In 2010, ECFMG instituted medical school accreditation by a recognized accrediting agency as a future requirement for ECFMG Certification. This initiative is now known as the Recognized Accreditation Policy.
ECFMG’s program of certification assesses whether international medical graduates are ready to enter post-graduate training programs in the United States.
“Recognized accreditation” means that the accrediting agency of a medical school has itself been reviewed and recognized by an external quality assurance organization. This quality assurance/recognition organization, in turn, has been reviewed and approved by ECFMG. Only medical schools accredited by an agency that is recognized by an organization approved by ECFMG will satisfy the requirements of this policy. WFME is one of the organizations approved by ECFMG for the recognition of medical school accrediting agencies.
ECFMG plans to begin implementation of the Recognized Accreditation Policy in 2024 in a way that both maintains the importance of medical school accreditation by a recognized agency and acknowledges that global events have disrupted key aspects of the accreditation and recognition processes. For the latest information on this policy, please monitor the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/accreditation.
