Independent Applicants

Verification of Credentials for Match Eligibility

The NRMP will verify only the credentials listed below. Many states and/or programs have other prerequisites or restrictions that may be discussed in the program's application materials or during the interview process. The applicant is responsible for ensuring he/she meets all of each program's particular prerequisites and restrictions before ranking that program.

Note: Applicants should not delay their registration or submission of rank order lists pending verification of credentials by the NRMP. The NRMP will automatically withdraw applicants whose credentials cannot be confirmed according to the following procedures.

Student/Graduates of Osteopathic, Canadian, & Fifth Pathway Programs and Graduates of LCME-Accredited U.S. Medical Schools
The NRMP requires verification of expected graduation from the NRMP medical school official for the above applicant types. Without verification, the applicant is not permitted to participate in the Match. The NRMP will notify any applicant whose designated institution is unable to confirm attendance or graduation. Applicants whose graduation from medical school is not verified by their institutions will be withdrawn automatically by the NRMP. Withdrawn applicants will not be eligible to participate in the Match Week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program^SM (SOAP^SM), nor will they have access to the List of Unfilled Programs, unless prior to Match Week their credentials are verified by their medical schools.

Note: The NRMP will not accept transcripts provided by applicants as proof of enrollment or graduation.

Graduates of U.S. Medical Schools Not Accredited by the LCME
Graduates of U.S. medical schools not accredited by the LCME must submit to the NRMP notarized copies of full and unrestricted licenses to practice medicine in a U.S. jurisdiction.

Graduates or Students of International Medical Schools and Fifth Pathway Programs

To participate in the NRMP, graduates/students of international medical schools must have passed all exams required for certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®), and the results must be available by the rank order list deadline. Fifth Pathway applicants must have satisfied the medical science examination and clinical skills requirements for ECFMG® Certification (USMLE™ Step 1 and Step 2, or their equivalents), and the results must be available by the rank order list deadline.

Beginning September 1, the NRMP will contact the ECFMG® weekly to verify whether graduates/students of international medical schools and Fifth Pathway applicants have passed the required exams. Applicants who are not confirmed by the ECFMG® will be withdrawn automatically from The Match immediately following the rank order list deadline. Withdrawn applicants will not be eligible to participate in SOAP, nor will they have access to the List of Unfilled Programs, unless prior to Match Week their examination results are verified by the ECFMG®.

The NRMP will notify those applicants that the ECFMG® reported have not passed the required exams. The NRMP only accepts communications directly from the ECFMG® regarding examinations passed. The NRMP will not accept ECFMG® certificates, score reports, or ECFMG® status reports provided by applicants as proof that they have passed the required examinations.

Examinations Required by ECFMG® for Purposes of Certification

Applicants for ECFMG® Certification must satisfy both the medical science examination and clinical skills requirements. To satisfy those requirements, applicants must pass Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Step 2 of the USMLE has two separately administered components, the Clinical Knowledge (CK) component and the Clinical Skills (CS) component.

Medical Science Examination
Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE are the exams currently administered that satisfy this requirement. To meet the medical science examination requirement for ECFMG Certification, applicants must pass both Step 1 and Step 2 within a specified period of time. See Time Limit for Completing Examination Requirements.

The ECFMG® also accepts a passing performance on the following former examinations to satisfy the medical science examination requirement for ECFMG® Certification: ECFMG® Examination, Visa Qualifying Examination (VQE), Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS), and the Part I and Part II Examinations of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).

Combinations of exams also are acceptable. Specifically, applicants who have passed only part of the former VQE, FMGEMS, or the NBME Part I or Part II may combine a passing performance on the basic medical science component of one of these exams or USMLE Step 1 with a passing performance on the clinical science component of one of the other exams or USMLE Step 2 CK, provided that the components are passed within the period specified for the exam program.

Additionally, the ECFMG® accepts a score of 75 or higher on each of the three days of a single administration of the former Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX), if taken prior to June 1985, to satisfy this requirement.

NOTE: This policy applies only to ECFMG® Certification. Use of the former NBME Parts or FLEX Components to fulfill eligibility requirements for Step 3 is no longer accepted. Applicants who are taking the Steps for the purpose of licensure should contact the medical licensing authority of the jurisdiction where they plan to apply for licensure or the Federation of State Medical Boards for specific information on licensure requirements.

Clinical Skills Requirement
This requirement includes demonstration of data gathering and communication (including spoken English skills). Step 2 CS of the USMLE is the exam currently administered that satisfies this requirement. Specific time limits for passing Step 2 CS for ECFMG® Certification may apply. See Time Limit for Completing Examination Requirements below.

Applicants who have passed the former ECFMG® CSA and achieved a score acceptable to ECFMG® on an English language proficiency test (such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language [TOEFL] exam or the former ECFMG® English Test) can use these passing performances to satisfy the clinical skills requirement for ECFMG® Certification.

Time Limit for Completing Examination Requirements
ECFMG® policy requires that applicants pass those USMLE Steps or Step Components required for ECFMG® Certification within a seven-year period. Once an applicant passes a Step or Step Component, the applicant will have seven years to pass the other Step(s) or Step Component(s) required for ECFMG® Certification. If an applicant does not pass all required Steps and Step Components within a maximum of seven years, the applicant's earliest USMLE passing performance will no longer be valid for ECFMG® Certification. For purposes of confirming eligibility to participate in The Match, ECFMG® will report to the NRMP only those passing performances that are valid for ECFMG® Certification.

Before implementation of Step 2 CS on June 14, 2004, applicants were required to pass Step 1 and Step 2 CK within a seven-year period for ECFMG® Certification. Effective June 14, 2004, applicants must pass Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS within a seven-year period for ECFMG® Certification; this new seven-year requirement applies to applicants whose earliest USMLE passing performance that is valid for ECFMG® Certification took place on or after June 14, 2004. For complete information, refer to the ECFMG® Information Booklet.

NOTE: Applicants to The Match who have passed examinations administered by organizations other than the ECFMG®, such as the National Board of Medical Examiners or the Federation of State Medical Boards that may be used for ECFMG® Certification should submit that information to the ECFMG® well in advance of the rank order list deadline. The ECFMG® will not report examination results to the NRMP to confirm eligibility to participate in The Match until those examination results have been verified by the organization that administered the examination accepted by the ECFMG®.

Additional Information
For detailed information on ECFMG® Certification, visit the ECFMG® Web site.

• Refer to the ECFMG® Information Booklet, available on the ECFMG® Web site.
• Subscribe to The ECFMG® Reporter, ECFMG's® free e-mail newsletter for applicants.
• Monitor the ECFMG® website for the latest information.

To apply:

• Access the ECFMG® Information Booklet on-line and apply on-line for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 (Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills components) on the ECFMG® website.
• Download the Information Booklet and USMLE application materials from the ECFMG® website.

To check applicant-specific information, such as the status of exam applications and score reports, and to update applicant information, access OASIS on the ECFMG® website.

Applicants also may direct inquiries to ECFMG's® Applicant Information Services:

ECFMG®
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA
Telephone: (215) 386-5900
Fax: (215) 386-9196

Updated 02/22/2012