General Applicant Information
Before you apply to ECFMG for examination or other services, please review the following information. The information in this section pertains to all services for which you may apply with ECFMG.
Important Note: Application and other requests for services will not be processed if it is determined that doing so would be considered violative of any applicable federal laws or regulations.
USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number
Before you apply for the first time to ECFMG for an exam, you must obtain a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number. You can obtain a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number by accessing IWA.
The information you provide during the process of obtaining a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number will become a part of your permanent ECFMG record. If you fail to provide your correct and current legal name, you will be required to submit acceptable documentation, as described in Changing or Verifying Your Name, to change the name in your ECFMG record. If ECFMG determines that the biographic information you submit is inaccurate, not complete, or insufficient to assign a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number to you, your request for the USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number will not be processed.
Once ECFMG informs you of your number, you must include it on all communications, applications, medical education credentials, request forms, and payments that you send to ECFMG. You will also need your USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number to use ECFMG’s on-line services.
Your USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number cannot be changed. If you forget or lose your USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number, you can obtain it by accessing IWA or by contacting ECFMG. To protect the privacy of applicants, ECFMG will not provide USMLE/ECFMG Identification Numbers by telephone.
Important Note: As part of the process of obtaining an Identification Number and/or applying for examination, you will be asked whether you have applied to ECFMG and/or the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) previously. If you have submitted a prior exam application to either organization, you must answer “Yes” to the applicable question(s), even if you submitted the prior application under a different name or did not take the exam for which you applied. You must answer “Yes” regardless of whether you submitted an on-line application or a paper application. If you have submitted an application to ECFMG or NBME but indicate subsequently that you have not applied previously, this may result in a finding of irregular behavior. See Irregular Behavior in General Applicant Information and Irregular Behavior in Examination Requirements.
Name of Applicant
You must ensure that the name in your ECFMG record is your correct and current legal name. This name will appear on your Standard ECFMG Certificate once you have met all requirements for certification. You must use this name consistently in all communications you send to ECFMG, including exam applications and requests for other services. Failure to use the name in your ECFMG record consistently in all communications with ECFMG may delay exam registration. It may also prevent you from taking an exam for which you are registered and scheduled.
You can check the name in your ECFMG record on-line using OASIS. If you legally change your name, you must submit acceptable documentation to ECFMG to change the name in your ECFMG record. See Changing or Verifying Your Name.
- The name you submit on your application will appear on your exam scheduling permit. The name on your scheduling permit, including the spelling, must match exactly the name on the form(s) of identification you present at the test center. See Acceptable Identification.
If you change the name in your ECFMG record while you are registered for an exam, a new scheduling permit reflecting this change will be issued; you can print the new scheduling permit by accessing IWA. You must bring the new scheduling permit to the test center on your exam date. Name changes must be received and processed by ECFMG no later than seven business days before your testing appointment, or you will not be able to test.
If you have a valid Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) on file with ECFMG, it will be invalidated when the name in your ECFMG record is changed, and you will be required to complete a new Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) the next time you apply for examination.
If the name on your scheduling permit has been misspelled, contact ECFMG immediately by e-mail at info@ecfmg.org or by telephone or fax (see General Inquiries).
- If the name on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential does not match exactly the name in your ECFMG record, you must submit documentation, as described in Changing or Verifying Your Name that verifies the name on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential is (or was) your name. See Name on Medical Diploma and Transcript(s) for examples of common name discrepancies that require name verification.
Changing or Verifying Your Name
If you have legally changed your name and want to request a change of name in your ECFMG record, send a completed Request to Change Applicant Biographic Information (Form 182) to ECFMG. Form 182 requires you to provide an explanation of the reason for the name change and must be accompanied by a photocopy of the appropriate document(s), as defined on Form 182. ECFMG must be able to determine from the document(s) you submit that your name has legally changed from the name currently in your ECFMG record to the name you are requesting to appear in your record. This means that it may be necessary for you to submit more than one document to support your name change request. For the purpose of changing your name, the document(s) you provide must be unexpired (if applicable). These documents may include:
- Passport (including the pages with your photograph and the expiration date)
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Official court order
- U.S. Resident Alien Card
- U.S. Naturalization Certificate
Attestations and affidavits are not acceptable as documentation to change or verify your name.
Please do not submit an original document; a photocopy of the document is sufficient.
If the name in your ECFMG record is correct but this name does not match exactly your name as listed on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential, you must verify that the name on these documents is (or was) your name. To verify your name, send to ECFMG a photocopy of one of the acceptable documents listed above that verifies the name on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential.
As an alternative to one of the documents listed above, ECFMG will accept for purposes of verifying your name a letter from the Dean, Vice Dean, or Registrar of your medical school that verifies that the name on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential is (or was) your name. If you choose to submit a letter from your medical school to verify the name on your medical diploma, transcript, or other credential, the letter must be signed by the Dean, Vice Dean, or Registrar. The letter you submit must be written on your medical school’s letterhead. The letter must include the following statement:
This certifies that the names [name on document] and [name in ECFMG record] belong to one and the same person.
The document(s) you send must show your name exactly as it appears on your medical diploma/transcript.
All documents submitted to change or verify your name that are not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation that meets ECFMG’s translation requirements; see English Translations.
All documents submitted to change or verify your name, including translations, will become a part of your permanent ECFMG record and will not be returned to you.
Important Note: If you have a valid Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) on file with ECFMG, it will be invalidated when the name in your ECFMG record is changed, and you will be required to complete a new Certification of Identification Form (Form 186) the next time you apply for examination.
Contact Information
The contact information in your ECFMG record consists of your e-mail and mailing addresses, your telephone number, and your fax number (if applicable). If you provide an e-mail address, ECFMG will send information on the status of your exam applications by e-mail. You will also need an e-mail address to use ECFMG’s on-line services. Be sure to include a complete mailing address even if you supply an e-mail address. Certain ECFMG correspondence, including your Standard ECFMG Certificate, requires a full mailing address.
You should ensure that the contact information in your ECFMG record is current. You can check and update your contact information on-line using OASIS. You can also update your contact information by submitting a completed Request to Change Applicant Biographic Information (Form 182) to ECFMG. You cannot submit changes to your contact information to ECFMG by e-mail. ECFMG will not process changes to contact information received from any person other than the applicant.
Changing your e-mail address using OASIS or Form 182 does not update your e-mail address in your e-newsletter subscription(s). If you are subscribed to one or more of ECFMG’s e-mail newsletters, such as The ECFMG® Reporter, and your e-mail address changes, you must update your e-mail address for each e-newsletter. To update your e-mail address in your e-newsletter subscription(s), visit the Publications page of the ECFMG website, click on the newsletter(s) you receive, unsubscribe your old e-mail address, and subscribe your new e-mail address.
To protect the privacy of applicants, ECFMG will e-mail applicant-specific information only to the e-mail address in the applicant’s ECFMG record. If your e-mail inquiry requires a specific response, you must send your inquiry from the e-mail address in your ECFMG record.
All correspondence with ECFMG, including e-mails, will become a part of your permanent ECFMG record.
Payment
Full payment for all services is due at the time of application. If the funds in your ECFMG financial account are not sufficient to cover all fees, your application or other service request will be rejected. If you apply for more than one exam at the same time, you must pay applicable fees for all exams, or your application will be rejected.
If you apply for an exam or request a service on-line, you can pay on-line at the time of application/request by:
- Credit card – Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.
- Electronic check – To use this option, you must have a checking account at a U.S. bank and either a U.S. Social Security Number or U.S. driver’s license.
If you apply for an exam or request a service on-line and you have a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number, you can also pay in advance using one of the payment methods described above by accessing OASIS. You can also pay in advance by sending a payment to ECFMG using Payment for Service(s) Requested (Form 900). If you submit payment using Form 900, you can pay by:
- Credit card – Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.
- Check, bank draft, or money order made payable to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (or ECFMG). All payments must be made in U.S. funds through a U.S. bank. You must write your full name and USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number on your payment.
If you submit a paper request for service and have a USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number, you can make an advance on-line payment using OASIS, as described above.
If you pay in advance, you should verify that the payment has been received and credited to your ECFMG financial account before you begin the IWA application or request process. You can verify the status of your ECFMG financial account on-line using OASIS.
Important Note: If you need to make multiple credit card transactions to pay for an exam or service, you must make these payments to your ECFMG financial account in advance using OASIS or by submitting multiple copies of Form 900.
All applicants who submit paper requests can pay by completing the payment section of the paper request form. If you complete the payment section of the paper request form, you can pay by:
- Credit card – Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.
- Check, bank draft, or money order made payable to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (or ECFMG). All payments must be made in U.S. funds through a U.S. bank. You must write your full name and USMLE/ECFMG Identification Number, if one has been assigned, on your payment.
Do not send payments in cash.
If you owe money to ECFMG at the time that your application/service request is processed, ECFMG will apply the payment included with your application/service request to the amount that you owe. Any money that is left after this will be used to pay for the exam(s)/service that you request. If there is not enough money remaining to pay for the exam(s)/service you request, your application/request for service will be rejected.
If you have money in your ECFMG financial account at the time that your application/service request is processed, it will be used to pay for the next exam/service request processed by ECFMG.
If your application/service request is rejected, any payment received with that application/request will be credited to your ECFMG financial account.
You can check the status of your ECFMG financial account and make on-line payments using OASIS. ECFMG’s on-line payment is secured using industry-standard encryption technology.
All fees are in U.S. dollars. Fees are subject to change without notice. For a current schedule of fees, refer to the ECFMG website.
Refunds
If you have money in your ECFMG financial account and will not request additional exams/services, you may send a written request to ECFMG for a refund. If the money in your account was a payment for an exam application that was rejected (because you were not eligible or the application was incomplete or otherwise deficient), your refund will be subject to a $100 processing fee.
Important Note: You should consider carefully the timing of your exam application, eligibility period, and test date. Once registered, you cannot cancel or postpone your registration. If you do not schedule and take the exam, you will not receive a refund or credit of your exam fee(s), and you will be required to reapply, including payment of all applicable fees, to take the exam.
Although you cannot cancel or postpone your registration, there are options that provide registered applicants with flexibility. All registered applicants may change their scheduled test date and/or center, subject to availability (see Rescheduling). Applicants registered for Step 1/Step 2 CK may request extension of their eligibility periods (see Eligibility Period Extension). Applicants registered for Step 2 CS who are unable to obtain the appropriate visa to enter the United States to take the exam may request a full refund of the exam fee. Other requests for exceptions from Step 2 CS applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis. ECFMG will consider requests for exceptions only after the applicant’s eligibility period has expired.
Irregular Behavior
As defined by ECFMG, irregular behavior includes, “all actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants, examinees, potential applicants, others when solicited by an applicant and/or examinee, or any other person that would or could subvert the examination, certification or other processes of the ECFMG.” Examples of irregular behavior include, but are not limited to, submission of any falsified or altered document to ECFMG; submission of any falsified or altered ECFMG document to other entities or individuals; falsification of information on application forms; and failing to comply with a USMLE or ECFMG policy, procedure, and/or rule.
The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee and/or the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior and Score Validity review allegations of irregular behavior. If the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee determines that you engaged in irregular behavior, a permanent annotation will be included in your ECFMG Status Report and ECFMG Certification Verification Service (CVS) Report. If there is a finding of irregular behavior made on or after August 31, 2006, regardless of the date of the conduct or activity that gave rise to the finding, additional information explaining the basis for the finding of irregular behavior and the resulting action will accompany every ECFMG Status Report and CVS Report. This additional information may also be provided to legitimately interested entities.
Furthermore, ECFMG may bar you from an exam, terminate your participation in an exam, withhold and/or invalidate the results of your exam, withhold a certificate, revoke a certificate, or take other appropriate action. ECFMG will report findings of irregular behavior to the FSMB Board Action Databank, state medical licensing authorities, and directors of graduate medical education programs, among others. ECFMG may also report such findings to the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior and Score Validity and to any other organization or individual who, in the judgment of ECFMG, has a legitimate interest in such information.
If the USMLE Committee on Irregular Behavior and Score Validity determines that you engaged in irregular behavior, information regarding this determination becomes part of your USMLE record. Your score report (if applicable) and USMLE transcript will contain a notation regarding the irregular behavior. You may also be barred from examination, or your exam results may be withheld or invalidated.
For examples of irregular behavior and its consequences, see Irregular Behavior in Examination Requirements, Irregular Behavior in Medical Education Credentials, and Irregular Behavior in the USMLE Bulletin of Information.