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Special Instructions and FAQs for Applicants to the Department of Public Health, Aruba

Special Instructions for Physicians
- Credentials Required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba
Frequently Asked Questions for Physicians
Special Instructions for Dentists

Special Instructions for Physicians

ECFMG partners with the Department of Public Health, Aruba to primary-source verify medical credentials of internationally educated physicians who are applying for registration to practice medicine in Aruba. Beginning 15 August 2021, if you:

obtained your basic medical qualification in a country other than Aruba
AND
have never been registered to practice medicine with the BIG-register in the Netherlands,

you must have certain required medical credentials verified through EPIC in order to apply for registration with the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

To have your credentials verified through EPIC in support of an application to the Department of Public Health, Aruba, complete the following steps:

Step 1 – Confirm you are eligible to register with the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

To review and confirm eligibility criteria with the Department of Public Health, Aruba, please visit www.dvg.aw .

Step 2 – Establish an EPIC Account.

See Getting Started with EPIC for complete instructions. Once ECFMG has processed your request and established your EPIC Account, ECFMG will e-mail you login information so you can access your EPIC Account.

Step 3 – Confirm your identity with EPIC.

See Confirming Your Identity with EPIC for detailed information. Confirming your identity with EPIC requires you to submit an EPIC Identification Form (EIF). Once this form has been accepted by ECFMG, you will be able to upload credentials required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba to EPIC for primary-source verification.

Step 4 – Upload each credential required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba, and select the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report once the credential is verified.

Log in to your EPIC Account and upload the required credentials for primary-source verification. See Credentials Required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba below to determine which credentials you need to upload. As you upload each credential, be sure to select the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report once the credential is verified.

Note: If you do not select the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report on a credential at the time you upload it, you will be required to send an EPIC Report to the Department of Public Health, Aruba once the credential is verified.

Note: If your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), you do not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG. These credentials will be added to your EPIC Portfolio at no cost. Simply provide your USMLE/ECFMG ID and/or EICS ID when you establish your EPIC Account. ECFMG will review your file typically within 10 business days; if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio.

Step 5 – Submit your application to the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

If you have questions regarding the application processes of the Department of Public Health, Aruba, please contact the Department of Public Health, Aruba by sending an e-mail to directie@dvg.aw, calling +297-522-4200, or visiting www.dvg.aw .

Step 6 – Ensure reports on all required, verified credentials have been sent to the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

If you selected the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report when a credential was uploaded, that report will be sent to the Department of Public Health, Aruba automatically once the credential is verified.

If you did not select the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report at the time you uploaded the credential, you must go to the “My Reports” tab in your EPIC Account and request an EPIC Report for the Department of Public Health, Aruba. Be sure to select the Department of Public Health, Aruba from the drop-down list when sending your report.

Credentials Required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba

Credentials required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba are:

Final Medical Diploma
Specialist Qualification (if applicable)
Certificate or Letter of Good Standing (CGS): If you are a physician who has been employed in Aruba for less than one year, a CGS is required for:
- any location where you currently hold a license/registration
  AND
- any location where you previously held a license/registration.

Instructions for Submitting a CGS

A Certificate or Letter of Good Standing (CGS) confirms that you currently hold or previously held a license/registration to practice medicine in good standing from your country of graduation or practice location.

Please note: A CGS must have been issued within 90 days of the date you apply to the Department of Public Health, Aruba. If this requirement is not met, you will need to request a new CGS.

There are two options for providing your CGS to EPIC for verification.

Option 1: Regulatory Authority Provides CGS Directly to ECFMG

Request the appropriate medical regulatory authority in the location where you are or were licensed to send confirmation of your good standing to ECFMG via e-mail at info@ecfmgepic.org or by mail to:
ECFMG
Attn: EPIC CGS
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
Complete the Notification of Certificate/Letter of Good Standing Request and upload it to your EPIC Portfolio as a Medical Registration/License to Practice Medicine, selecting the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report once verified.

Under Option 1, the CGS must be sent to ECFMG directly by the appropriate authority and demonstrate that you are or were licensed in good standing. If this requirement is not met, you will need to request a new CGS. Once we receive confirmation of your good standing, we will use this confirmation to complete your verification request and report on your good standing to the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

Note for a CGS issued to ECFMG in a language other than English: If your CGS is in a language other than English, and an acceptable English translation was not included with your CGS in the correspondence from the medical regulatory authority, EPIC will obtain an acceptable translation from Straker Translations. You are responsible for payment of the Straker translation fee.

To submit payment to Straker Translations so that EPIC may obtain a translation of your CGS, you must follow these steps:

Grant permission for EPIC to share your e-mail address with Straker Translations.
If EPIC sends your CGS to Straker for translation, we will contact you to request your permission to share your e-mail address with Straker so Straker can provide you with an invoice for the translation fee(s). After you grant EPIC permission to share your e-mail address with Straker, EPIC will provide it to Straker.
Monitor your e-mail for the invoice from Straker Translations.
Once Straker receives your e-mail address from EPIC and completes the translation of your CGS, Straker will send the invoice for the translation fee(s), along with instructions on how to submit payment, directly to your e-mail address.
Submit payment to Straker Translations for the translation fee(s).
After you submit payment to Straker Translations, your CGS translation will be released to EPIC. EPIC will then be able to evaluate your CGS with the translation. If the documents are acceptable, EPIC will share the CGS verification report with the Department of Public Health, Aruba. Straker also will provide you with a copy of the CGS translation via e-mail for your records.

Option 2: You Provide Your CGS to EPIC for Verification

Request the appropriate medical regulatory authority in the location where you are or were licensed to provide you with a CGS.
Upload the CGS (and an English translation that meets EPIC Translation Requirements if the CGS is not in English) to your EPIC Portfolio as a Medical Registration/License to Practice Medicine, and select the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive an EPIC Report once the CGS is verified.

After you upload the CGS, ECFMG will primary-source verify it with the issuing authority to complete your verification request and send a report on your good standing to the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

If the medical regulatory authority will not send confirmation of good standing directly to ECFMG or to you, or if there is no medical regulatory authority in your country, please contact us at info@ecfmgepic.org for assistance. Please include “DOH-Aruba: CGS” and your EPIC ID in the e-mail’s subject line.

Questions? Contact Us!

If you have any questions regarding EPIC and the EPIC verification process, please contact EPIC at info@ecfmgepic.org or +1 (215) 966-3900. Telephone assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

For more information on applying to the Department of Public Health, Aruba for registration to practice medicine in Aruba, or on the credentials you are required to submit as part of the registration process, please visit the Department of Public Health, Aruba’s website at www.dvg.aw or contact them at directie@dvg.aw or +297-522-4200.

Frequently Asked Questions for Physicians

About Applying to the Department of Public Health, Aruba

Please also read the general Frequently Asked Questions for Physicians.

1. I am applying to the Department of Public Health, Aruba for registration; do I need to use EPIC?

Beginning 15 August 2021, medical graduates applying for registration with the Department of Public Health, Aruba who obtained medical qualifications outside Aruba, and who have never been registered to practice medicine with BIG in the Netherlands, will need to create an EPIC Account and have their credentials primary-source verified through EPIC.

2. Which credentials do I need to submit to the Department of Public Health, Aruba through EPIC?

The following credentials are required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba in support of your application for registration to practice medicine in Aruba:

Final Medical Diploma
Specialist Qualification (if applicable)
Certificate or Letter of Good Standing (CGS): A CGS is required for the location where you are currently licensed and for any other location where you have previously held a license. Each CGS that you submit must be issued within 90 days of the date you apply to the Department of Public Health, Aruba. If this requirement is not met, you will need to request a new CGS.

If you have questions regarding the credentials you are required to submit, please contact the Department of Public Health, Aruba at directie@dvg.aw or +297-522-4200.

3. How soon after applying for registration to the Department of Public Health, Aruba do I need to upload my credentials to EPIC?

We recommend that you create an EPIC Account and upload your credentials to EPIC as soon as possible after you have decided to apply to the Department of Public Health, Aruba. Through EPIC, your credentials are verified directly with the issuing institution. The time required to complete the verification of credentials varies and depends on a number of factors, including the time it takes for the issuing institution to respond to verification requests.

About Using EPIC

1. Will I have access to my medical credentials after I apply to the Department of Public Health, Aruba?

Yes. The credentials that you upload to EPIC remain available to you as part of your EPIC Portfolio. You can use EPIC to send copies of these credentials along with reports verifying their authenticity to organizations worldwide at any time throughout your career.

2. Will the Department of Public Health, Aruba have access to my EPIC Portfolio?

No. The Department of Public Health, Aruba will not have direct access to your EPIC Portfolio. The Department of Public Health, Aruba will have access only to the credentials and verification reports that you make available to them through EPIC.

3. I requested that EPIC Reports on my verified credentials be provided to the Department of Public Health, Aruba. How do I know if the Department of Public Health, Aruba received the verification reports and copies of my credentials?

Once your credentials have been verified and EPIC Reports have been sent to the Department of Public Health, Aruba, the reports and copies of your credentials can be accessed by the Department of Public Health, Aruba through the EPIC Report Portal. If you need to confirm whether the Department of Public Health, Aruba has accessed your reports through the Report Portal, contact the Department of Public Health, Aruba at directie@dvg.aw or +297-522-4200.

4. Can I select the Department of Public Health, Aruba to receive EPIC Reports only once, or should I do it for every credential individually?

An EPIC Report will only be sent for a credential if you indicate a report should be sent for that credential. You should request a report for the Department of Public Health, Aruba for each credential required by the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

5. Do I need to use EPIC when applying to the Department of Public Health, Aruba if my credentials have already been verified by ECFMG for a purpose other than applying to the Department of Public Health, Aruba?

If your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), you will need to create an EPIC Account and use EPIC to provide your credentials and verification reports to the Department of Public Health, Aruba. However, you will not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG; they will be added to your EPIC Account at no cost. Simply provide your USMLE/ECFMG ID and/or EICS ID when you establish your EPIC Account. ECFMG will review your file typically within 10 business days; if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio.

6. If I have questions or problems regarding EPIC, should I contact EPIC or the Department of Public Health, Aruba?

If you have questions regarding EPIC’s services—such as creating an EPIC Account, uploading your credentials, managing your portfolio, the verification process, sending verification reports, or fees—please contact EPIC at info@ecfmgepic.org or +1 (215) 966-3900. Telephone assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

If you have questions about applying to the Department of Public Health, Aruba —such as necessary documentation, required credentials, or registration categories—please contact the Department of Public Health, Aruba at directie@dvg.aw or +297-522-4200.

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Special Instructions for Dentists

ECFMG partners with the Department of Public Health (DOPH), Aruba to primary-source verify dental credentials of internationally educated dentists who are applying for registration to practice dentistry in Aruba. If you:

obtained your basic dental qualification in a country other than Aruba
AND
have never been registered to practice dentistry with the BIG-register in the Netherlands,

you must have certain required dental credentials verified through EPIC to apply for registration with the Department of Public Health, Aruba.

Please contact us for more information on the application process at info@ecfmgepic.org.

Please include the following information in your e-mail request:

Subject line: Request for Aruba DOPH Dental Credential Information
Your full name
The name of your dental school