Information on Sponsor Notes in the World Directory of Medical Schools
The World Directory of Medical Schools (World Directory) is a joint resource of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®), a member of Intealth, and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) with a goal to list all the medical schools in the world, and include accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information on each school.
ECFMG is one of several organizations that sponsor the World Directory. Sponsoring organizations may provide information about a particular medical school on the Sponsor Notes tab of the school’s World Directory listing.
The ECFMG Sponsor Note
To be eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and for examination, an applicant’s medical school must meet requirements outlined in the ECFMG Medical School Listing Policy. Included are requirements indicating that the school must be recognized as a medical school by the appropriate government authority in the school’s host country, and the degree awarded to its graduates must meet the medical education eligibility requirements for licensure to practice medicine in that country.
ECFMG will evaluate whether a medical school meets the requirements outlined in the policy upon request from a medical school official. If ECFMG determines that a school meets the requirements, an ECFMG Sponsor Note will be included in the school’s World Directory listing. The Sponsor Note will state that students and graduates of the school are eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and for examination provided that all other eligibility requirements are met, and will indicate the graduation years for which the school meets these requirements, along with other provisions.
The ECFMG Sponsor Note is located on the Sponsor Notes tab of the medical school’s World Directory listing. If there is no ECFMG Sponsor Note on the Sponsor Notes tab of the medical school’s listing, its students and graduates are not eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or for examination. To confirm whether a medical school meets ECFMG’s requirements, users should access the World Directory and navigate to the Sponsor Notes tab of the medical school’s listing.
ECFMG does not recognize, accredit, or endorse medical schools.
Requesting an ECFMG Sponsor Note
An official of the medical school must submit a request to ECFMG for an ECFMG Sponsor Note. When a request is received, ECFMG will evaluate whether the medical school meets the requirements to be granted an ECFMG Sponsor Note.
- To begin the process, an official of the medical school must send an e-mail to medschoolreview@ecfmg.org.
- The medical school official will be provided with a request form. The form must be completed in full and signed by the Dean of the medical school. The official seal of the medical school must be affixed to the form.
- The completed form must be returned to ECFMG along with all required documentation, as detailed on the form.
- ECFMG will contact the appropriate government authority or authorities of the medical school’s country to confirm the school’s eligibility.
All required information and documentation, including confirmation from the appropriate government authority or authorities, must be received by ECFMG for a Sponsor Note determination to be made. Therefore, the time it takes for ECFMG to complete this evaluation will be contingent upon receipt of all required information.
Requests for an ECFMG Sponsor Note are accepted from officials of the medical school only; students and graduates of a school cannot submit a request on the school’s behalf.
The decision whether to grant an ECFMG Sponsor Note for a medical school’s World Directory listing is made at the sole discretion of ECFMG. Submission of a request for an ECFMG Sponsor Note does not guarantee that one will be granted.
ECFMG may determine, for good cause at any time and based on credible information, that a medical school no longer meets requirements for its students and graduates to be eligible to apply for ECFMG Certification and may remove or modify the ECFMG Sponsor Note accordingly. See the ECFMG Medical School Listing Policy for more information.
Recognized Accreditation Policy Reporting in the World Directory
Initial implementation of our global medical school accreditation initiative, the Recognized Accreditation Policy, will begin in 2024. Initial implementation will include reporting when a medical school has satisfied the requirements of the policy on the Sponsor Notes tab of the school’s listing in the World Directory. This reporting is for information only and will not impede an individual’s eligibility for ECFMG Certification. See the Recognized Accreditation Policy page for more information.
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