Items to Consider For International Medical Graduates (IMGs) Who Wish to Practice Medicine in the United States

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An international physician should consider where he or she would like to practice medicine because each state has different licensing requirements for physicians. The individual state medical board can provide information about the specific requirements a physician needs to meet in order to practice medicine in that particular state. States may or may not recognize an IMG’s training or may require applicants to have anywhere from one to three years of postgraduate training in the U.S. The state medical board member contact information can be
obtained by contacting the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) at (817) 868-4000 or visiting their web site at www.fsmb.org.

Board certification is not required to practice medicine, but most employers will ask for their physicians to be board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). To obtain more information on the board certifying exam, eligibility requirements, and reciprocity agreements contact the ABFM at:

American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM)
2228 Young Drive
Lexington, KY 40505-4294
Telephone: (859) 269-5626/ (888) 995-5700
Fax: (859) 335-7516 or (859) 335-7516
E-mail: help@theabfm.org
Web: www.theabfm.org

Certain state boards, residency programs, and the ABFP may require graduates of foreign medical schools to obtain the Standard ECFMG certificate. Further information regarding examination and certification may be obtained through contacting the ECFMG:

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
3624 Market Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685
Telephone: (215) 386-5900
Fax: (215) 386-9196
Web: www.ecfmg.org/cert/index.html