Road to Residency Guide
Preparing for your journey:
Understanding Accreditation
Prior to
June
ACGME
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
To ensure training programs meet specialty-specific quality standards, the ACGME accredits residency and fellowship programs based on a set of common program requirements, specialty-specific program requirements, and institutional requirements. ACGME accreditation is overseen by Review Committees made up of volunteer specialty and graduate medical education experts that set accreditation standards and provide peer evaluation of Sponsoring Institutions and specialty and subspecialty residency and fellowship programs.
ECFMG®
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
A member of Intealth, an integrated organization that also includes the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®). ECFMG® assesses the readiness and credentials of international medical school students and graduates (IMGs) to enter graduate medical education in the United States. The ECFMG is authorized by the US Department of State to sponsor foreign national physicians as "exchange visitors" in the J-1 physician category for participation in accredited clinical training programs and/or their directly associated fellowships. ECFMG offers a verification service for GME programs, state medical boards and others to obtain primary-source confirmation that IMG applicants are certified by the ECFMG.
International Medical Graduate (IMG)
IMGs are individuals who receive their basic medical degree from a medical school located outside of the United States and Canada. The location of the medical school, not the citizenship of the individual, is what determines whether they are IMGs. This means that US citizens who graduated from medical schools outside of the United States and Canada are considered IMGs. Non-US citizens who graduated from medical schools in the United States and Canada are not considered IMGs.