Foreign medical graduates educational commission for foreign medical graduates

reported or, if previously reported, may be canceled.

Last updated: September 7, 2017

Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.

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Eligibility for Examination

Medical School Students

 | Medical School Graduates | 

Reverification of Eligibility

The eligibility requirements for examination differ depending on whether you are a medical school student or a

medical school graduate.

Medical School Graduates

To be eligible for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, you must be a graduate of a medical school located outside the

United States and Canada that is listed in the 

World Directory

 as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements. Your

graduation year must be included in the "Graduation Years" listed in the ECFMG note in your medical school’s World

Directory listing. See 

Medical School Requirements

. You must have been awarded credit for at least four credit years

(academic years for which credit has been given toward completion of the medical curriculum) by a medical school

that is listed in the World Directory as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements. An authorized official of your medical

school must certify your status as a graduate of the school; instructions will be provided at the time of application for

examination.

Two photocopies of your medical diploma must be submitted at the time of exam application if your diploma has not

been sent to ECFMG previously. See the 

Reference Guide for Medical Education Credentials

 on the ECFMG website

for the exact title of the final medical diploma you must provide. If you have graduated and met all requirements for

your medical diploma but your medical diploma has not yet been issued, a letter signed by an authorized official of

your medical school must be submitted with your exam application. The letter you submit must be the original

document and must be written on your medical school’s letterhead. The letter must include the following statement:

This is to confirm that [applicant name] has graduated and completed all requirements to receive

the [degree title] degree from [medical school/university name]. The degree will be issued [month

and year].

You must then send the photocopies of your medical diploma to ECFMG as soon as your diploma is issued. See

Medical Education Credentials

.

All documents that are not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation that meets ECFMG’s

translation requirements. See 

English Translations

 in Medical Education Credentials.

If you have passed the former ECFMG CSA, you are not eligible to take Step 2 CS, except under certain, well-defined

circumstances. Eligible circumstances include: taking Step 2 CS to permanently validate an expired CSA examination

date for the purpose of entering U.S. GME; taking Step 2 CS because your most recent performance on a clinical skills

exam (CSA or Step 2 CS) is a failing performance (See Retaking Previously Passed Steps in the 

USMLE Bulletin of

Information

); and retaking Step 2 CS to meet a time limit (See 

Reexamination and Reapplication

 in The United States

Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)).

Important Notes: If your eligibility for an exam changes after you apply but before you take the exam, you

are required to inform ECFMG immediately in writing of this change in your status. Such notification must

be sent to ECFMG’s Applicant Information Services. Use the contact information for General Inquiries on

the 

Contact ECFMG

 page of the ECFMG website. Failure to inform ECFMG that you may no longer be

eligible to take the examination may result in a finding of irregular behavior and permanent

annotation of your ECFMG record. See 

Policies and Procedures Regarding Irregular Behavior

.

If you take a Step or Step Component for which you are not eligible, results for that exam may not be

reported or, if previously reported, may be canceled.

If you have already been granted a license by a U.S. medical licensing authority based on previous

licensure examinations, such as the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) or the NBME certifying

examinations, you are not eligible to take the USMLE.

The American Medical Association’s Council on Medical Education no longer supports the Fifth Pathway as a

mechanism for eligibility to enter ACGME-accredited graduate medical education programs. Additionally, the USMLE

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Program no longer accepts Fifth Pathway Certificates to meet eligibility requirements to take Step 3. Individuals who

hold Fifth Pathway Certificates and wish to apply to ECFMG for examination must apply for ECFMG Certification and

meet the requirements for ECFMG Certification established for all medical school graduates.

Last updated: September 7, 2017

Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.

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Eligibility for Examination

Medical School Students

 | 

Medical School Graduates

 | Reverification of Eligibility

Reverification of Eligibility

ECFMG reserves the right to reverify your eligibility for examination at any time during the application and registration

process. If your medical school informs ECFMG that your status has changed, and ECFMG determines you are no

longer eligible for examination, your registration will be canceled. If you have failed to inform ECFMG of this

change in your status, it may result in a finding of irregular behavior. See 

Policies and Procedures Regarding

Irregular Behavior

.

For medical school students, ECFMG may reverify your status as a student officially enrolled in medical school. When

a medical school does not participate in 

ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP)

 Status Verification, ECFMG’s

reverification of the status of the school’s students may include ECFMG sending a written request for reverification by

postal mail to the medical school. If reverification is requested by ECFMG, ECFMG may cancel your registration or

withhold your score report until ECFMG has received reverification of your status directly from the medical school. If

your registration is canceled, you may be required to reapply.

For medical school graduates, ECFMG may reverify your medical education credentials with the issuing medical

school. If such reverification is requested by ECFMG, you will be registered for examination only after ECFMG has

received reverification of your credentials directly from the medical school. If reverification is requested by ECFMG

after you have been registered for examination, ECFMG may cancel your registration or withhold your score report

until ECFMG has received reverification of your medical education credentials directly from the issuing school. If your

registration is canceled, you may be required to reapply.

Last updated: September 7, 2017

Copyright © 2017 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved.

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