Requirement Overview
The 2024 (previously 2023) Medical School Accreditation Requirement
was established by ECFMG in 2010 to stimulate international
accreditation efforts and enhance the quality of medical education
worldwide. The requirement is intended to encourage the development
and implementation of standards for evaluating undergraduate medical
education, to provide greater assurance to both medical students and
the public that they will be appropriately trained.
Applicants and other interested individuals are encouraged to
check this section frequently for updates.
2024 Accreditation
Accreditation Requirement
Starting in 2024, individuals applying for ECFMG Certification must
be a student or graduate of a medical school that is appropriately
accredited. More specifically, the school must be accredited by an
accrediting agency that is officially recognized by the World
Federation for Medical Education (WFME).
The WFME Recognition Programme is the only program accepted by ECFMG
at the current time for the recognition of medical school
accrediting agencies.
Thus, beginning in 2024, medical schools will need to be accredited
by a WFME-recognized accrediting agency if they wish to ensure their
students and graduates are eligible for ECFMG Certification.
Eligibility Guidelines
Please note these guidelines may change over time in ECFMG’s sole
discretion. All other ECFMG Certification-related policies will
continue to apply.
Timing
-
In 2024, individuals will be eligible to apply for ECFMG
Certification—the first step in the certification process—and take
the required examinations if,
at the time of application, their medical school
is accredited (including provisional or conditional accreditation)
by an accrediting agency recognized by WFME.
-
Individuals who apply for ECFMG Certification prior to 2024 will
continue the examination and certification process
under current ECFMG policies, including that
their medical school must be recognized by the appropriate
government authority in the country where the school is located.
Graduates of the medical school must also be eligible to practice
medicine in that country, among other criteria.
-
Individuals already certified by ECFMG
will not be impacted by this requirement.
Institutions in Process of Accreditation or Recognition
-
In 2024, individuals may not be eligible to apply for ECFMG
Certification if their medical school is still in the process of
obtaining accreditation by a WFME-recognized accrediting agency.
-
Similarly, individuals may not be eligible to apply for ECFMG
Certification in 2024 if their medical school is accredited by an
accrediting agency still in the process of obtaining recognition
by WFME. Note that once the accrediting agency becomes
WFME-recognized, schools do not need to be reaccredited unless
they are due for reaccreditation.
Loss of Accreditation Status
-
Individuals who successfully apply in 2024 or later may not be
eligible to complete the required examinations and obtain ECFMG
Certification if, after they apply but before they achieve
certification, their medical school loses accreditation or they
transfer to a non-accredited school.
-
Individuals who have already achieved ECFMG Certification,
however, will not be impacted if their medical school subsequently
loses accreditation.
ECFMG recognizes the impact the 2024 Accreditation Requirement may
have on current and future medical students and intends to implement
the requirement in as reasonably fair and practical a manner as
possible.
More Information to Come
ECFMG is committed to keeping all of our stakeholders informed as we
move forward with the 2024 Accreditation Requirement. Further
details will be published as they become available. Specific
questions regarding the requirement may be sent to
2024@ecfmg.org.
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