Certification

About ECFMG Certification | IMGs in the United States | Definition of an IMG | How the Certification Process Works | Requirements for Certification | Reference Guide for Medical Education Credentials | Eligibility for Examination | Verification of Credentials | Certification Verification

The eligibility requirements for examination differ depending on whether the applicant is a medical school student or a medical school graduate.

Medical School Students
To be eligible for Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), a student must be officially enrolled in a medical school located outside the United States and Canada that is listed in the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), both at the time that he/she applies for examination and on his/her test day. In addition, the “Graduation Years” in IMED for the student’s medical school must be listed as “Current” at the time he/she applies and on his/her test day.

An authorized official of the student’s medical school must certify his/her current enrollment status; instructions are provided at the time of application for examination.

In addition to being currently enrolled as described above, to be eligible for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, a medical school student must have completed at least two years of medical school. This eligibility requirement means that the student must have completed the basic medical science component of the medical school curriculum by the beginning of his/her examination eligibility period.

Although a medical school student may apply for and take the examinations after completing the basic medical science component of the medical school curriculum, completion of the core clinical clerkships, including actual patient contact, before taking Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS is recommended.

Medical School Graduates
To be eligible for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, a medical school graduate must have graduated from a medical school located outside the United States and Canada that is listed in IMED. The applicant’s graduation year must be included in the medical school’s IMED listing. Additionally, he/she must have been awarded credit for at least four credit years (academic years for which credit has been given toward completion of the medical curriculum) by a medical school that is listed in IMED.

An authorized official of the graduate’s medical school must certify his/her status as a graduate of the school; instructions are provided at the time of application for examination.

For detailed information, including how to apply for the examinations required for ECFMG Certification, refer to the ECFMG Information Booklet.

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