ECFMG certificate?

[Amiloride]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi,
I'm not sure how to verify that I have an ecfmg certificate and if it is submitted to MyEras?
On MyEras, under ADTS, it shows that they have received my ecfmg status report - is the status report the same thing as certificate??😕

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Yes. If you're ECFMG certified, and your status report is downloaded, then we know you are certified. We don't actually get a copy of the certificate itself, just an official "transcript" from ECFMG that shows your status.

 

[Amiloride]

Thanks so much for your answer!

 

[shan564]

On a fairly similar note - are you able to filter out all applicants who aren't certified? If so, is that something that is commonly done? Or are you more likely just to filter out people who haven't passed a particular exam?

In other words, I'm trying to figure out if places will filter me out because I haven't taken Step 2CS yet... or if they're more likely to review my entire application before they decide whether to interview me (I'm hoping that they'd be forgiving of my lack of CS because I had above-average scores on Step 1 and CK).

 

[gutonc]

On a fairly similar note - are you able to filter out all applicants who aren't certified? If so, is that something that is commonly done? Or are you more likely just to filter out people who haven't passed a particular exam?

In other words, I'm trying to figure out if places will filter me out because I haven't taken Step 2CS yet... or if they're more likely to review my entire application before they decide whether to interview me (I'm hoping that they'd be forgiving of my lack of CS because I had above-average scores on Step 1 and CK).

I'm not sure about the ECFMG filter question specifically, but they can easily filter based on having scores in all 3 exams.

You're not going to get special treatment because of good Step 1/2CK scores though, because that's not really the issue. The issue for a PD is "if I match this person, will they be able to start work on July 1." And if you can't get your ECFMG certification, you won't be able to work...and at that point, you've violated the Match agreement and the PD can cut you loose.

 

[Law2Doc]

On a fairly similar note - are you able to filter out all applicants who aren't certified? If so, is that something that is commonly done? Or are you more likely just to filter out people who haven't passed a particular exam?

In other words, I'm trying to figure out if places will filter me out because I haven't taken Step 2CS yet... or if they're more likely to review my entire application before they decide whether to interview me (I'm hoping that they'd be forgiving of my lack of CS because I had above-average scores on Step 1 and CK).

If you are coming from a non-US program, many places are going to regard CS as the second most important Step, because not having had US rotations often means folks are way behind the curve in terms of taking care of US patients, who have more spelled out "rights" and higher expectations than elsewhere on the planet. Moreso if English is not your native language, but even if it is, the US clinical exposure aspects can be alleviated somewhat by a pass on this test. Of the single digit fail rate on this test, most are IMGs.

 

[shan564]

If you are coming from a non-US program, many places are going to regard CS as the second most important Step, because not having had US rotations often means folks are way behind the curve in terms of taking care of US patients, who have more spelled out "rights" and higher expectations than elsewhere on the planet. Moreso if English is not your native language, but even if it is, the US clinical exposure aspects can be alleviated somewhat by a pass on this test. Of the single digit fail rate on this test, most are IMGs.

For what it's worth, I went to med school in Australia, so there's no real difference in terms of "rights" and "expectations"... if anything, Australians have higher expectations because the healthcare system is public, so most people consider good healthcare to be a basic human right.

And I'm also a professional writer, so I'd hope that my personal statement would quell any concerns about English language skills.

But regardless of that, I understand why PDs would filter out all IMGs who haven't passed CS yet. And if they do that, they wouldn't see where I went to med school or what my rec letters or personal statements look like.

 

[Law2Doc]

For what it's worth, I went to med school in Australia, so there's no real difference in terms of "rights" and "expectations"... if anything, Australians have higher expectations because the healthcare system is public, so most people consider good healthcare to be a basic human right.

And I'm also a professional writer, so I'd hope that my personal statement would quell any concerns about English language skills.

But regardless of that, I understand why PDs would filter out all IMGs who haven't passed CS yet. And if they do that, they wouldn't see where I went to med school or what my rec letters or personal statements look like.

In the US healthcare is not a "basic human right". Instead, we have spelled out patient bill of rights, and they have very different expectations in terms of privacy, ability to complain and sue, etc. There are "patient advocates" in every hospital and patients wield great power over their hospital visit. So it's different than almost everywhere else on the planet, and the ramifications of the patient liking how you handled the encounter are very different. Having the patient think you had a good bedside manner, washed your hands, actually listened to what they were saying, told them to quit smoking or kept them decently covered during the exam has been shown to affect whether they decide to sue your as$ afterwards, so hospitals are focused on residents who demonstrate an ability to master these patient skills.

Personal statements are meaningless -- even the person who has no English skills can find someone to clean an essay up for him. The CS does a good job in terms of screening because it means you are judged by a bunch of out of work or part time actors who have a lot more in common with your future patients than the PDs will. It they think you present yourself the way a US doctor should PDs will at least consider this some degree of due diligence. Truthfully few PDs know what skillets someone coming out of a foreign country med school will possess, so you do yourself a favor passing all these hurdles ahead of time.

 

[Winged Scapula]

For what it's worth, I went to med school in Australia, so there's no real difference in terms of "rights" and "expectations"... if anything, Australians have higher expectations because the healthcare system is public, so most people consider good healthcare to be a basic human right.

Having trained and worked in both countries (Australia and the US), I agree with L2D's interpretation. Rather than describing "rights", one might define it as "expectations". The average Aussie has a lot lower expectations of medical care and the rapidity with which it is offered, even those with private insurance.

In addition to the basics of introducing yourself, hand-washing, privacy concerns, etc. that L2D noted above, you are much more likely in the US to deal with patients who think they know more than you because they went to GSM (Google School of Medicine), who want non-indicated tests or medications and expect that you will jump when they call and give them what they want *yesterday*.

 

[shan564]

In addition to the basics of introducing yourself, hand-washing, privacy concerns, etc. that L2D noted above, you are much more likely in the US to deal with patients who think they know more than you because they went to GSM (Google School of Medicine), who want non-indicated tests or medications and expect that you will jump when they call and give them what they want *yesterday*.

Yeah, that's probably a good point... although I didn't notice a big difference on the rotations I did in the US. But that's probably because I've done most of my training in the part of Sydney that's a bit more educated, where there are several private hospitals and the like. I'm sure the average Australian patient is probably less demanding than the average American patient, as you say.

Still, I didn't mean to suggest that I should be considered differently from any other IMG. I was just wondering if most people will screen me out because of CS. And it seems like the answer is "yes." Hopefully, my CS score will show up on time to get me a few good interviews on time... I should have it by early December, and I already have a couple of interview slots lined up before that, so it might not be a huge hindrance.