USMLE - International Students

International medical graduates form one-fourth of the medical fraternity in the United States. Good news for all prospective or practicing physicians across the globe who dream to practice medicine in the United States is that they can do so or are eligible. The process is rigorous, want to how? Read USAeducation.info 's exclusive section for USMLE International Student.

Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) offer program of certifications for any prospective physician who graduates from a medical school outside the US. ECFMG assesses the readiness of graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada to enter residency or fellowship programs in the United States. The ECFMG process includes a verification of the candidate's international medical degree, and an exam, also called the ECFMG.

In order to practice medicine legally in the US one must first pass the ECFMG process.Once the ECFMG is passed, then a physician is eligible for entry into an American residency training program, which is required even if the physician trained and practiced medicine internationally.

International medical graduates in the United States are eligible for obtaining certification issued by ECFMG only if the medical school and the date of completing their degree feature in the directory of the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) of the Foundation for Advancement of  International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).

Same is the case with US citizens who have completed their medical education in schools outside the United States and Canada but it is not same for overseas students who have obtained their degree from medical schools in the United States and Canada.

International students are advised to contact Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) or the medical licensing authority of the jurisdiction where you wish to apply for license for more accurate information.