ECFMG CERTIFICATE : Basics & The Fine Points

First let's tackle a basic question. "How Does the ECFMG certificate actually look ?" Well guys, .simply check out mine : Click on the image below to enlarge.





Second basic Question : Do you need to be ECFMG certified to apply for ERAS or Residency Match ?


Technically speaking, No ! You don't need to be ECFMG certified to either apply to Residency Programs OR to register for the NRMP Residency Match . However, you do need to be ECFMG certified before Programs submit their Rank Order Lists , which happens by Mid-February of the Year of the Match. (i.e. if you are thinking 2008 Residency Match , you should aim to be ECFMG certified before the 2nd week of February 2008 ). And here are the words from the University of Alabama Internal medicine website:

"An ECFMG certificate is not required at the time of application, but in order for IMG’s to be considered for an interview, they must have completed USMLE Steps I and II and the CSA exam when submitting their applications (or the scores must be available prior to a scheduled interview). IMG’s who are interviewed for this program MUST provide documentation (an ECFMG letter of certification or an ECFMG certificate) to our office PRIOR TO February 15, 2006"

Now, that was 'Technically'. These days, with increasing competetion, some programs may even wanna see you ECFMG certified before they can review your application - which means, you will need to call the programs u intend to apply to and find out the policy for the year...


When do you get the ECFMG Certificate ?

The Certificate usually arrives within 2 weeks after you have received ALL THREE SCORES (Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS), PROVIDED all your medical credentials have been verified with your medical school by then. Thus, if the last exam you took was the Step 2 CK, the Certificate will arrive within two weeks of the score reporting date for Step 2 CK on OASIS - unless ofcourse, you medical school has not yet verified your credentials with ECFMG. If not, then it will arrive 2 weeks after your credentials have been verified - *Duh* ;-)

Do you need to "apply" for it ?

No, there is no need to apply -ECFMG will send it you on their own , once you are qualified for the certificate.

Anyways, there are some more things I would like you to know about the certificate.

1. For those of you who will have applied to programs through ERAS before being "certified", its good to know that even though the "physical paper ECFMG certificate" arrives to you after two weeks and all - the programs that you apply to will receive your certification status electronically much before you, as an updated transcript. This fact may be useful for those few of you who may happen to play a tight rope-walk with time during the 2007 match (or any other match). Indeed some programs may convey to you that unless you are certified before they submit their candidate rank order lists in mid-february, they will not rank you.

2. Step 3 Application needs you to be ECFMG certified - they need the date of your ECFMG certification. Hence you can only apply for Step 3 AFTER you receive the Paper Ceritificate by mail.

Hmmmmmm..just remembered something else - Some pals told me that the day you get the ECFMG certificate, you can legally label yourself "MD" in the USA - I am not totally sure of how qualified that statement is , coz even the fact that you graduated from a med school makes you an "MD" here. Read more about this IMGs calling themselves MD issue officially on the American Medical Association Website.

Anyways...one more blog post and one more drop added to your ocean of working knowledge = another reason to smile :-)








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ECFMG Warns against Fradulent Letters of Recommendation (LORs)

It might just be too tempting to write tons and tons of self-praise on the Letters of Recommendation think

Quoting an email warning from ECFMG:


"In recent years, the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee has made a determination of irregular behavior in 12 cases based upon the submission of either altered or wholly fabricated letters of recommendation. In 11 of these cases, the applicant's Standard ECFMG Certificate was revoked. Since these individuals are no longer certified by ECFMG, they are not eligible to participate in an accredited residency program in the United States and are not eligible to take USMLE Step 3."


So who does a confirmation check on your LORs ? IProgram directors do not routinely do a check on LORs for all applying candidates, but the chances could be higher for the following:

1. Candidates called for Interviews , especially candidates that the program like or are considering a prematch offer for

2. Candidates with extremely flowery and praising Letters of recommendation

3. LORs that clearly look fabricated by the candidate (not much specific substance, but general praise)

4. Letters without an official letterhead and an official seal of the insititution OR department OR the faculty

5. Unsigned letters - *Duh*

6. Letters signed in Black ink - yeah, coz' photocopied signatures look black



So avoid all these factors mentioned :-)

Hmmm...having said that - while its true that some professors would like the candidate to write the letter himself/herself and then sign it after approving the letter, residency applicants should be sure the faculty remembers them and the letter LOL! [Maybe a reminder phone call or email that they might receive a call from the US about the letter he/she signed for u ;-) ]


You definitely do not want to write and sign your own letters ! he he

IMGs IN CUBA : DEALING WITH MEDICAL CREDENTIALS VERIFICATION & ECFMG

When I was still in school, I was sooo into collecting stamps (philately, as the erudite might snicker at me with.. ) and stamps from Cuba were an exotic breed for me and my school peers. I have not met anyone personally from Cuba yet, but one generous and friendly lady from Cuba, Maria Isabel, MD, has been magnanimous to volunteer her experience about the vagaries of Medical Credentials verification and ECFMG for the benefit of Cuban IMGs planning Residency in the USA.


Here goes :


"For Cuban IMGs, everything is more than complicated. Regarding the Credential Verifications that ECFMG send to Cuba, every Medical School’s Dean sends the letters and the forms that they have received to an office named CONSULTORIA JURIDICA INTERNACIONAL (International Juridical Consultation for you to understand).

Cuba has several of these offices around the entire island. For those who studied in Havana the ECFMG send the request for verification to this address:


INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE CIENCIAS MEDICAS DE LA HAVANA ( that is my med school ..as you asked )

CALLE 146, NO. 2504,
./. 25 Y 31, CUBANACAN,
HAVANA 4
CUBA



There is the Medical School Dean’s Office and is a placed commonly know for every medical student in Havana as GIRON, because is also the place where we take our first year of medicine (after that we go to different Hospitals).

ECFMG doesn’t know that the Deans do not have permission to send by themselves the requested documentation because if Credential Verification is requested, it means that we are in the USA, and therefore we have to pay. Before 2005 ECFMG used to send the request with two forms named: 399 T and 399 D ( for Trancript and Diploma ) and the cost was 415 dollars including the delivery by DHL. BUT after 2005 ECFMG changed the forms and now they send only one form ( I don’t remember the name ) instead of the 399 t and 399 D, and Cuba also made son changes. Now after 2005 the will charge you 715 dollars instead of 415.And beside the delivery IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE, so it will cost 60 more dollars by DHL. It doesn’t matter that the request is the same in the previous and the actual form, they charge MORE.


The most important part is that you have to trust somebody in CUBA to send the money so that person can go to the “Consultoria Internacional” Office, ask for your name, to check if the request for verification is already there and pay. IF NOBODY PAYS they will put the request on hold and neither ECFMG nor the MD will received and explanation on what is going on. That was my problem, and that is why I know everything about the two different forms, and the prices and everything else.


My brother was in Cuba at the time, and he said to me: there are two request here, one from 2004 and one from 2005 The first one cost 415 dollars and include the delivery the other one is 715 + 60 for DHL…ask ECFMG if there is any difference between the two request. So I call and they very kindly explain to me the change, and that they had no idea that Cuba charge so much for that documents if they where basically requesting the same. They even inform me that it didn’t matter which form I pay, as long as they receive my verification. So of course I pay the 415 !!



To all this problems…you have to add, that for Cuba the money delivery is restricted to 300 every 3 months so if they charge 715 + 60 you have to send it on time…PLUS consider that this price will be charge in dollars, and that Cuba change your dollars in Cuban convertible money 100 $ = 80 cuban…Therefore we have to consider sending over 800 dollars..That takes us to the point that we can send only 300 every 3 months to a person. Of course, you can have a different person to send to someone else…but again you have to trust!!!


And all the verifications will arrive in Spanish so you will be requested to pay in OASIS for the translation.


That is it!!

- Maria, MD"


Thanks Maria !- very well written and many Cuban IMGs will be thankful to you, and besides you made my blog more valuable ;-) .

For further enquiries, Maria offers to help - write to her at ciap2211@hotmail.com