Intealth ECFMG

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

About

About Us


The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is a member of Intealth , an integrated organization that also includes the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®) . Through strategic integration of its nonprofit members, Intealth brings together the expertise and resources that advance quality in health care education worldwide in order to improve health care for all. As members of Intealth, ECFMG and FAIMER share a common vision and pursue complementary missions. Read more about our Vision, Missions & Values .

Established in 1956, ECFMG is a world leader in promoting quality health care—serving physicians, members of the medical education and regulatory communities, health care consumers, and those researching issues in medical education and health workforce planning.

International medical graduates (IMGs) comprise one-quarter of the U.S. physician workforce. Certification by ECFMG is the standard for evaluating the qualifications of these physicians before they enter U.S. graduate medical education (GME), where they provide supervised patient care. ECFMG Certification also is a requirement for IMGs to take Step 3 of the three-step United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE®) and to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States.

ECFMG provides other programs for IMGs pursuing U.S. GME, including those that assist them with the process of applying for U.S. GME positions; and that sponsor foreign nationals for the J-1 visa for the purpose of participating in such programs. We offer a verification service that allows GME programs, state medical boards, hospitals, and credentialing agencies in the United States to obtain primary-source confirmation that their IMG applicants are certified by ECFMG.

Throughout nearly 70 years of certifying IMGs, ECFMG has developed unparalleled expertise on the world’s medical schools, the credentials they issue to their graduates, and the verification of those credentials. ECFMG’s expertise includes primary-source verification of credentials related to postgraduate training and registration/licensure. Currently, ECFMG's Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPICSM) service offers this expertise to individual physicians and the entities that license, train, educate, and employ them.

ECFMG’s programs for the medical education community offer valuable services to international medical schools and their graduates. Through the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP), ECFMG provides access to several web-based services for international medical schools, including electronic Credentials Verification and USMLE Performance Data.

ECFMG’s commitment to promoting excellence in international medical education led to the establishment of its nonprofit foundation, the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®) . FAIMER offers training in leadership and health professions education; analyzes the needs of IMGs and their contributions to health care in the United States; and provides authoritative and comprehensive information on health professions education to users across the globe.

Back to top

[Last update: February 10, 2023]

Terms | Privacy | Site Map | Careers | Contact Us | Intealth | FAIMER | Employee Login

       

® Registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Copyright © 2024 by Intealth. All rights reserved.