ECFMG 2013 Information Booklet and Application Materials Are Available
The ECFMG 2013 Information Booklet and the 2013 exam application materials are now available on the ECFMG website.
For Step 1/Step 2 CK, you can use the 2013 materials to apply for:
- available Step 1/Step 2 CK eligibility periods ending in 2012 (September 2012-November 2012 and October 2012-December 2012) and
- all Step 1/Step 2 CK eligibility periods ending in 2013, beginning with the November 2012-January 2013 eligibility period.
For Step 2 CS, you can use the 2013 materials to obtain a 12-month eligibility period that begins on the date that the processing of your application is completed.
(posted August 1, 2012; updated September 12, 2012)
IWA Unavailable September 11-12
Due to required maintenance, ECFMG’s Interactive Web Applications (IWA) will be unavailable for up to 24 hours, beginning at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States, on September 11, 2012.
During this maintenance period, you will be unable to perform any IWA transactions, including working on or submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification or USMLE exam application; accessing a USMLE scheduling permit; or requesting an extension of a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK eligibility period.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
FAIMER and WFME to Collaborate on Combined Medical School Directory
The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®) and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) have announced a collaboration to develop a combined directory of the world’s medical schools. According to an agreement signed in March 2012, the organizations will merge their respective directories—FAIMER’s International Medical Education Directory (IMED) and WFME’s Avicenna Directory—to produce a single comprehensive resource on undergraduate medical education worldwide. The new resource, developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the University of Copenhagen, will be known as the World Directory of Medical Schools.
The world’s medical schools number more than 2,500. Collecting and maintaining data on these schools is a large and complex endeavor. The merger of IMED and the Avicenna Directory will combine FAIMER’s and WFME’s existing data sets and streamline their data collection efforts. The new World Directory will include all schools listed in either IMED or the Avicenna Directory. The World Directory listing for schools that meet ECFMG eligibility requirements will be annotated as acceptable for ECFMG Certification.
The new World Directory will offer enhanced information in areas such as enrollment, curricula, and accreditation. The availability of current, high-quality information on undergraduate medical education in the form of a centralized resource will advance research on the quality of medical education and efforts to improve medical education, with the ultimate goal of improving public health.
The World Directory is expected to become available in 2013. During the transition to the World Directory, IMED and the Avicenna Directory will remain open, to ensure that users of these directories have continuity of the essential service that they provide. IMED and Avicenna will close when the World Directory of Medical Schools is fully operational. Updates on the transition to the World Directory will be posted to the FAIMER and ECFMG websites, as they become available.
New ECFMG Program Provides Support and Service to International Medical Graduates
ECFMG® is pleased to announce the launch of the ECFMG Certificate Holders Office (ECHO), a new program that provides support and service to ECFMG-certified physicians, and physicians about to be certified, as they plan their careers. ECHO expands on the resources offered by ECFMG’s former Acculturation Program.
ECHO provides free resources that allow international medical graduates (IMGs) to be better prepared and organized in making important career decisions. In addition to allowing them to access ECFMG’s expertise, ECHO also enables IMGs to connect with other experts and organizations, and with each other, to learn, share, and network. ECHO’s feedback mechanisms offer new ways for IMGs to communicate with ECFMG on an ongoing basis, establishing a dialogue between ECFMG and the physicians it certifies.
As ECFMG’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel G. Cassimatis, M.D., observes, “Providing these additional services to the physicians we certify enhances their professional development. ECHO also strengthens the relationship between ECFMG and IMGs, extending our connection beyond ECFMG Certification and ensuring opportunities for IMGs to tell us what they need and how we can better meet these needs.”
Read the press release.
ECFMG Introduces a New E-newsletter for International Medical Schools
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is pleased to announce the launch of Focus, a new e-newsletter specifically for the Deans, faculty, and staff of international medical schools. Last week, more than 3,000 international medical school representatives received the inaugural issue of this informative new publication, which included articles on efforts to advance accreditation of international medical schools, the pilot of ECFMG’s program to electronically verify the medical education credentials of international medical students/graduates who apply to ECFMG, and programs available to schools through the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP).
Read the press release.
ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable April 28, 2012
Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 7:30 a.m. through approximately 5:00 p.m. on April 28, 2012. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will not be able to access any of ECFMG’s on-line services. For more information on the services that will be unavailable during this maintenance period, visit the On-line Services Overview page.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable March 24, 2012
Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 9:00 a.m. through approximately 5:00 p.m. on March 24, 2012. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will not be able to access any of ECFMG’s on-line services. For more information on the services that will be unavailable during this maintenance period, visit the On-line Services Overview page.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.
ECFMG Launches Electronic Verification of Medical Credentials
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), a world expert on international medical schools and the credentials they issue, is pleased to announce the launch of an electronic process for verifying the medical education credentials of international physicians who seek entry into the U.S. health care system.
In January 2012, after more than a year of intensive development, a pilot of ECFMG’s electronic Credentials Verification program was launched with participation from approximately 20 international medical schools. Participating institutions use Credentials Verification to electronically receive and verify the medical education credentials of their students and graduates who apply to ECFMG.
For more than 50 years, through its certification program, ECFMG has assessed whether international medical graduates are ready to enter U.S. graduate medical education programs. As part of this certification program, ECFMG requires international physicians to provide copies of their medical education credentials, specifically medical diplomas and transcripts. Since 1986, ECFMG has verified applicant credentials by mailing copies directly to the issuing institutions. The electronic Credentials Verification program represents a significant advance over the paper primary-source verification process, benefiting medical schools and their students/graduates while maintaining ECFMG’s rigorous standards for primary-source verification.
ECFMG’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel G. Cassimatis, M.D., comments, “ECFMG’s role in verifying the medical education credentials of international physicians is critical to protecting the public. Electronic Credentials Verification revolutionizes the way we perform this vital function.”
Read the press release.
Fee to be Implemented for Application for ECFMG Certification
Effective January 30, 2012, there will be a fee of $50 for submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification. The Application for ECFMG Certification is a requirement for international medical students/graduates pursuing ECFMG Certification. International medical students/graduates must submit an Application for ECFMG Certification before they can apply to ECFMG for examination. Once an Application for ECFMG Certification has been submitted to ECFMG, it typically remains valid throughout the certification process. More information on the Application for ECFMG Certification is available in the ECFMG 2012 Information Booklet.
ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable January 24, 2012
Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 6:00 p.m. through approximately 8:00 p.m. on January 24, 2012. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
During this maintenance period, you will not be able to access any of ECFMG’s on-line services. For more information on the services that will be unavailable during this maintenance period, visit the On-line Services Overview page.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.