts in any 12-month period has not changed.
See Reexamination and Reapplication.
Change to Eligibility Period Assignment for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK
When you apply for Step 1 or Step 2 CK, you must select a three-month eligibility period, such as January-February-March, February-March-April, etc., during which you would like to take the exam.
Effective May 1, 2007, ECFMG changed the way these eligibility periods are assigned. To select and obtain a specific eligibility period:
- ECFMG must receive your complete application by the 24th day of that eligibility period, and
- your application must be processed by ECFMG by the 25th day of that eligibility period.
If your application is not processed in time to assign the eligibility period you select, you will be assigned to the next eligibility period.
For complete information, see Eligibility Periods.
Electronic Score Reporting for USMLE
Electronic score reporting for all USMLE Steps and Step Components began in August 2007. International medical students and graduates can now access their score reports for Step 1 and Step 2 (CK and CS) using ECFMG’s OASIS. ECFMG will send a notification to the e-mail address in your ECFMG record when your score report is available on-line. Instructions for viewing, downloading, and printing the score report will be available in the e-mail notification and in OASIS.
Score reports are available in OASIS for approximately 120 days. Once the score report is removed from OASIS, your results will be provided to you only in the form of an official USMLE transcript. For more information, see Scoring and Score Reporting.
New Restrictions on Transferred Academic Credits
A change to ECFMG’s medical education credentials policy will restrict transfer credits for the purpose of ECFMG Certification. This change will affect credits earned on or after January 1, 2008 that are transferred to the medical school that awarded or will award an applicant’s medical degree.
For the purpose of ECFMG Certification, transferred academic credits earned on or after January 1, 2008 must meet all of the following criteria:
- Credits must be transferred from one International Medical Education Directory (IMED)-listed medical school to another IMED-listed medical school.
- Credits must be for courses taken at one medical school within seven years of the date of graduation at the medical school that accepts the transferred courses.
- Credits must be for courses that were passed at the medical school at which the course was taken.
Applicants who have transferred credits to the medical school that awarded or will award their medical degree will be required to document these credits when they apply to ECFMG for examination. For complete information, see Transfer Credits and Credentials for ECFMG Certification.
On-line Application Process Will Be Modified for Medical School Students
ECFMG is planning a significant enhancement to its Interactive Web Application (IWA) for applicants who are medical school students. Currently, medical school students who apply using IWA complete the on-line part of the application and then complete and return a paper Certification Statement (Form 183) for each on-line application. After this change takes effect, medical school students who apply using IWA will complete the on-line part of the application and then complete and return a paper Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) that remains valid for five years.
Although Form 186 will remain valid for five years, ECFMG will continue to require verification of the eligibility of medical school students who are registered for an exam.
This enhancement to IWA is expected to be available for medical school students in late 2007. Monitor the ECFMG website for more information. See Applying for Examination.
The ECFMG® Reporter
Applicants who supply their e-mail addresses to us as part of the application process will automatically receive our electronic newsletter, The ECFMG® Reporter. The ECFMG® Reporter provides important information regarding the ECFMG certification process and entry into graduate medical education in the United States. The ECFMG® Reporter may also advise you of services and programs offered by other organizations in connection with the certification process or graduate medical education in the United States.
The ECFMG® Reporter is a free publication. ECFMG will not share The ECFMG® Reporter subscriber list with third parties. Interested individuals can join or leave The ECFMG® Reporter subscriber list or update their e-mail addresses at any time by visiting www.ecfmg.org/reporter/subscribe.html or by writing to: Director of Communications, ECFMG, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-2685, USA.
