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

To be eligible for ECFMG Certification, international medical graduates must provide copies of their medical education credentials—currently the final medical diploma, final medical school transcript, and, if required, transfer credit transcript(s). Since 1986, ECFMG has verified the authenticity of applicants’ credentials directly with authorized officials of the applicants’ medical schools. An applicant’s credentials are not considered complete until ECFMG receives and accepts verification of these credentials directly from the issuing school(s).

Primary-source verification is a rigorous, multi-step process that ECFMG employs to ensure the integrity and authenticity of a physician’s medical education credentials.

• When ECFMG receives a credential issued by a medical school, it first reviews the credential and compares it to sample primary-source verified documents from its Medical Credentials Reference Library to confirm that it is consistent with the format of credentials issued by the medical school.
• If the credential is determined to be consistent with verified samples, ECFMG will communicate directly with the issuing institution to request verification of the credential’s authenticity. If ECFMG believes it will facilitate the verification process, ECFMG will communicate with an institution in the language of the country in which the institution is located. ECFMG currently verifies documents using 10 languages.
• Once ECFMG receives this verification, another review is conducted to confirm that the verification meets ECFMG’s standards. ECFMG only accepts verifications directly from the issuing institution.

In January 2012, following more than one year of intensive development, ECFMG launched a pilot to verify medical education credentials electronically. Using Credentials Verification, a program available through the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP), approximately 20 international medical schools participating in the pilot are receiving, sending, and verifying the medical education credentials of their students/graduates who apply to ECFMG for examination and certification.

Electronic primary-source verification of credentials represents a significant advance over the paper primary-source verification process used since 1986, benefiting both medical schools and their students/graduates. The electronic verification process includes features that help ensure timely and complete verifications. It also eliminates the transit time and potential postal delays associated with mailing paper documents. Like the paper process, the electronic verification process includes security measures to ensure that only authorized medical school officials are able to verify credentials.

After completion of the pilot, ECFMG will invite additional medical schools to participate in EMSWP Credentials Verification. ECFMG also plans to expand electronic credentials verification to its ECFMG International Credentials Services (EICS) and to the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC^SM). Please monitor this website for updates.

Back to top