ecfmg certification

[spaslam]

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I have been denied an interview due to lack of ecfmg certification. I am an American attending a foreign school. Does anyone know when I will get that cert? I will graduate next Apr-May. Is it after passing all board exams or graduating and passing boards?

 

[Adam_K]

I have been denied an interview due to lack of ecfmg certification. I am an American attending a foreign school. Does anyone know when I will get that cert? I will graduate next Apr-May. Is it after passing all board exams or graduating and passing boards?

You only get your certification after you have completed Step 1, Step 2 CS & CK AND have had your diploma verified by the ECFMG.

http://www.ecfmg.org/2007ib/ibcert.html

Some programs simply don't want to take any chances on you, so they won't bother with an interview without a cert. It sucks, but there isn't anything you can do about it.

However, programs are protected anyway, because in order for an IMG to remain in the match, the requirements are passing Step 1, Step 2 CS & CK before the ROL deadline. Otherwise, the NRMP will automatically withdraw you. But, if they have plenty of applicants, making a cert mandatory is a simple way of reducing their pile of applications.

http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/faq/ind_apps_faq.html#15

What does ECFMG Status NOT VERIFIED mean?

After the initial registration deadline of December 1st, the NRMP contacts ECFMG® periodically before the rank order list deadline to verify whether graduates/students of international medical schools and Fifth Pathway program applicants have passed the required exams. If your status is NOT VERIFIED, ECFMG® has not yet confirmed that you have passed all exams necessary for ECFMG® certification. To be able to participate in the NRMP Match, ECFMG® must verify your exam status, NOT your ECFMG® certification status by the rank order list deadline.

 

[spaslam]

I am from an American attending a caribbean med school.

I applied to 33 programs, 13 rejections and 10 interviews so far. I have no ecfmg cert yet; I graduate in May or June. ecfmg cert seems to be required by many programs for interview. i have not heard from Dartmouth, Albany, Brown, Florida, South Carolina, both St. Eliz programs (Boston, DC), Harvard SS, and Maryland. has anyone gotten interviews to these programs as FMGs without ECFMG cert?

will i be removed from match with no ecfmg cert? or since I have passed USMLE steps I&II (both parts of Step II), will I still be eligible? i have emailed and called programs I have not heard from and asked about status, but none have written back.

I am getting worried as the interview season winds down.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Adam_K]

will i be removed from match with no ecfmg cert? or since I have passed USMLE steps I&II (both parts of Step II), will I still be eligible? i have emailed and called programs I have not heard from and asked about status, but none have written back.

I am getting worried as the interview season winds down.

Any advice would be appreciated.

If you have passed Step 1, Step 2 CK and CS and are graduating May you should not be removed from the match. The easiest way to check is to see whether or not your ECFMG status has been 'verified' on the NRMP site.

As soon as you log into the NRMP, you should see a screen with the following information. The last line is what really counts:

Applicant Options Page
NRMP Main Residency Match - Rank Order List entry begins January 15th.

Your name here
U.S. Citizen Student/Graduate of International Medical School
AAMC ID: XXXXXXXXXX


SSN/SIN: XXX-XX-XXXX
USMLE/ECFMG: X-XXX-XXX-X
Match Status: ACTIVE


Our email address, [email protected], should be added to your personal contact, address book, "Safe", or "People I Know" (for AOL users) list to ensure you receive our communications.

School: Your medical school name here
Fee Status: PAID
ECFMG Status: VERIFIED

Check the status. If is not verified, you'll need to call the ECFMG to find out why.