Medical Education Credentials
Medical Education Credential Requirements
|
Transfer Credits
|
Credentials for ECFMG Certification
|
Final Medical
Diploma and Transcript
|
Transcript(s) to Document Transferred Credits
| Name on Medical Diploma and Transcript(s) |
English Translations
|
Verification of Credentials
Name on Medical Diploma and Transcript(s)
Your name as it appears on all credentials sent to ECFMG must be consistent.
The name on your medical diploma and transcript(s) must match exactly the name in your ECFMG record. If the
names do not match exactly, you must submit documentation that verifies the name on your medical
diploma/transcript(s) is (or was) your name. The documentation must show your name exactly as it appears on your
medical diploma/transcript(s). See
Your Name
in Your ECFMG Record and
Verifying Your Name
.
If the name on your credentials does not match the name in your ECFMG record and you do not submit
acceptable documentation that verifies the name on your credentials is (or was) your name, your exam
application will be rejected.
An example of a discrepancy that requires such verification would be if your ECFMG record lists your married name,
but your medical diploma/transcript(s) lists your maiden name.
Other examples of discrepancies that require such verification include, but are not limited to, the following:
Use of initials for the first name or last name (surname) on the medical diploma/transcript(s)
Example: “Mary Smith” in your ECFMG record, but “M. Smith” or “Mary S.” on your medical
diploma/transcript(s).
Difference in the sequence of names
Example: “Pravin Chandra Patel” in your ECFMG record, but “Pravin Patel Chandra” or “Chandra Pravin Patel”
on your medical diploma/transcript(s).
Hyphenations and separations in names
Example: “Alice Al Quigley” in your ECFMG record, but “Alice Al-Quigley” or “Alice Alquigley” on your medical
diploma/transcript(s).
Verifying Your Name
If the name in your ECFMG record is correct but this name does not match exactly your name as listed on your
medical diploma, transcript, or other credential, you must verify that the name on these documents is (or was) your
name. To verify your name, send to ECFMG a photocopy of one of the documents listed above that verifies the name
on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential. The name in your ECFMG record will not be changed if you
are verifying your name.
As an alternative to one of the documents listed above, ECFMG will accept for purposes of verifying your name a letter
from an authorized official of your medical school that verifies that the name on your medical diploma, transcript, or
other credential is (or was) your name. If you choose to submit a letter from your medical school to verify the name on
your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential, the letter must be completed and signed by an authorized official
of your medical school. Each medical school has been requested to provide ECFMG with a list of authorized officials.
The letter you submit must be completed and signed by an official on this list. The official must provide his/her name,
official title, and the institution name. The official must affix the institution's seal to the letter. The letter also must
include the following statement:
This certifies that the names [name on document] and [name in ECFMG record] belong to one and
the same person.
The document(s) you send must show your name exactly as it appears on your medical diploma/transcript.
See additional important information on documents below.
Important Information on Documents for Changing or Verifying Your Name
Page 48
Attestations and affidavits are
not acceptable as documentation to change or verify your name.
Please do not submit an original document; a photocopy of the document is sufficient.
All documents submitted to change or verify your name that are not in English must be accompanied by an
official English translation that meets ECFMG's translation requirements. See
English Translations
in Medical
Education Credentials.
All documents submitted to change or verify your name, including translations, will become a part of your
permanent ECFMG record and will not be returned to you.
Last updated: September 7, 2017
Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 49
Medical Education Credentials
Medical Education Credential Requirements
|
Transfer Credits
|
Credentials for ECFMG Certification
|
Final Medical
Diploma and Transcript
|
Transcript(s) to Document Transferred Credits
|
Name on Medical Diploma and Transcript(s)
|
English Translations |
Verification of Credentials
English Translations
Any document submitted to ECFMG that is not in English must be accompanied by an English translation that meets
ECFMG's translation requirements.
ECFMG strongly encourages you to obtain translations from its recommended translation service. Translations
from this service meet ECFMG's requirements and will not be rejected due to translation errors. See the
Translation
Service
page in the Resources section of the ECFMG website.
Translations from other services may not meet ECFMG's requirements. If you obtain a translation from another
service, the translation must:
be prepared by a government official (for example, a Consular Officer), medical school official (for example, a
Dean or Registrar), or a professional translation service.
include a statement from the government or medical school official or representative of the translation service
certifying that the translation is correct.
appear on letterhead. If the translation service is a private company, the letterhead must identify the company
as a translation service.
bear the signature and title of the government or medical school official or representative of the translation
service and, if there is one, the seal of the government official, medical school, or translation service.
be a word-for-word translation of the original language document. An abstract or summary translation of the
document is not acceptable.
be prepared from the original document or a photocopy of the original document. ECFMG will not accept a
translation prepared from a transcription (transcribed version) of the document.
An English language certificate issued by the medical school that is not a word-for-word English language version of
the degree, transcript, or other document in the original language is not acceptable as a translation. English
translations that do not meet the requirements above will not be accepted. Examples of unacceptable translations
include, but are not limited to:
translations prepared by a notary who is not a government or medical school official or representative of a
professional translation service.
a translation that was not signed by the translator or official or representative of the translation service, and
a translation that is not a word-for-word translation of the original language document.
Additionally, applicants are not permitted to translate their own documents.
Documents submitted to ECFMG as part of the exam application and certification processes, including translations,
will not be returned.
Last updated: September 7, 2017
Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 50