Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
ECFMG’s Certification Verification Service (CVS) provides primary-source confirmation of the ECFMG Certification status of international medical graduates. The Joint Commission, the organization that evaluates and accredits U.S. health care organizations and programs, has determined that direct verification with ECFMG of a physician’s certification status satisfies The Joint Commission’s requirement for primary-source verification of medical school completion for graduates of international medical schools. ECFMG will confirm your certification status when a request is received from a U.S. medical licensing authority, residency program, hospital, or other organization that, in the judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in such information. For status reports sent to medical licensing authorities, the request can also be made by you. Requesting organizations must normally secure and retain your signed authorization to obtain certification information.
For more information, visit www.ecfmg.org/cvs.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) established the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to allow medical students and graduates to apply electronically for residency positions in accredited U.S. programs of graduate medical education. Most U.S. graduate medical education programs participate in ERAS. If you apply to participating programs, you must submit your residency application using ERAS.
ECFMG serves as the designated Dean’s office for students and graduates of international medical schools, assisting these individuals with the ERAS application process for first- and second-year (PGY-1 and PGY-2) residency positions.
ECFMG also supports individuals applying to residency programs through other residency application services, including Residency Centralized Application Service (ResidencyCAS) and the Central Application (CentralApp).
For detailed, up-to-date information on our residency application support services, visit www.ecfmg.org/eras.
Foreign national physicians who seek entry into U.S. programs of graduate medical education or training must obtain an appropriate visa that permits clinical training activities. One visa commonly used by foreign national physicians is the J-1, a temporary nonimmigrant visa offered through BridgeUSA, a critical program within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State.
The U.S. Department of State has designated us as a BridgeUSA sponsor for all exchange visitor (J-1) physicians who participate in clinical training programs. Sponsorship is also available for physicians’ eligible dependents. We do not sponsor physicians for other U.S. visa types.
For detailed, up-to-date information on our J-1 visa sponsorship program, visit www.ecfmg.org/evsp.
Back to top
[Last update: August 21, 2024]
