IMPORTANT
As was announced in October 2022, the policy in effect has no impact on eligibility for ECFMG Certification. See below for further details on the policy’s implementation.
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Implementation
What’s New
With the implementation of the Recognized Accreditation Policy, information related to the policy is being reported as described below:
- Notation in World Directory: If a medical school currently meets the requirements of the Recognized Accreditation Policy, a notation stating this will be included on the Sponsor Notes tab in the school’s listing in the World Directory of Medical Schools .
This reporting provides valuable information to current and future medical students, medical regulatory authorities, and others around the world. It also serves as an additional data point for U.S. program directors on the educational background of international medical students and graduates (IMGs) applying to U.S. graduate medical education (GME).
- General Information in ERAS®: A general statement about the policy will be added to the ECFMG Status Reports for students and graduates applying to U.S. GME positions through the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS) and similar services, starting with the 2026 application season (beginning fall 2025). The statement will provide an overview of the policy; it will not be applicant or school specific.
What Has Not Changed
Implementation of the policy does not impact:
- An individual’s eligibility for ECFMG Certification.
IMGs can continue to apply for and pursue ECFMG Certification, even if their medical school currently does not meet the requirements of the Recognized Accreditation Policy. IMGs can pursue ECFMG Certification as long as their medical school meets ECFMG’s current requirements.
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Medical school eligibility for an ECFMG Sponsor Note.
- Users of other ECFMG services, such as EPIC℠.
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Recognized Accreditation
“Recognized accreditation” means that the accrediting agency of a medical school has itself been reviewed and recognized by an external quality assurance organization. This quality assurance/recognition organization, in turn, has been reviewed and approved by Intealth.
Only medical schools accredited by an agency that is recognized by an organization approved by Intealth will satisfy the requirements of the Recognized Accreditation Policy.
Additionally, the school must have met ECFMG’s Medical School Requirements, as indicated by the ECFMG Sponsor Note in the school’s World Directory listing.
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Approved Recognition Organizations
To date, Intealth has approved two organizations for the recognition of medical school accrediting agencies – the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA). Medical schools accredited by an agency recognized by either of these organizations meet the requirements of the Recognized Accreditation Policy.
- The WFME Recognition Programme is designed to provide an independent, transparent and rigorous method of ensuring that the accreditation of medical schools worldwide is at an internationally accepted and high standard. WFME evaluates the compliance of accrediting agencies with pre-defined criteria. Based on guidelines developed by the World Health Organization and WFME, these criteria are intended to provide sufficient flexibility for the development of accreditation standards that fit the context of a country’s medical education system.
WFME operates the World Directory in partnership with FAIMER®, a division of Intealth. For medical schools accredited by an agency recognized by WFME, WFME now provides specific information about the medical school’s accreditation on the Program Details tab in the school’s World Directory listing. A list of accrediting agencies recognized by WFME and the countries served by these agencies is also available here .
- NCFMEA is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate the accreditation standards applied by a country to its medical schools and to determine the comparability of those standards to those applied to U.S. medical schools. A NCFMEA determination of comparability is required for a country’s medical schools to participate in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program. For a country to be eligible for a comparability determination or redetermination, at least one of its accredited medical schools must enroll U.S. citizens or intend to enroll within six years of the comparability determination.
A list of countries and agencies that have received a determination of comparability by NCFMEA is available here .
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if my school meets the Recognized Accreditation Policy?
Medical schools currently accredited by an agency recognized by WFME or NCFMEA satisfy the requirements of the Recognized Accreditation Policy at this time. In addition, the school must have an ECFMG Sponsor Note in its listing in the World Directory of Medical Schools, which indicates its students and graduates are eligible for ECFMG Certification.
Visit the World Directory of Medical Schools and search for your school. If your medical school currently meets the Recognized Accreditation Policy, this will be indicated on the Sponsor Notes tab of the school listing, below the school’s ECFMG Sponsor Note.
- How does the Recognized Accreditation Policy differ from the ECFMG Sponsor Note?
The Recognized Accreditation Policy and the ECFMG Sponsor Note serve separate and distinct purposes. The Recognized Accreditation Policy promotes the development of accreditation systems worldwide and provides information for medical students, U.S. program directors, medical regulatory authorities, and others regarding the accreditation of a medical school.
The ECFMG Sponsor Note indicates whether the students and graduates of a medical school are eligible to apply for ECFMG Certification. Please refer to Information on Sponsor Notes in the World Directory of Medical Schools for more information.
- My school doesn’t currently meet the requirements of Intealth’s Recognized Accreditation Policy, but it does have an ECFMG Sponsor Note. Am I eligible to apply for ECFMG Certification?
Yes. The Recognized Accreditation Policy does not affect anyone’s eligibility for ECFMG Certification. This means that international medical graduates (IMGs) can continue to apply for and pursue ECFMG Certification, even if their medical school currently does not meet the requirements of the Recognized Accreditation Policy.
- My school doesn’t currently meet the requirements of Intealth’s Recognized Accreditation Policy, but it does have an ECFMG Sponsor Note. Will the Recognized Accreditation Policy cause my school to lose its ECFMG Sponsor Note?
No. The Recognized Accreditation Policy does not affect a medical school’s eligibility for an ECFMG Sponsor Note. Please refer to Information on Sponsor Notes in the World Directory of Medical Schools for more information.
- I’m waiting for my school to get an ECFMG Sponsor Note in the World Directory of Medical Schools so that I can apply for ECFMG Certification. Will the Recognized Accreditation Policy prevent my school from getting an ECFMG Sponsor Note?
No. The Recognized Accreditation Policy does not affect a medical school’s eligibility for an ECFMG Sponsor Note. Please refer to Information on Sponsor Notes in the World Directory of Medical Schools for details on the current process for a school to obtain an ECFMG Sponsor Note.
- Does the Recognized Accreditation Policy affect whether an IMG is eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®)?
No. The Recognized Accreditation Policy does not affect eligibility to take USMLE.
- If my medical school is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, does that mean that students and graduates of the school are eligible for ECFMG Certification?
No. Schools must meet ECFMG’s requirements for their students and graduates to be eligible to apply for ECFMG Certification. Schools that meet ECFMG’s requirements will have an ECFMG note on the Sponsor Notes tab of the school’s listing in the World Directory. There is a separate process for a medical school to obtain an ECFMG Sponsor Note. Please refer to Information on Sponsor Notes in the World Directory of Medical Schools for details on the current process.
- Is the Recognized Accreditation Policy related to MyIntealth™?
No. MyIntealth is a forthcoming modern online environment for accessing our services. It is not related to the Recognized Accreditation Policy.
- I am an IMG seeking to apply for registration/licensure in other countries. These countries require that I use ECFMG’s EPIC to verify my credentials. Does the Recognized Accreditation Policy also apply to this process?
No. The Recognized Accreditation Policy does not affect users of EPIC.
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More Information
The Recognized Accreditation Policy will continue to evolve at Intealth’s sole discretion. We are committed to keeping all stakeholders informed as we move forward. Please monitor this web page for the latest information. Specific questions regarding the policy may be sent to [email protected].
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Resources
The documents below provide background regarding the rationale and
development of the policy.
2022 Update
2020 Journal Article
Past Progress Updates
2010 Press Release
Background Document
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(Journal of Medical Regulation, February 2020)
