ECFMG 2012 Information Booklet

Applying for Examination

Application for USMLE | Medical School Students | Medical School Graduates | When to Apply | Exam Fees | Examinees Who Require Personal Items in the Testing Room | Examinees with Disabilities Requesting Test Accommodations | Testing Locations | Step 1/Step 2 CK Eligibility Periods | Step 2 CS Eligibility Periods | Reexamination and Reapplication

Medical School Students

The process of applying for examination as a medical school student will vary depending on whether your medical school participates in EMSWP.

If you are a medical school student enrolled in a medical school that participates in EMSWP, you must print a Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) after completing the on-line part of the application, if you do not have a valid Form 186 on file with ECFMG. If you are a medical school student enrolled in a medical school that does not participate in EMSWP (or if the information you provide on your application is not sufficient for ECFMG to determine whether your medical school participates in EMSWP), you must print a Certification Statement (Form 183) after completing the on-line part of the application. You will be able to determine if your medical school participates in EMSWP when you complete the on-line part of the exam application. At that time, IWA will produce the appropriate form, which you will be able to print.

Both Form 186 and Form 183 must be completed by you and certified by an authorized official of your medical school. Each medical school has been requested to provide ECFMG with a list of the officials authorized by the school to certify Forms 186 and 183. Your form must be certified by an official on this list. Contact your medical school to determine the officials authorized by your medical school for this purpose; ECFMG will not provide this information to applicants. This certification must be current; the official must have signed the form within four months of its receipt by ECFMG. The original, signed Form 186 or Form 183 must be sent to ECFMG from the office of the medical school official who certifies the form. ECFMG must be able to determine that the form was sent directly from the office of this official. If ECFMG, in its judgment, determines that the form may not have been sent directly from the office of the medical school official who certified the form, the form will not be accepted.

Once accepted by ECFMG, Form 186 remains valid for exam applications and requests to extend Step 1 and Step 2 CK eligibility periods received during the following five-year period. Applications and requests submitted during this period can be completed entirely on-line.

A completed Form 183 must be submitted for each exam application.

If there are any additional documents required to complete your application, these documents must be sent to ECFMG with your Form 186 or Form 183, and must be accompanied by a completed IWA Document Submission Form (Form 187). Form 187 facilitates more efficient processing of the application by ensuring that any additional documents are matched with the on-line part of the application. Do not include Form 187 if you do not have any additional documents to submit to ECFMG or if you are submitting Form 186 or Form 183 only.

All forms and documents required to complete your application must be sent to ECFMG in one envelope. If you are required to complete a Form 186 or a Form 183, this envelope must be sent to ECFMG from the office of the medical school official who certifies your form. If you are not required to complete a Form 186 or a Form 183, this envelope can be sent to ECFMG by you.

Important Note: If you are submitting a request for test accommodations, follow the instructions in the Test Accommodations information on the USMLE website. See Examinees with Disabilities Requesting Test Accommodations in Applying for Examination and Examinees with Disabilities Requesting Test Accommodations in the USMLE Bulletin of Information. Do not send your request or supporting documents in the same envelope as your application materials; requests and supporting documents for test accommodations should not be accompanied by Form 187.

Your application will not be considered complete until all required documents are received at ECFMG.

If you are a medical school student enrolled in a medical school that participates in EMSWP, to complete the processing of your application, your medical school must verify your status through EMSWP. You will not be registered for examination until your medical school verifies your status.

Form 186 or Form 183 will be available from IWA after you have completed the on-line part of the application. Form 187 is available from IWA and in the Resources section of the ECFMG website.

Last updated: September 15, 2011

® Registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Copyright © 2011 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.