Ecfmg 2015 Annual Report

Of the more than 295,000 international medical students/graduates who initially applied for an 

examination during the 20-year period from 1991 through 2010, 60.7% have achieved certification. Over 

this same 20-year time period, 71.8% of initial registrants who were U.S. citizens at the start of medical 

school achieved certification; 58.9% of initial registrants who were non-U.S. citizens at the start of 

medical school achieved certification.  

For the period 2006–2010, 64.9% of international medical students/graduates who initially applied 

for an examination achieved certification. For this same five-year period, those who were U.S. citizens 

at the start of medical school were more likely to achieve certification (74.2%) than non-U.S. citizens 

(62.4%). 

Source: ECFMG database. Data current as of February 17, 2016. 

Standard ECFMG Certificate 

ECFMG issues the Standard ECFMG Certifcate to applicants who meet all of the requirements for 

certifcation and clear their fnancial accounts with ECFMG. 

ECFMG issued 10,000 Standard ECFMG Certifcates in 2015. Exhibit 3 shows the number of 

certifcates issued annually over the last 25 years. 

Certificant Profile 

Of the 10,000 Standard ECFMG Certifcates issued in 2015, India and Grenada had the largest numbers of 

recipients based upon country of medical school; 1,093 (10.9%) of the recipients were graduates of Indian 

medical schools, and 912 (9.1%) received their medical degrees in Grenada. 

With respect to citizenship at entrance into medical school, nationals from either India or the United 

States typically have received the largest number of certifcates each year. In 2015, 30.9% of certifcates were 

issued to U.S. citizens, and 11.8% of certifcates were issued to Indian citizens. 

Exhibit 4 shows the distribution by country of medical school and by country of citizenship for 

international medical graduates certifed by ECFMG in 2015. 

Te 10,000 international medical graduates certifed by ECFMG in 2015 graduated from 1,141 

medical schools located in 139 countries or territories. Approximately 61% of these medical schools report that 

English is one of their languages of instruction. 

English was the most common native language reported by international medical graduates certifed 

by ECFMG in 2015 (41.8%). More than 130 other native languages were reported, including Arabic (10.6%), 

Spanish (7.8%), Urdu (6.4%), and Hindi (2.8%). 

Some 55% of international medical graduates certifed by ECFMG in 2015 were men and 45% were 

women. Teir average age at the time of certifcation was 30 years. Te average time between when these 

certifcants received their medical degrees and when they were certifed by ECFMG was 3.3 years. 

U.S. Citizens Pursuing ECFMG Certification 

Tere is much interest in U.S. citizens who receive their medical education abroad. U.S. citizens accounted for 

26.2% of the international medical students/graduates registered for examination in 2015. Te largest numbers 

of U.S. citizen registrants were students/graduates of medical schools in Grenada (1,674), Dominica (1,348), 

Saint Kitts and Nevis (962), Sint Maarten (869), and Antigua and Barbuda (724). 

Examination performance data for U.S. citizen international medical students/graduates are provided in 

Exhibit 1. 

15

suPPor

ting u

.s. gMe And internA

tionAl PhY

siCiAns entering u

.s. gMe 

---

In 2015, 3,093 Standard ECFMG Certifcates were issued to U.S. citizens. Te largest numbers of U.S. 

citizen certifcants were graduates of medical schools in Dominica (697), Grenada (661), Sint Maarten (329), 

Antigua and Barbuda (184), and Saint Kitts and Nevis (174). 

Te 3,093 U.S. citizens certifed by ECFMG in 2015 graduated from 230 medical schools located in 75 

countries or territories. More than 80% of these medical schools report that English is one of their languages of 

instruction. 

English was the most common native language reported by U.S. citizens certifed by ECFMG in 2015 

(81.9%). More than 50 other native languages were reported, including Spanish (4.8%), Urdu (1.9%), Gujarati 

(1.2%), and Arabic (1.0%). 

Some 57% of the U.S. citizens certifed by ECFMG in 2015 were men and 43% were women. Teir 

average age at the time of certifcation was 29.7 years. Te average time between when these certifcants received 

their medical degrees and when they were certifed by ECFMG was 0.6 years. 

Top Countries of Medical School and Citizenship, 1991–2015 

Aggregate data from the last 25 years reveal that the top five countries of medical school for applicants 

achieving certification have been India, Pakistan, Grenada, Dominica, and Philippines. Exhibit 5 shows the 

percentage of certificates that were issued to graduates of medical schools in these countries annually 

from 1991 through 2015. 

India, United States, Pakistan, Philippines, and China have been the top five countries of citizenship for 

applicants achieving certification over the last 25 years. Exhibit 6 shows the percentage of certificates that 

were issued to citizens of these countries annually from 1991 through 2015. 

16

---

Exhibit 4: Standard ECFMG Certificates Issued in 2015: Distribution of Recipients by Country of 

Medical School and by Country of Citizenship 

Country

 Country of Medical School

 Country of Citizenship 

No. 

% 

No. 

% 

Antigua and Barbuda 

233 

2.3 

0 

0.0 

Australia 

91 

0.9 

40 

0.4 

Bangladesh 

72 

0.7 

64 

0.6 

Brazil 

59 

0.6 

57 

0.6 

Canada 

0 

0.0 

786 

7.9 

Cayman Islands 

81 

0.8 

0 

0.0 

China 

212 

2.1 

190 

1.9 

Colombia 

80 

0.8 

80 

0.8 

Cuba 

79 

0.8 

58 

0.6 

Dominica 

874 

8.7 

1 

0.0 

Dominican Republic 

185 

1.9 

61 

0.6 

Ecuador 

68 

0.7 

70 

0.7 

Egypt 

225 

2.3 

208 

2.1 

Germany 

76 

0.8 

70 

0.7 

Grenada 

912 

9.1 

7 

0.1 

India 

1,093 

10.9 

1,176 

11.8 

Iran 

230 

2.3 

242 

2.4 

Iraq 

104 

1.0 

118 

1.2 

Ireland 

167 

1.7 

61 

0.6 

Israel 

205 

2.1 

123 

1.2 

Japan 

63 

0.6 

62 

0.6 

Jordan 

198 

2.0 

185 

1.9 

Lebanon 

148 

1.5 

127 

1.3 

Mexico 

201 

2.0 

90 

0.9 

Nepal 

97 

1.0 

103 

1.0 

Nigeria 

141 

1.4 

199 

2.0 

Pakistan 

765 

7.7 

705 

7.1 

Philippines 

116 

1.2 

86 

0.9 

Poland 

130 

1.3 

16 

0.2 

Russia 

87 

0.9 

63 

0.6 

Saba 

135 

1.4 

0 

0.0 

Saint Kitts and Nevis 

339 

3.4 

1 

0.0 

Saint Lucia 

80 

0.8 

5 

0.1 

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

57 

0.6 

5 

0.1 

Saudi Arabia 

148 

1.5 

153 

1.5 

Singapore 

70 

0.7 

56 

0.6 

Sint Maarten 

384 

3.8 

0 

0.0 

South Korea 

71 

0.7 

82 

0.8 

Sudan 

84 

0.8 

78 

0.8 

Syria 

116 

1.2 

133 

1.3 

Turkey 

90 

0.9 

81 

0.8 

United Kingdom 

85 

0.9 

65 

0.7 

United States 

0 

0.0 

3,093 

30.9 

Venezuela 

93 

0.9 

93 

0.9 

Countries with fewer than 50 recipients 

1,256 

12.6 

1,107 

11.1 

Total 

10,000 

100 

10,000 

100 

Citizenship is as of the time of entrance into medical school. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding. 

Source: ECFMG database. Data current as of January 26, 2016. 

suPPor

ting u

.s. gMe And internA

tionAl PhY

siCiAns entering u

.s. gMe 

17 

---