I'm not sure how I can overlook a "magic phrase" when you are quoting me using that phrase. Seems to me that I haven't overlooked anything. I'm also not sure why your response to me was so abrasive.
As a foreign born holder of an ECFMG certificate and who has participated in the match process as an applicant, resident, fellow and now faculty reviewing applications, I stand by my comments. I have been through the process in many iterations; it appears from your posts that you are a first time applicant who has not completed the process yet.
When applying through the match, regardless of what the "residency requirements" are, all ECFMG applicants are required to have completed the above examinations (which you have so kindly bolded for us) by the date of the ROL. No argument there.
However, where you are in error is that there IS more.
ECFMG engages in a process of primary source verification in which they not only verify that the student is enrolled, but that they are enrolled in a medical school that is listed in IMED, and that they will complete 4 years minimum of medical training and will have/have completed all the requirements for the final medical diploma. Thus, even prior to graduation and award of the ECFMG certificate, your school is required to inform ECFMG, via a sealed and stamped document, that you have completed the requirements above.
As rokshana notes above, ECFMG will verify that the applicant is eligible to stay in the match past the ROL date by verification of examination completion; this verification also notes that everything except the final diploma is completed. However, if your school does not verify that you have completed (or will complete) all requirements and EXPECTED GRADUATION DATE, then ECFMG will not verify you for the NRMP and you will be withdrawn. Its not just completing exams and there ya go.
Once you have completed the requirements for graduation and are awarded your diploma, ECFMG will get the final documentation, again using primary source verification, which consists of your final transcript and the actual diploma. The new process of electronic source verification should make the process much smoother and hopefully quicker (as well as less stressful, as sending one's original diploma through international mail was a bit nervewracking to say the least).
Finally, I think you and some others are confusing the fact that it is possible to start late, with the OP's question of whether she can graduate after July 1st and start on July 1st. Every year there are some matched residents who cannot start on July 1 - either due to visa issues or delays in receiving the ECFMG certificate or medical license (I had to start fellowship a week late because my NJ license took awhile to process). Those are reasonable and programs deal with them all the time. But that is a totally different situation than what the OP is asking about - she cannot (as she herself investigated and found out) start on July 1 when she hasn't officially graduated, even if she has completed all the requirements.
I hope that clarifies things.
Sorry, I didn't mean to be abrasive.
I just thought that you copied the statement without careful reading.
There is something right in what you're saying now but I still believe that there is something wrong in what you said before.
Maybe it's just a misunderstanding and we are talking about the same but maybe some things changed since you were getting through whole process b/c ecfmg tries to make a whole process more "online" and simpler during last years.
At the very beginning of the process even before you can schedule your first Step's exam you have to fill in an "Application for ECFMG certification". In that form you have to say (among other) what is the expected day of your graduation. After that you get another form which has to be delivered to your school officials and they have to fill it in and with other stuff to send it to ECFMG. They may be required to confirm your expected day of graduation too (since I am not the school/ecfmg official I can't say what exactly they have to tell to ecfmg).
BUT afterward the school is no longer involved in that process until you finish it, get the diploma and want the certificate.
Since you can start this process after completing first 2 years of MD it may takes another 4 years until you get your diploma thus during such a long time your expected day of graduation may easily change.
Since your are not expected to inform the ecfmg about that change it means that from the very beginning ECFMG knows the date (from you and maybe from school too) but they don't know whether is it correct right now.
After that you go to schedule and sit for the step's exams and you're preparing for the Match. Before the ROL date NRMP asks ECFMG about your credentials. They ask for Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS passing score. You're withdrawn from matching system when any of them is missing. Ofc they could ask ECFMG about your expected date of graduation (ecfmg knows it from the very beginning) but they
don't do that.
Unless you're the NRMP/ECFMG official please show me a proof when saying otherwise.
There are many reasons why to believe that NRMP doesn't ask...
- They would say that
- They would say that it matters and what your expected date is supposed to be (same like they say what you're expected about usmle exams)
- ECFMG has the information but it can be 4 years old thus out of date and ECFMG has no chance to get up-to-date info at the ROL time
- It's not their business what a deal you have with PD about your starting date (some residencies starting date is negotiable)
- They can't even say that anyone with exp. date X can get through process on time but anyone with date Y can't (unlike with US grads)
-....
So... yes... most likely he is going to lose his matched residency spot right after PD realizes that he is not able to start on time.
But he is not going to be withdrawn from nrmp match system because of late date of graduation. The only reason to be withdrawn is missing Step 1/ Step 2 CK/ Step 2 CS passing score.
In fact it doesn't really matter right now b/c no one is willing to rank him (knowing he is not able to start until the autumn (since it takes few more days to deliver everything to ECFMG and then another 4-6 weeks until issuance of the certificate and maybe another couple of weeks to get a license)) but I haven't see any proof that expected date of graduation anyhow matters for nrmp and that they're asking about it.
This is my view. I'm getting through the process right now and I've read hundreds of pages about these processes at official websites. I'm not saying that I have to be right but I have no reason to believe that it goes another way.
