ECFMG Acculturation Program
Identifying and meeting the informational needs of international medical graduates (IMGs) who come to the United States for graduate medical education (GME) has been part of ECFMG’s mission since its inception in 1956. Throughout ECFMG’s history, developing and funding resources to meet IMGs’ acculturation needs has been part of this mission.
In 2006, ECFMG launched a new Acculturation Program to assist IMGs with the transition to working and living in the United States. As part of this program, ECFMG is developing a spectrum of resources designed to help IMGs as they learn about the U.S. medical system in which they will be learning and training during their GME and about living in the United States.
The resources found on this website can be used by IMGs at any stage of their journey into U.S. GME programs. They can also be used by staff of GME training programs, hospitals, and other health care institutions who are responsible for orienting new IMG residents and introducing them to U.S. medical culture. All materials offered by the ECFMG Acculturation Program are available free of charge. Orientation leaders may reproduce or adapt these materials according to their individual needs, provided that ECFMG is given attribution as the original source of the material. Some of the resources on this site can also be downloaded; see the Downloads page for a list of available resources.
The ECFMG Acculturation Program is a work in progress, and will be continuously updated and expanded. Currently, the following resources are available:
- The IMG Advisors Network, a free service that allows qualifying IMGs who plan to enter U.S. GME to connect with advisors who can answer questions about participating in U.S. GME and about practical issues, such as finding lodging, opening a bank account, and getting a driver’s license.
- The Interdisciplinary Health Care Team (IHCT), an educational resource designed to introduce IMGs to the concept of teamwork in the U.S. medical system and to the members of the Interdisciplinary Health Care Team.
- The One Dozen Most Important Things You May Not Have Known, Understood, or Realized About American Medicine, a series of modules that use videos, analysis, and discussion questions to introduce IMGs to such topics as the doctor-patient relationship, the role of the patient’s family, the U.S. health care team, U.S. GME system, and professionalism. Users can download text and video(s) for each module from the Downloads page.
- A Glossary of “Medicalese,” terms commonly used in U.S. medical settings.
As additional resources are developed or identified they will be added to this site. Feedback, comments, and suggestions are welcome and can be e-mailed to the Acculturation Program at acculturation@ecfmg.org.
