August 5, 2020
Update on New Requirements for ECFMG Certification for 2021 Match
In mid-June, ECFMG®|FAIMER® announced five pathways that will allow qualified international medical graduates (IMGs) who have not passed Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) to meet the requirements for ECFMG Certification. Since announcing the pathways, ECFMG|FAIMER has been working aggressively to develop additional information and processes that will enable IMGs to use the pathways. In this issue, we provide some important updates on these efforts.
It is important to note that these pathways are available only to eligible IMGs who plan to enter U.S. graduate medical education (GME) for the 2021-2022 academic year. Additionally, applicants who have a passing performance on USMLE Step 2 CS that is valid for ECFMG Certification and/or are certified by ECFMG are ineligible for the pathways; these individuals do not need to pursue the pathways to meet the requirements for ECFMG Certification or to participate in the 2021 Match.
Applicants who do not plan to enter U.S. GME for the 2021-2022 academic year and/or who are ineligible for the pathways should monitor the ECFMG website, since we are developing longer-term plans for applicants to future Matches. In the interim, these individuals can continue to pursue other requirements for ECFMG Certification, such as passing Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) of USMLE.
In This Issue:
Clarifications and Limited Exceptions to Requirements for ECFMG Certification for the 2021 Match
Since announcing the new requirements for ECFMG Certification for the 2021 Match, ECFMG|FAIMER has published updates to clarify certain aspects of the pathways. The latest information on the pathways is available here. Information on the limited circumstances in which ECFMG will consider exceptions to certain eligibility requirements also is available.
OET Medicine Will Meet English Language Proficiency Requirement
All applicants who pursue a pathway are required to perform satisfactorily on an English language proficiency assessment. ECFMG|FAIMER has announced that it will accept the Occupational English Test (OET) Medicine to satisfy the English language proficiency requirement.
OET Medicine is designed specifically for physicians. To meet ECFMG’s requirement, applicants must attain a minimum score of 350 (Grade B) on each of the four measured components of OET Medicine: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. All pathway applicants, regardless of citizenship, native language, or medical school language of instruction, must satisfy this requirement.
More information on OET Medicine and the English language proficiency requirement is available here.
On-line Application for Pathways Available by End of August
An on-line application process for the pathways is expected to be available by the end of August. Detailed instructions for using the application will be published in approximately mid-August, allowing potential applicants to preview the process and make advance preparations.
As published by the Association of American Medical Colleges, during the 2021 application season for the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®), residency programs may begin reviewing applications on October 21, 2020. This is approximately one month later than prior years. This delay, implemented as a result of the major issues facing applicants and training programs as they prepare for the 2021 residency application cycle, will allow IMG applicants additional time to meet pathway requirements.
Additional Resources
ECFMG|FAIMER has published a 20-minute webinar tailored to the needs of leaders in the U.S. GME community. The webinar provides additional details about the new requirements for ECFMG Certification for the 2021 Match and answers some frequently asked questions (FAQs) received from members of U.S. GME. The webinar is available from Resources in the Requirements for ECFMG Certification for 2021 Match section of the ECFMG website.
ECFMG|FAIMER also has published an expanded set of FAQs about various aspects of the pathways. Please monitor the FAQs, since we are updating them regularly.
Preliminary Volume Indicators for IMGs in 2021 Match
ECFMG|FAIMER is the designated Dean’s Office for all IMGs who use ERAS to apply to first- and second-year (PGY-1 and PGY-2) residency positions in U.S. GME. To begin the ERAS application process, IMGs must obtain an ERAS Token from ECFMG|FAIMER. Through the end of July, ECFMG|FAIMER issued more than 11,400 ERAS 2021 Residency Tokens to IMGs, the same number when compared to last year at this time.
Pre-registration is available to IMGs who plan to take OET Medicine to satisfy the English language proficiency requirement associated with the pathways. By July 27, more than 8,500 individuals had pre-registered to take OET Medicine.
