ERAS Support Services for Applicants

To participate in ERAS, you must have a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number.

To participate in the Match, NRMP requires that you have passed certain exams. Refer to the NRMP website for specific requirements. To maximize the chances that the results of these exams will be available in time to participate, you should be familiar with the standard registration and score reporting turnaround times for the required examinations. You can find information on registration turnaround times in the ECFMG Information Booklet. For score reporting turnaround times for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS), refer to the USMLE Bulletin of Information, available on the USMLE website. For Step 2 CS, updated information on the score reporting schedule is available on the USMLE website.

It is solely the responsibility of the applicant to complete and pass the required exams in time to meet deadlines imposed by NRMP and/or GME programs. Since the number of applicants seeking to complete these exams may exceed the spaces available in time to meet those deadlines, there is no guarantee that sufficient spaces will be available for all applicants to meet deadlines imposed by NRMP and/or GME programs.

Important Note About U.S. State Medical Licensure Requirements
In the United States, a license to practice medicine is granted by individual state medical licensing authorities. Each state sets its own requirements for licensure. Depending on the state, a training or restricted license may be required to participate in programs of graduate medical education. Participants in graduate medical education programs may also be required to obtain an unrestricted medical license by a certain point in their training in order to progress in the program.

Some states have established additional criteria with respect to international medical schools for the purpose of eligibility for licensure. If you plan to apply to residency programs in one of these states, consult the state’s medical licensing board to determine if graduates of your medical school are eligible for licensure in that state.

Additionally, if you are certified by ECFMG based on former medical science exams (such as the Visa Qualifying Examination [VQE] or the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences [FMGEMS]), you should be aware that these exams may not be acceptable for the purpose of eligibility for a training license. Of the states that require a training license for participants in graduate medical education programs, most do not accept these exams for this purpose.

ECFMG does not create or control the medical licensure requirements for any jurisdiction and does not create or control the eligibility requirements for any graduate medical education program. Additionally, ERAS does not preclude any students/graduates from participating in ERAS, based on their eligibility for licensure. Before applying to residency programs in a given state, it is your responsibility to become familiar with that state’s licensure requirements and to ensure that you meet any licensure requirements to enter and complete residency training in that state.

For a directory of U.S. state medical licensing authorities, visit the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc. website.

Back to top