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UMHS students are eligible to sit for the United States Medical Licensing Examinations as a result of the IMED and WHO AVICENNA listings.
UMHS understands the importance of having its programs accredited so
that our students may be eligible to sit for the United States Medical
Licensing Examinations (USMLE) and apply for certification from the
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). This
certification is required for international medical school graduates to
obtain residencies and licensing to practice medicine in the United
States.
 An important first step is to be accredited in
the country where the school is located. UMHS was granted provisional
accreditation by the St. Christopher and Nevis Accreditation Board, an
arm of the Ministry of Education, on January 1, 2008.
The next step is for the school to be listed in the International
Medical Education Directory (IMED) of the Foundation for the
Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).
UMHS received this listing in June 2008.
As a result of the IMED listing and our accreditation, students at UMHS
are now eligible to sit for the United States Medical Licensing
Examinations. Graduates who have successfully passed Step 1 and Step 2
CK and CS of the USMLE may be eligible for ECFMG certification. USMLE
Step 3 is taken after graduations.
UMHS has been chartered by the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis and became provisionally accredited by the government of St. Kitts as of January 1, 2008. According to the requirements of the Federation, UMHS is eligible to seek full accreditation following graduation of the first class of medical students.
UMHS became listed in the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) of the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) as of June 2008.
Since 1953, The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a World Directory of Medical Schools. The last printed edition (7th ed., 2000) listed institutions of basic medical education in 157 countries. After 2000, the directory updating has been done electronically, the latest covering information received before the end of 2007.
University of Copenhagen
In August 2007, the WHO and the University of Copenhagen signed an agreement, which gives the University responsibility for the development and administration of new global directories for the academic health professions with the assistance of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), which has a long-standing collaboration with WHO. WHO will continue its involvement together with other partners.
The University of Copenhagen has provided the data of the World Directory of Medical Schools since August 2008, via the Internet, in a web site called the Avicenna Directories. The University of Medicine and Health Sciences listing can be found under the country of St. Kitts/Nevis.
Graduates, who have successfully completed the UMHS program and have passed Step 1 and Step 2 CK and CS of the USMLE, will be eligible to apply for Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) certification which is required to obtain a residency in the United States. We highly recommend that students visit the ECFMG website for further information about certification.
Step 3 of the USMLE is taken after graduation. To be eligible for licensure graduates must have successfully passed all three steps of the USMLE and satisfied the specific state requirements. Since licensure requirements vary by state, we urge all students to contact their licensure board, or boards, for further details.
Additional Information
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®)
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) assesses the readiness of international medical graduates to enter residency or fellowship programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
To become ECFMG certified, UMHS students and graduates, like all international medical school students and graduates, must register with ECFMG to take the USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3. Graduates must also must provide their international medical school transcripts. ECFMG verifies that the international medical school is listed with IMED.
Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER)
Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) is a non-profit foundation committed to improving world health through education. FAIMER was established in 2000 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®). In partnership with ECFMG, FAIMER promotes excellence in international health professions education through programmatic and research activities.
International Medical Education Directory (IMED)
The International Medical Education Directory (IMED) is a free web-based resource for accurate and up-to-date information about international medical schools that are recognized by the appropriate government agency in the countries in which they are located. The agency responsible for this recognition in most countries is the Ministry of Health. FAIMER is not an accrediting agency. Listing of a medical school in IMED does not denote recognition, accreditation, or endorsement by FAIMER.
A medical school is listed in IMED after FAIMER receives confirmation from the Ministry of Health or other appropriate agency that the Ministry or agency has recognized that school.
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