News

ERAS 2019 Program Information for IMGs Now Available

Information for international medical students/graduates on the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) 2019 application season is now available. If you plan to apply for U.S. residency positions that begin in July 2019, visit the ERAS Support Services section of the ECFMG website for important information. Most U.S. residency programs participate in ERAS. If you apply to participating programs, you must use ERAS to do so.

At the ERAS Support Services section of the ECFMG website, you will be able to:

  • See an overview of the Application Process and Timeline.
  • View instructions on how to obtain an ERAS Token, which will enable you to register at the MyERAS website of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and work on your residency applications.
  • Find instructions for submitting your supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation and transcripts.

ERAS Support Services will transmit your supporting documents to your ERAS application. All supporting documents must be submitted electronically. For more details, please refer to the “Upload Your Documents Now” e-mail that will be sent to you via the MyERAS Message Center after you have registered at MyERAS.

Residency Tokens for the ERAS 2019 application season are expected to be available through ECFMG’s On-line Applicant Status and Information System (OASIS) and the MyECFMG mobile app beginning June 21, 2018. You can use a 2019 Token to register with AAMC’s MyERAS beginning June 21, 2018.

Our Privacy Notice Has Changed

ECFMG recently updated its Privacy Notice. The updates are intended to reflect our current data collection and use practices as well as the requirements of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union. Our updated notice, which is available at https://www.ecfmg.org/annc/privacy.html, takes effect on May 23, 2018.

Our Privacy Notice provides a summary of the personal information that we collect about you, how we use this information, and the measures we employ to keep the information secure. As a user of ECFMG’s programs and services, including its websites and mobile applications, it is important that you understand our practices with respect to collection, use, and storage of your information.

Please take some time to read and understand our updated Privacy Notice. If you use ECFMG’s programs and services on or after the effective date, this will signify your acceptance of the Privacy Notice.

We understand that you entrust us with your personal information, and we will continue to update our Privacy Notice as needed to ensure that you have a clear and readily available explanation of our privacy practices.

New Practice Questions and Helpful Information for the Step 2 CK Exam Available

The USMLE Program encourages examinees planning to take the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) to review the following materials on the USMLE website:

Examinees should monitor the USMLE website for the latest information.

ECFMG On-line Services Unavailable May 19-20

Due to scheduled maintenance, ECFMG’s on-line services will be unavailable from approximately 4:00 a.m. on May 19, 2018 through approximately 10:00 a.m. on May 20, 2018. All times are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.

During this maintenance period, you will be unable to access the following:

  • IWA—Interactive Web Applications
  • OASIS—On-line Applicant Status and Information System
  • Step 2 CS Calendar and Scheduling
  • IAN—IMG Advisors Network
  • EMSWP—ECFMG Medical School Web Portal, and its programs for medical schools and other institutions:
    • Status Verification
    • Credentials Verification
    • Performance Data
    • EMSWP ERAS
    • GEMxSM for Partner Institutions
  • CVS ON-LINE—Certification Verification Service On-line
  • EVNet—Exchange Visitor Network
  • EPICSM—Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials
    • Physician Portal
    • Report Portal
  • GEMx on-line services for students
  • MyECFMG mobile app

The World Directory of Medical Schools also will be unavailable during this maintenance period.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to maintain high-quality on-line services.

MyECFMG Mobile App Update Offers New Features for ERAS Applicants

ECFMG is pleased to announce that an update is now available for the MyECFMG mobile app. This update offers new features for users who are participating in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®). Eligible*, registered ERAS residency applicants can now use their smartphone’s camera to scan and upload their Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), medical school transcript, photograph, and Postgraduate Training Authorization Letter (PTAL) via the app. Or, if applicants already have the document saved in a cloud-based personal storage location (such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, etc.), they can access the file there and upload it through the MyECFMG mobile app. The app also features push notifications that are sent if an applicant has not uploaded a required document. To learn more about supporting documents for an ERAS application, please visit ERAS Support Services for Applicants.

*Please note: If you are a student or graduate of a medical school that participates in ECFMG’s EMSWP ERAS program, you are not eligible to upload MSPEs or medical school transcripts through MyECFMG. You will need to contact the Dean’s Office at your medical school to request that your school upload the document on your behalf.

For more information on login requirements for the MyECFMG mobile app, what you can do with the app, and a link to download it for free to your smartphone or tablet, visit http://www.ecfmg.org/resources/myecfmg-mobile-app.html.

If you are using MyECFMG, please use the app’s Feedback function to let us know what you think of it! We welcome your input to help us improve MyECFMG.

(Posted May 14, 2018; updated June 1, 2018)

NBME Issues 2019 John P. Hubbard Award Call for Nominations

The National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) invites nominations for the 2019 John P. Hubbard Award, which recognizes excellence in the field of evaluation in medicine. NBME grants the Hubbard Award to individuals who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the assessment of professional competency and educational program development at any level along the continuum of medical education and delivery of health care.

For more information, including criteria for the award and a list of past award recipients, please visit http://www.nbme.org/about/hubbard/. NBME hopes you will find time to consider this information and pass it along to others who may have interest in the nomination process for the 2019 Hubbard Award. The deadline for nominations is September 14, 2018.

UPDATE: Step 2 CK – Delay in Score Reporting

If you need to receive Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores before August 29, 2018, the USMLE program recommends that you take the exam no later than June 30, 2018.

Necessary modifications to the test item pool will result in a delay in reporting for some examinees who test beginning the week of June 30, 2018. The target date for reporting Step 2 CK scores for most examinees testing the week of June 30 through mid-August will be Wednesday, August 29, 2018.

For more information, examinees should refer to the full announcement on the USMLE website.

NOTE: When this announcement was originally posted on April 9, 2018, examinees were recommended to take exams on or before June 24 to ensure receiving scores before August 29. This update recommends that examinees take the exam on or before June 30 to ensure receiving a score before August 29.

(posted April 9, 2018; updated May 4, 2018)

ECFMG and FAIMER Host Inaugural Stakeholder Engagement Forum

Meeting Series Enhances Partnerships and Perspectives

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) and its Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®) have launched a new meeting series designed to strengthen partnerships and enhance the perspectives available to governance and staff. The inaugural Stakeholder Engagement Forum took place on Friday, April 6, in conjunction with the meeting of the Boards of ECFMG and FAIMER in Philadelphia. The ECFMG-FAIMER forums invite leaders in the fields of medical education, assessment, and regulation to share insights on issues of mutual interest as well as updates on their organizations’ activities.

Inaugural ECFMG-FAIMER Stakeholder Engagement Forum Guests
Inaugural ECFMG-FAIMER Stakeholder Engagement Forum Guests, from left: Richard Hawkins, MD, ABMS; Alison Whelan, MD, AAMC; Mellie Pouwels, MA, AMA; Scott Steingard, DO, FSMB

The first session in this series featured leaders from long-standing associates, including the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), American Medical Association (AMA), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). For future sessions, ECFMG and FAIMER will extend invitations to new and potential partners. The Stakeholder Engagement Forums will be held twice annually in Philadelphia.

“It is vital that we stay connected with other organizations committed to quality medical education and health care,” said ECFMG President and FAIMER Board Chair William W. Pinsky, MD. “The forums create regular touchpoints to share ideas, challenges, and solutions.”

About ECFMG and FAIMER

ECFMG and FAIMER are private, nonprofit organizations based in Philadelphia in the United States. In partnership with each other and with other organizations around the world, ECFMG and FAIMER work to promote quality medical education and health care worldwide. ECFMG and FAIMER are leading experts on the world’s medical education systems and their graduates, the authenticity of physician credentials, the assessment of physicians, and research on physician migration and U.S. physician workforce issues. ECFMG and FAIMER offer programs and resources that serve global communities of medical educators and regulators; physicians and medical students; and those investigating issues in medical education, assessment, and health workforce planning. Learn more at www.ecfmg.org and www.faimer.org.