ECFMG Certification
ECFMG certification is the gate between passing the exams and applying to residency. These guides cover the requirements, the paperwork and the common reasons applications stall.
Core guides
ECFMG Certification: Requirements and How It Works
What ECFMG Certification is, the requirements IMGs must meet (school, credentials, exams, clinical skills pathway), and how the pieces fit together.
4 min readSetting Up Your MyIntealth Account Step by Step
How IMGs create a MyIntealth account, verify identity with a notarized form, and avoid the passport and name mistakes that cause delays.
3 min readThe World Directory and Medical School Eligibility
How to look up your medical school in the World Directory, read the ECFMG Sponsor Note, and confirm your graduation year makes you eligible.
3 min readThe Medical School Accreditation Requirement Explained
What ECFMG's medical school accreditation requirement is, who it affects, and how to find out whether your school and graduation year meet it.
3 min readEPIC: Verifying Your Medical Credentials
How ECFMG verifies your final medical diploma and transcript directly with your school, what EPIC is, and how to keep verification from stalling.
4 min readThe ERAS Token: How IMGs Get It and When
How IMGs request an ERAS token through MyIntealth, when tokens are issued each season, and what to do before requesting yours.
3 min readFees, timing and delays
ECFMG Certification Timeline: From First Application to Certificate
A sequenced plan for IMGs showing what must happen before what in ECFMG certification, with realistic delay points and a way to work backward from your Match year.
3 min readECFMG and Intealth Fees: What You Will Pay
Every ECFMG and Intealth fee category an IMG meets, when each is charged, what changes by situation, and how to budget without trusting outdated numbers.
4 min readThe Occupational English Test (OET) for IMGs
What the OET Medicine requirement is for ECFMG certification, who must take it, how it fits into Pathways, how to book it and how to time it before the Match.
4 min readCommon ECFMG Delays and How to Avoid Them
The most frequent causes of delays in ECFMG certification for IMGs, from credential verification to OET results and name mismatches, with practical prevention steps.
3 min readProblems and policies
Name Mismatches and Document Problems at ECFMG
How to keep your name consistent across passport, diploma, USMLE and ECFMG records, and what to do when documents differ, with ECFMG-specific steps to confirm.
4 min readECFMG Irregular Behavior Policy: What It Covers
What the USMLE and ECFMG irregular behavior policies cover in general terms, possible consequences, and how to avoid problems.
4 min readHow Long Is ECFMG Certification Valid? Exam Validity Periods
How the seven-year USMLE window works for ECFMG certification, what it means for ERAS and the Match, and how IMGs can plan around exam validity.
4 min read