Actions of the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee

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The Medical Education Credentials Committee of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) reviews allegations of irregular behavior. Irregular behavior includes all actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants or examinees that would or could subvert the examination, certification or other processes of the ECFMG. Examples include, but are not limited to, failing to comply with a USMLE™ or ECFMG policy, procedure, and/or rule; falsification of information on application forms; submission of any falsified or altered document to ECFMG; or submission of any falsified or altered ECFMG document to other entities or individuals.

Representative examples of allegations of irregular behavior and actions taken by the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee include:

Provision of False Information on Application

The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviewed an allegation of irregular behavior in connection with an individual providing a false response to Item 1 on the ECFMG application. Item 1 asks, "Have you ever submitted an application to ECFMG for any examination, even if you did not take the examination?" The applicant answered this item "No" although the applicant had previously submitted an application for examination to ECFMG.

Following review, the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee took action to bar the individual from admission to all ECFMG examinations and from ECFMG Certification for a period of two years.

Forged Standard ECFMG Certificate

The ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee reviewed an allegation of irregular behavior in connection with an individual who submitted to a residency program a document that purported to be a Standard ECFMG Certificate. The individual involved had not met the requirements for ECFMG Certification, and no Standard ECFMG Certificate had ever been issued to him.

Following review, the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee took action to bar the individual permanently from admission to all ECFMG examinations and from ECFMG Certification.

For detailed information, see the ECFMG Information Booklet.