In the United States, the individual states are responsible for setting medical licensure requirements for physicians in their jurisdictions. Individual state medical licensing authorities set licensure requirements both for graduates of U.S. medical schools and for international medical graduates (IMGs). State medical licensing authorities set requirements both for physicians in their states’ training programs and for their physicians in unsupervised practice.
For IMGs who have decided to seek training in the United States, ECFMG|FAIMER certifies their readiness to participate in such training programs. This certification process includes passing portions of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®). It also includes verifying their medical education credentials, including their final medical diploma, directly with the IMGs’ medical school. ECFMG does not recruit physicians for U.S. training programs, practice, or any other purpose, including emergency situations.
We are aware that many U.S. states have waived certain requirements for licensure and/or license renewals in response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, as summarized by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). ECFMG|FAIMER stands ready to serve as the trusted authority for information about IMGs—information that state medical licensing authorities may need to determine if IMGs meet state licensure requirements.
At the physician’s request, ECFMG will verify whether an IMG is certified by ECFMG and has passed portions of the USMLE. Our credential services offer basic identity verification, as well as primary-source verification of the authenticity of medical education credentials. At the physician’s request, ECFMG|FAIMER will provide verifications of previously verified credentials or will verify new credentials. The medical credentials verified by ECFMG include medical diplomas, medical school transcripts, licenses, and certificates of registration from around the world. ECFMG|FAIMER has notified the FSMB, the governors of certain states, and the National Governors Association that it can verify information about IMGs who wish to serve in this time of crisis.
State medical licensing authorities, hospitals, and other institutions/agencies that would like assistance in verifying the ECFMG Certification status, USMLE exams, or credentials of IMGs may contact casemanager@ecfmg.org. IMGs who wish to offer their services should contact their local hospital or state medical licensing authority.
ECFMG|FAIMER does not license physicians and, therefore, cannot answer questions about whether individuals are eligible to provide health care services and what roles these individuals might play in providing care, on either a temporary or permanent basis. Please contact individual state medical licensing authorities with these questions.
For more information on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ECFMG|FAIMER programs and what we are doing in response, please visit our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) web page.
