International Medical Graduates (IMGs) must be certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) before they can take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). To obtain the ECFMG certification, IMGs must first verify their eligibility in each of the U. S. states and to each program before applying for the USMLE.
It is important to review the requirements and begin the process before the third year of medical school. The Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access (FREIDA) is an online directory of graduate medical education programs sponsored by the American Medical Association (AMA). The Council for Accreditation of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) also offer directories of residencies. For each medical specialty, there is specific information about individual programs and any general or special application requirements.
Learn about application deadlines and requirements, understand eligibility requirements, research licensing requirements, understand visa requirements, apply broadly, understand graduate training licenses, understand federal student loan programs, and attend conferences. These are all important steps to take when applying for an international medical training program. The process of finding a residency has become increasingly competitive, so international applicants should pay more attention to their applications in order to stand out from other candidates. As a general rule, International Medical Graduates (IMG) (both U.
S citizens and non-citizens) have a matching rate of approximately 48%. The definition of an international medical graduate is a doctor who received a basic medical degree from a medical school located outside the United States and Canada that is not accredited by a U. S.-recognized accrediting body.