The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
(ECFMG) recently announced an enhancement to their process for certifying the
identities of applicants, beginning in mid-September 2018. The current
Certification of Identification form (Form 186) will now be required to be
completed online, using NotaryCom.com. NotaryCam is an online service that
provides 24 hour access to professional notaries, allowing applicants to bypass
the sometimes complicated and burdensome process of using a notary in person.
Additionally, the online Form 186 will now be a requirement
for applicants as part of the Application for ECFMG Certification. This is
required before submission of an application to take the United States Medical
Licensing Examination (USMLE). All new Certification of Identity forms will
require the online process, as well as expiring or invalidated forms.
Currently, the Certification of Identity form lasts for five years from the
accepted date. Find more details about the new process here.
The ECFMG is the standard for international medical
graduates (IMGs) to be evaluated on their qualifications before entering the US
graduate medical education (GME) process, or to take the USMLE and obtain a
license to practice medicine in the US. ECFMG also provides application, visa,
and verification assistance for IMGs. Learn more about the ECFMG at https://www.ecfmg.org/
