Eligibility for USMLE
Important Notes:
- USMLE Step exam services formerly provided by ECFMG, including exam registration, score report delivery, and USMLE customer service, are now provided to international medical students and graduates by FSMB. See the USMLE website for more information.
- Students and graduates of medical schools located in Canada should refer to the Important Notices section of the ECFMG Information Booklet for information on their eligibility for ECFMG Certification and registration entity for USMLE.
To satisfy the medical science examination requirement for ECFMG Certification, international medical graduates (IMGs) must pass Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).
ECFMG determines whether IMGs are eligible for ECFMG Certification, and eligibility for ECFMG Certification continues to be a core requirement for IMGs to take USMLE. This means that, as part of the USMLE registration process for each Step, FSMB will confirm with ECFMG that you are eligible for ECFMG Certification. The eligibility requirements for examination differ depending on whether the applicant is an international medical school student or an international medical school graduate.
All applicants pursuing ECFMG Certification must use the most current edition of the ECFMG Information Booklet available to them at the time of inquiry and must become familiar with and will be subject to the policies and procedures detailed therein. The ECFMG Information Booklet is available on the Publications page of this website.
International Medical School Students
ECFMG will share information on your eligibility for ECFMG Certification with FSMB at the time you apply for examination. To be confirmed to FSMB as eligible for ECFMG Certification as a student, you must currently meet ECFMG’s identity verification requirements and must have an accepted Application for ECFMG Certification that indicates you are a student currently enrolled in medical school. For detailed information on eligibility requirements for ECFMG Certification, see Application for ECFMG Certification in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
Once your application for examination is submitted to FSMB, FSMB will request ECFMG to confirm your current enrollment status and that you will have completed the basic medical science component of your medical school’s curriculum by the beginning of your exam eligibility period. An authorized official of your medical school must certify this information to ECFMG; instructions will be provided at the time of application for examination.
International Medical School Graduates
ECFMG will share information on your eligibility for ECFMG Certification with FSMB at the time you apply for examination. To be confirmed to FSMB as eligible for ECFMG Certification as a graduate, you must currently meet ECFMG’s identity verification requirements and must have an accepted Application for ECFMG Certification that indicates you are a medical school graduate. Primary-source verification of your medical education credentials is required for your Application for ECFMG Certification to be accepted. For detailed information on eligibility requirements for ECFMG Certification, see Application for ECFMG Certification in the ECFMG Information Booklet.
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