EDUCATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES
EDUCATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA
www.ecfmg.org
Form 100s, September 7, 2017
Visit www.ecfmg.org to
Get updates on ECFMG Certification and related policies and services.
Complete the Application for ECFMG Certification using the Interactive Web Applications
(IWA).
Apply for Step 1 and Step 2 (Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills) of the United States
Medical Licensing Examination
®
(USMLE
®
) using IWA.
Subscribe to
The ECFMG
®
Reporter for important updates on ECFMG Certification and entry
into graduate medical education in the United States.
Access your information using the On-line Applicant Status and Information System (OASIS).
Download the MyECFMG mobile app
CERTIFICATION
Information Booklet
2018
About the ECFMG Information Booklet
and Application Materials .........................1
ECFMG Certification
About ECFMG Certification ............................3
Requirements for ECFMG Certification ..........4
Standard ECFMG Certificate ......................... 6
Your ECFMG Record
USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number ..........7
Your Name ......................................................8
Changing Your Name .....................................9
Contact Information ......................................10
Your ECFMG Financial Account
Fees..............................................................11
Payment .......................................................12
Methods of Payment.....................................13
Refunds ........................................................14
Forfeiture of Funds .......................................15
Irregular Behavior.......................................16
Application for ECFMG Certification ........19
Examinations for ECFMG Certification
Examination Requirements ..........................20
Time Limit for Completing
Examination Requirements .......................21
Eligibility for Examination
Medical School Students ..............................23
Medical School Graduates ...........................25
Reverification of Eligibility .............................27
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE)
About USMLE ...............................................28
Registration and Test Delivery Entities .........29
Applying for Examination ..............................30
Scheduling the Examination .........................32
Preparing for Examination ............................34
Taking the Examination ................................35
USMLE Program and Irregular Behavior ......37
Examination Results .....................................38
Reexamination and Reapplication ................40
Medical Education Credentials
Medical Education
Credential Requirements ...........................42
Transfer Credits ...........................................43
Credentials for ECFMG Certification ............44
Final Medical Diploma and Transcript ..........46
Transcript(s) to Document
Transferred Credits ....................................47
Name on Medical Diploma
and Transcript(s)........................................48
English Translations .....................................50
Verification of Credentials .............................51
Related ECFMG Services
Confirming ECFMG Certification
to Third Parties ..........................................52
Electronic Residency Application
Service (ERAS
®
) Support Services ...........53
J-1 Visa Sponsorship ....................................55
ECFMG Certificate Holders Office................56
® The terms ECFMG
®
and CSA
®
are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG
®
). All rights reserved. Portions reprinted,
with permission, from the USMLE 2018
Bulletin of Information, copyright © 2017 by the Federation of
State Medical Boards of the
United States, Inc., and the National Board of Medical Examiners
®
(NBME
®
).
About the ECFMG Information Booklet and Application Materials
The ECFMG Information Booklet contains detailed information on ECFMG’s program of certification. The information
contained in this booklet pertains only to the ECFMG certification process and related applications and services. This
booklet should not be used as a guide to ECFMG's other programs and services, such as the Electronic Portfolio of
International Credentials (EPIC
SM
). Please visit the
ECFMG
website
for information on ECFMG's programs and
services. You also can access this publication, the Application for ECFMG Certification, and the application for Step 1
and Step 2 (Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills components) of the United States Medical Licensing Examination
®
(USMLE
®
) on the
ECFMG website
.
Applicants for examination must use the applicable edition of the Information Booklet. The 2018 Information Booklet
pertains to eligibility periods in 2018. If your eligibility period extends into 2019 and you test in 2019, you must become
familiar with and will be subject to the policies and procedures detailed in the 2019 Information Booklet. The 2019
Information Booklet is expected to be available in September 2018. See the information on eligibility periods under
Applying for Examination
in The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) section of this booklet.
The
USMLE Bulletin of Information
provides information about the USMLE, a three-step examination for medical
licensure in the United States. In the event that information about the USMLE in the ECFMG Information Booklet
differs from the corresponding information in the USMLE Bulletin of Information, the information in the USMLE Bulletin
of Information controls.
IMPORTANT
Applicants for examination are required to read and become familiar with the information contained in and
referenced in both the ECFMG Information Booklet and the USMLE Bulletin of Information. The USMLE
Bulletin of Information is available on the
USMLE website
. Exam applicants should also carefully read the exam
application
overview
and
instructions
available in ECFMG's Interactive Web Applications (IWA). Applicants should
review and be familiar with the
Policies and Procedures Regarding Irregular Behavior
.
Although current at the time of publication, the information contained in the 2018 Information Booklet is subject to
change. If changes occur, information will be posted on the
ECFMG website
. You must obtain the most recent
information to understand current policies and procedures.
The ECFMG
®
Reporter
, ECFMG’s free e-mail newsletter, provides important updates on ECFMG Certification and
entry into graduate medical education in the United States. All applicants should
subscribe
to The ECFMG
®
Reporter.
The Information Booklet describes deadlines related to exam applications, scheduling, and other services. Unless
otherwise indicated, deadlines are calculated using Eastern Time in the United States.
Consistent with ECFMG's Privacy Policy, ECFMG may share the information contained in your application, or that
otherwise may become available to ECFMG, with any federal, state or local governmental department or agency, with
any hospital or with any other organization or individual who, in the judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in
such information. This may include reporting determinations of irregular behavior to the USMLE Committee for
Individualized Review, Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, U.S. state and international medical
licensing authorities, graduate medical education programs, and to any other organization or individual who, in the
judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in such information. For further information regarding ECFMG's data
collection and privacy practices, please refer to our
Privacy Policy
.
ECFMG strives to ensure proper processing of applications for ECFMG Certification and examination, other service
requests related to ECFMG Certification and examination, and the information contained in such applications and
requests. In the unlikely event that an error occurs in the processing of applications, requests, or associated materials,
ECFMG will make reasonable efforts to correct the error, if possible, or permit you either to reapply at no additional fee
or to receive a refund. These are the exclusive remedies available to applicants for errors in processing applications
and other service requests related to ECFMG Certification, examination, and the other programs described in this
booklet.
Please note that ECFMG will not provide services of any kind if doing so would be considered violative of any
Page 1