Your ECFMG Financial Account
Fees
|
Payment
|
Methods of Payment
|
Refunds
| Forfeiture of Funds
Forfeiture of Funds
Funds in an applicant’s ECFMG financial account will be available for a period of two years to pay for applications
submitted or services requested. Any funds not used during a two-year period will be forfeited to ECFMG; this means
that the applicant will lose those funds. The two-year period is calculated from the date that funds are received at
ECFMG. If an applicant has funds in his/her account and submits an application or requests a service, ECFMG will
use the funds with the earliest receipt date to pay for the application/request.
Examples: An applicant made a payment of $1,000 to her ECFMG financial account on April 15, 2015. On
May 9, 2015, she submitted an application for USMLE Step 1, which cost $865. The applicant has until
April 14, 2017 to either use the remaining $135 balance or request a refund. If she does not, these funds
will be forfeited to ECFMG.
An applicant made a payment of $355 to his ECFMG financial account on July 2, 2011. He made another
payment of $2,000 on July 10, 2011. On July 28, 2011, he submitted an application for USMLE Step 2 CS,
which cost $1,355. The $355 from his earlier payment and $1,000 from his later payment were used to pay
for this exam registration. The applicant had until July 9, 2013 to either use the remaining $1,000 balance
or request a refund. He did not, and, as a result, these funds were forfeited to ECFMG.
It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your ECFMG financial account. You can check the status of your
account, including dates on which payments were made to your account, using
OASIS
. A refund request should be
made to claim any funds that will not be used prior to the expiration of the two-year period. See
Refunds
in Your
ECFMG Financial Account.
Last updated: September 9, 2015
Copyright © 2015 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 18
ECFMG Programs and Irregular Behavior
ECFMG Policies and Procedures Regarding Irregular Behavior
A. Policies Regarding Irregular Behavior
1. Irregular behavior includes all actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants, examinees, potential
applicants, others when solicited by an applicant and/or examinee, or any other person that would or could subvert the
examination, certification or other processes, programs, or services of ECFMG, including, but not limited to, the
ECFMG Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program, ECFMG International Credentials Services (EICS), the Electronic
Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC), and Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) Support Services
at ECFMG. Such actions or attempted actions are considered irregular behavior, regardless of when the irregular
behavior occurs, and regardless of whether the individual is certified by ECFMG. Examples of irregular behavior
include, but are not limited to, submission of any falsified or altered document to ECFMG, whether submitted by the
individual or by a third party, such as a medical school, on behalf of the individual; failing to comply with United States
Medical Licensing Examination
®
(USMLE
®
) or ECFMG policies, procedures, and/or rules; falsification of information on
applications, submissions, or other materials to ECFMG; taking an examination when not eligible to do so, or
submission of any falsified or altered ECFMG document to other entities or individuals.
2. The Medical Education Credentials Committee’s determination of irregular behavior is sufficient cause for ECFMG
to bar an individual from future examinations, to bar an individual from other ECFMG programs and services, to
withhold and/or invalidate the results of an examination, to withhold an ECFMG Certificate, to revoke an ECFMG
Certificate, or to take other appropriate actions for a specified period of time or permanently. ECFMG may report the
Medical Education Credentials Committee’s determination 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, directors of graduate medical education programs, and to any other organization or individual
who, in the judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in such information.
3. If the Medical Education Credentials Committee determines that an individual engaged in irregular behavior, a
permanent annotation to that effect will be included in the individual’s ECFMG record. This annotation will appear on
the ECFMG Certification Verification Service (CVS) and ECFMG Status Reports for the individual. If the individual has
an EPIC Portfolio, a permanent annotation will be included on all EPIC Reports with respect to that individual.
Additional information explaining the basis for the determination of irregular behavior and the resulting action(s) will
accompany every ECFMG Status Report, CVS Report, and EPIC Report, and may also be provided to legitimately-
interested entities; this additional information may be provided, regardless of the date of the conduct or activity that
comprises the irregular behavior. Notice of the Medical Education Credentials Committee’s determination of irregular
behavior is periodically reported to the ECFMG Board of Trustees.
B. Procedures Regarding Irregular Behavior
1. After receipt of a report or other information suggesting irregular behavior on the part of an individual, ECFMG staff
will review the information and will assess whether there is sufficient evidence of irregular behavior. When indicated
and feasible, staff will conduct a follow-up investigation to gather additional information.
2. If the individual is an examinee and the review referenced above will not be concluded until after the typical period
for the reporting of exam scores, the examinee will be notified that the reporting of the exam scores in question is
being delayed.
3. If ECFMG staff finds that there exists a reasonable basis to conclude that an individual may have engaged in
irregular behavior, the matter will be referred to the Medical Education Credentials Committee. ECFMG may withhold
services from the individual pending a determination from the Medical Education Credentials Committee. If the
individual is an examinee, the examinee’s exam scores will be withheld, if not already released, and the examinee
may not be permitted to sit for subsequent examinations, nor will applications for examination be processed.
4. Using the individual’s last known address, the individual will be advised in writing of the nature of the alleged
irregular behavior and will be provided with a copy of the ECFMG Policies and Procedures Regarding Irregular
Behavior. The individual will be given an opportunity to provide written explanation and to present other relevant
information. Any such written explanation or other relevant information must be received by ECFMG by the deadline
set forth in ECFMG’s writing to the individual. Submissions received after the deadline will be considered by the
Page 19
Medical Education Credentials Committee at its discretion. The individual may also request the opportunity to appear
personally before the Medical Education Credentials Committee, and may be represented by legal counsel, if the
individual so wishes. In instances in which the individual appears personally before the Medical Education Credentials
Committee, a stenographic or audio recording will be made of that portion of the proceedings during which the
individual is in attendance. Any statements made by the individual during a personal appearance before the Medical
Education Credentials Committee will be under oath.
5. All pertinent information regarding the irregular behavior, including any explanation or other information that the
individual may provide, will be provided to the Medical Education Credentials Committee. The Medical Education
Credentials Committee, based on the information available to it, will determine whether the preponderance of the
evidence indicates that the individual engaged in irregular behavior. If the Medical Education Credentials Committee
determines that the individual engaged in irregular behavior, the Medical Education Credentials Committee will
determine what action(s) will be taken as a result of the irregular behavior. ECFMG will notify the individual whether
the Medical Education Credentials Committee determined the individual engaged in irregular behavior and of any
action(s) taken pursuant thereto.
6. The Medical Education Credentials Committee’s determination of irregular behavior and any action(s) taken
pursuant thereto (a “decision” of the Medical Education Credentials Committee) may be appealed to the Review
Committee for Appeals if the individual has a reasonable basis to believe the Medical Education Credentials
Committee did not act in compliance with the Medical Education Credentials Committee Policies and Procedures or
that the Medical Education Credentials Committee’s decision was clearly contrary to the weight of the evidence before
it. The notice of appeal must be received by ECFMG within sixty (60) days of the date on which the notification
advising the individual of the Medical Education Credentials Committee’s decision was mailed to the individual. The
appeal of a decision of the Medical Education Credentials Committee is governed by the Rules of Appellate
Procedure.
7. Petitions for reconsideration of a decision of the Medical Education Credentials Committee will be reviewed by the
Medical Education Credentials Committee only in extraordinary cases. Any such petition must first be considered by
ECFMG staff, who, after discussion with the Medical Education Credentials Committee Chair, may deny the request or
place it on the agenda for consideration by the full Medical Education Credentials Committee at a regularly scheduled
meeting. Absent the submission of newly discovered material evidence not previously available to the petitioner and,
therefore, not available to the Medical Education Credentials Committee, petitions for reconsideration typically will be
denied.
C. Representative Examples of Irregular Behavior
Representative examples of allegations of irregular behavior and actions taken by the ECFMG Medical Education
Credentials Committee include, but are not limited to, the following:
Providing false information on an application submitted to ECFMG
The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviewed an allegation of irregular behavior in
connection with an individual who provided false information on an application for a USMLE examination
submitted to ECFMG. In that application, the individual certified he was a student enrolled in medical school
when, in fact, he previously had been dismissed from medical school and, therefore, was no longer a student.
Following review, the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee determined the individual had
engaged in irregular behavior and took action to bar the individual from admission to all ECFMG
examinations and from ECFMG Certification.
Providing false information to ECFMG as part of the ECFMG On-line Authentication Process, which is a
prerequisite to submitting an application for examination
The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviewed an allegation of irregular behavior in
connection with an individual who provided false information to ECFMG as part of the ECFMG On-line
Authentication Process, which is used to obtain a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number and is a prerequisite
to submitting an application for examination. During the on-line authentication process, the individual certified
he had not previously submitted an application for examination to ECFMG when he had not only previously
applied for, but had taken examinations.
Following review, the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee determined the individual had
Page 20
engaged in irregular behavior and took action to bar the individual from admission to all ECFMG
examinations and from ECFMG Certification.
Submitting a fraudulent medical diploma and providing false information on an application submitted to
ECFMG
The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviewed an allegation of irregular behavior in
connection with an individual who submitted a fraudulent medical diploma and provided false information on an
application submitted to ECFMG.
Following review, the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee determined the individual had
engaged in irregular behavior and took action to bar the individual from admission to all ECFMG
examinations and from ECFMG Certification.
Last updated: September 9, 2015
Copyright © 2015 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 21
Application for ECFMG Certification
To be eligible for ECFMG Certification, you must complete an Application for ECFMG Certification. You can access the
Application for ECFMG Certification through
Interactive Web Applications (IWA)
on the ECFMG website. You must
have your
USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number
before you can begin the Application for ECFMG Certification. You
must complete an Application for ECFMG Certification before you can apply to ECFMG for examination. For the
current fee for submitting an Application for ECFMG Certification, see the
Fees
page of the ECFMG website.
Important Note: The Application for ECFMG Certification became a requirement for ECFMG Certification
on September 15, 2010. International medical students/graduates who by this date had met the
examination requirements for ECFMG Certification and are applying to ECFMG for examination (for
example, to retake an exam for the purpose of meeting a time limit imposed by a state medical licensing
authority) are not required to complete an Application for ECFMG Certification.
As part of the Application for ECFMG Certification, you will be asked to confirm the name, date of birth, and gender in
your ECFMG record. If this information is incorrect, you must have the information in your ECFMG record changed to
reflect your correct name, date of birth, and/or gender before you can complete the Application for ECFMG
Certification. Instructions for how to correct this information will be provided at the time of application.
If you are a medical school student, you will be asked to confirm that you are officially enrolled in a medical school
located outside the United States and Canada that is listed in the
World Directory of Medical Schools (World Directory)
as meeting eligibility requirements for its students and graduates to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and
examination, and that the “Graduation Years” in the ECFMG note on the Sponsor Notes tab of your medical school's
World Directory listing are listed as “Current.” If you are a medical school graduate, you will be asked to confirm that
you are a graduate of a medical school located outside the United States and Canada that is listed in the World
Directory as meeting eligibility requirements for its students and graduates to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG
Certification and examination, and that your graduation year is included in the ECFMG note on the Sponsor Notes tab
for your school’s World Directory listing. To confirm that you meet these requirements, access the World Directory at
www.wdoms.org
.
The Application for ECFMG Certification also will require you to confirm your understanding of the purpose of ECFMG
Certification and release certain legal claims.
The information submitted in your Application for ECFMG Certification will become a part of your permanent
ECFMG record.
Once submitted to ECFMG, your Application for ECFMG Certification typically becomes valid immediately, allowing
you to apply for examination. A notification will be sent to the e-mail address in your ECFMG record confirming receipt
of your Application for ECFMG Certification. Once your Application for ECFMG Certification has been submitted to
ECFMG, it typically remains valid throughout the certification process and cannot be changed. If you are a student
when you submit your Application for ECFMG Certification, you do not need to submit another one when you attain
graduate status. You can use
OASIS
to confirm that you have submitted an Application for ECFMG Certification.
Last updated: September 9, 2015
Copyright © 2015 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 22
Examinations for ECFMG Certification
Examination Requirements |
Time Limit for Completing Examination Requirements
Examination Requirements
To be eligible for ECFMG Certification, you must satisfy both the medical science examination and clinical skills
requirements. To satisfy these requirements, you must pass Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE). Step 2 of the USMLE has two separately administered components, the Clinical Knowledge
(CK) component and the Clinical Skills (CS) component. Refer to the
USMLE Bulletin of Information
for more
information. There are time limits for completing the examination requirements for ECFMG Certification. See
Time
Limit for Completing Examination Requirements
in Examinations for ECFMG Certification.
Passing performance on certain formerly administered examinations can be used to meet these requirements as
described below.
Medical Science Examination Requirement
Step 1 and Step 2 CK of the USMLE are the exams currently administered that satisfy the medical science
examination requirement. There are time limits for completing these examinations for ECFMG Certification. See
Time
Limit for Completing Examination Requirements
in Examinations for ECFMG Certification.
ECFMG also accepts a passing performance on the following former examinations to satisfy the medical science
examination requirement for ECFMG Certification: ECFMG Examination, Visa Qualifying Examination (VQE), Foreign
Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS), and the Part I and Part II Examinations of the
National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).
Combinations of exams are also acceptable. Specifically, if you have passed only part of the former VQE, FMGEMS,
or the NBME Part I or Part II, you may combine a passing performance on the basic medical science component of
one of these exams or USMLE Step 1 with a passing performance on the clinical science component of one of the
other exams or USMLE Step 2 CK, provided that the components are passed within the period specified for the exam
program.
Additionally, ECFMG accepts a score of 75 or higher on each of the three days of a single administration of the former
Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX), if taken prior to June 1985, to satisfy this requirement.
Clinical Skills Requirement
Step 2 CS of the USMLE is the exam currently administered that satisfies the clinical skills requirement. There are
time limits for completing this examination for ECFMG Certification. See
Time Limit for Completing Examination
Requirements
in Examinations for ECFMG Certification.
International medical students/graduates who have both passed the former ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment
(CSA
®
) and achieved a score acceptable to ECFMG on an English language proficiency test (such as the TOEFL
exam or the former ECFMG English Test) can use these passing performances to satisfy the clinical skills requirement
for ECFMG Certification.
Last updated: September 9, 2015
Copyright © 2015 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.
Page 23
Examinations for ECFMG Certification
Examination Requirements
| Time Limit for Completing Examination Requirements
Time Limit for Completing Examination Requirements
ECFMG policy requires that international medical students/graduates pass the USMLE Steps and Step Components
required for ECFMG Certification within a seven-year period. This means that once you pass a Step or Step
Component, you will have seven years to pass all of the other Step(s) or Step Component(s) required for ECFMG
Certification. This seven-year period begins on the exam date of the first Step or Step Component passed and ends
exactly seven years from that exam date.
If you do not pass all required Steps and Step Components within a maximum of seven years, your earliest USMLE
passing performance will no longer be valid for ECFMG Certification. It is your responsibility to track your
progress toward meeting the exam requirements for ECFMG Certification. ECFMG will not notify you of
upcoming deadlines to meet the seven-year requirement and will not notify you if one (or more) of your
passing performances becomes invalid for ECFMG Certification because you failed to meet the seven-year
requirement.
Example: An international medical graduate took his first Step or Step Component on October 1, 2009 and
passed. He has through October 1, 2016 to take and pass all other Step(s) and Step Component(s)
required for ECFMG Certification. If he does not take and pass all other required Step(s) and Step
Component(s) on or before October 1, 2016, his passing performance on the October 1, 2009 exam would
no longer be valid for ECFMG Certification.
Under this policy, more than one USMLE passing performance can become invalid for ECFMG Certification.
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