EDUCATIONAL COMMISSION FOR FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES

3624 Market Street Philadelphia PA 19104-2685 USA 215-966-3515 www.ecfmg.org

July 10, 2012 MEMORANDUM TO: ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) Participating Medical Schools Stephen S. Seeling, J.D., Vice President for Operations Invitation to Participate in ECFMGs New Electronic Credentials Verification Program

FROM: SUBJECT:

I am writing to invite you to participate in ECFMGs newest program for international medical schools, the electronic Credentials Verification program. As reported in the June 27, 2012 issue of ECFMG Focus, our e-newsletter for international medical schools, ECFMG launched a pilot to verify electronically the medical education credentials of medical students/graduates who apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Based on the successes of the pilot, ECFMG is now pleased to offer this electronic Credentials Verification program to additional medical schools. I strongly encourage your medical school to join the growing number of medical schools already enjoying the benefits of this new program. This new program is available to you through the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP), for which you already have established an account. This new program will provide tangible benefits for you and your students and graduates. You will have the ability to send and receive credentials instantaneously through the Internet, a significant advance over the paper primary-source verification process. This technology helps expedite the application and certification processes for your students and graduates applying to ECFMG. To participate in this exciting new program, please send an e-mail to ECFMGs EMSWP Administrator at emswpadmin@ecfmg.org. Write Credentials Verification in the subject line and provide your name, title and the name of your medical school in the message. If you have any questions or would like additional information on the Credentials Verification program, please refer to the enclosed ECFMGs Electronic Credentials Verification Program Frequently Asked Questions or e-mail ECFMGs EMSWP Administrator at emswpadmin@ecfmg.org.

ECFMG is an organization committed to promoting excellence in international medical education .

ECFMGs Electronic Credentials Verification Program Frequently Asked Questions What is the Electronic Credentials Verification program? The electronic Credentials Verification program is ECFMGs newest program for medical schools. In this program, medical schools can verify the credentials of their students and graduates through the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP). Electronic Credentials Verification replaces the current paper method of verifying paper documents via mail or courier services, and makes the process of verifying credentials faster, easier, and more efficient. Why should my medical school participate? Electronic Credentials Verification provides many benefits to medical schools and their students and graduates. Medical credentials can be exchanged between the medical school and ECFMG instantaneously via our secure EMSWP, eliminating the transit time, potential postal delays, and costs associated with sending documents via mail and courier service. Additionally, the Credentials Verification program has built-in validations that help prevent incomplete verifications. Finally, there is no cost to your medical school to participate in this program. Is there a fee for medical schools to participate? No, there is no fee for medical schools to participate in the Electronic Credentials Verification program. Like all ECFMG programs for medical schools, the Electronic Credentials Verification program is free to medical schools. What does my medical school need to participate? Your medical school can access the electronic Credentials Verification program through ECFMGs secure EMSWP website. It is free, efficient, and easy to use. All you need to participate is: broadband Internet access; color scanner (if final medical school transcripts for your graduates are not already in a format that can be converted to pdf, tif, or jpeg); and telephone and e-mail access.

We also highly recommend that you have a high resolution monitor for optimum results in viewing documents. How do I notify ECFMG that I would like my medical school to participate in the electronic Credentials Verification program? If your medical school would like to participate in the program, please e-mail ECFMGs EMSWP Administrator at emswpadmin@ecfmg.org. Write Credentials Verification in the subject line and provide your name, title and the name of your medical school in the message. If you have additional questions or need additional copies of the required forms, contact ECFMGs EMSWP Administrator at emswpadmin@ecfmg.org.