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 offers a variety of other programs and services to physicians educated abroad and other members of the international medical community. Detailed information on ECFMG Certification and ECFMG's other programs and services is available on this site and in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
Organizational Members
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is a private, non-profit organization. ECFMG's organizational members are:
- American Board of Medical Specialties®
- American Medical Association
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Association for Hospital Medical Education
- Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc.
- National Medical Association
Statement Of Values, Mission, And Purposes
Values
The values of ECFMG are expressed in its vision statement:
"Improving world health through excellence in medical education in the context of ECFMG's core values of collaboration, professionalism and accountability."
Mission
The charge of ECFMG is expressed in its mission statement:
"The ECFMG promotes quality health care for the public by certifying international medical graduates for entry into U.S. graduate medical education, and by participating in the evaluation and certification of other physicians and health care professionals. In conjunction with its Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), and other partners, it actively seeks opportunities to promote international medical education through programmatic and research activities."
Purposes
The purposes (goals) that actuate and accomplish ECFMG's mission are to:
- Certify the readiness of international medical graduates for entry to graduate medical education and health care systems in the United States through an evaluation of their qualifications.
- Provide complete, timely, and accessible information to international medical graduates regarding entry to graduate medical education in the United States.
- Assess the readiness of international medical graduates to recognize the diverse social, economic and cultural needs of U.S. patients upon entry into graduate medical education.
- Identify the needs of international medical graduates to become acculturated into U.S. health care.
- Provide international access to testing and evaluation programs.
- Expand knowledge about international medical education programs and their graduates by gathering data, conducting research, and disseminating the findings.
- Improve international medical education through consultation and cooperation with medical schools and other institutions relative to program development, standard setting, and evaluation.
- Improve assessment through collaboration with other entities in the United States and abroad.
- Improve the quality of health care by providing research and consultation services to institutions that evaluate international medical graduates for entry into their country.
- Enhance effectiveness by delegating appropriate activities in international medical education to FAIMER.