Entering a U.S. Residency as an International Medical Graduate (IMG)
1. Obtain the Standard Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Certificate.
International medical graduates must have a valid Standard ECFMG Certificate to enter Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited GME programs in the United States. To become ECFMG certified, the applicant must:
- Pass the basic medical and clinical science components of the medical science examination, currently Step 1 and Step 2 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.
- Pass the English language proficiency test.
- Document medical education credentials.
- Pass the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), which is administered in the ECFMG office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after certain eligibility requirements are met.
Further information regarding examination and certification may be obtained through contacting the ECFMG at:
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
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
2. Apply directly to U.S. residency programs
Currently, there are over 1,000 ACGME-accredited residency programs in the U.S. The American Medical Association maintains a list of ACGME-accredited GME program in the US which can be found at FREIDA Online. The AAFP also offers a family medicine residency directory which can be accessed online at www.aafp.org/residencies.
3. Register with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) **
Many programs only select applicants who participate in the Main Residency Match. It is possible that an applicant may not match with any of his or her selected programs as the number of applicants may be larger than the number of available positions.
For more information on NRMP, contact:
National Resident Matching Program
2450 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037-1127
Telephone: (202) 828-0566
Fax: (202) 828-4797
E-mail: NRMP@aamc.org
Web: www.nrmp.org
**Some residency programs require applicants to apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). If the residency programs in which you are interested require you to apply through ERAS, write to the following or call for an application:
ECFMG ERAS Program
P.O. Box 11746
Philadelphia, PA 19101-11746
Telephone: (215) 386-5900
Fax: (215) 222-5641
E-mail: eras-support@ecfmg.org
Web: www.ecfmg.org
For more information on NRMP, contact:
National Resident Matching Program
2450 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037-1127
Telephone: (202) 828-0566
Fax: (202) 828-4797
E-mail: NRMP@aamc.org
Web: www.nrmp.org
**Some residency programs require applicants to apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). If the residency programs in which you are interested require you to apply through ERAS, write to the following or call for an application:
ECFMG ERAS Program
P.O. Box 11746
Philadelphia, PA 19101-11746
Telephone: (215) 386-5900
Fax: (215) 222-5641
E-mail: eras-support@ecfmg.org
Web: www.ecfmg.org
4. If selected to a residency program, apply for the appropriate visa (according to your situation) to enter the United States as a student.
Questions on obtaining a visa should be directed to your residency program staff, the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
