Resources & Articles

Resources

If you are thinking about becoming a medical doctor, there are many resources you might be interested in.

American Medical Association -- Medical Students Section (AMA-MSS)

The American Medical Association's Medical Students Section section strives to be the medical students' leading voice for improving medical education, advancing health care and advocating for the future of medicine. The AMA-MSS connects students with discussio forums and newsletters, offers financial aid information, helps students learn about specialties, and provides information on medical ethics.

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). ECFMG Certification is required to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States.

UMHS students and graduates, like all international medical school students who plan to enter an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program in the United States, must be certified by ECFMG. To be ECFMG certified, every international medical school student must register with ECFMG to take the USMLE Step 1 and Steps 2 CK and CS. The same ECFMG identification number is used when the international medical school graduate registers with ECFMG to take the USMLE Step 3.

In addition to registering with the ECFMG to take the USMLE, international medical school graduates must supply ECFMG with medical school transcripts which the ECFMG then verifies with the international medical school. The international medical school must be listed with the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), which UMHS is.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is a private, nonprofit organization. ECFMG's organizational members are:

* American Board of Medical Specialties®
* American Medical Association
* Association of American Medical Colleges
* Association for Hospital Medical Education
* Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc.
* National Medical Association

State Medical Boards

Alabama	Idaho	Mississippi	Oklahoma	West Virginia
Alaska	Illinois	Missouri	Oregon	Wisconsin
Arizona	Indiana	Montana	Pennsylvania	Wyoming
Arkansas	Iowa	Nebraska	Rhode Island
California	Kansas	Nevada	South Carolina
Colorado	Kentucky	New Hampshire	South Dakota
Connecticut	Louisiana	New Jersey	Tennessee
Delaware	Maine	New Mexico	Texas
District of Columbia	Maryland	New York	Utah
Florida	Massachusetts	North Carolina	Vermont
Georgia	Michigan	North Dakota	Virginia
Hawaii	Minnesota	Ohio	Washington

United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) assesses a physician's ability to apply knowledge, concepts, and principles, and to demonstrate fundamental patient-centered skills, that are important in health and disease and that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care. Each of the three Steps of the USMLE complements the others; no Step can stand alone in the assessment of readiness for medical licensure. Because individual medical licensing authorities make decisions regarding use of USMLE results, physicians seeking licensure should contact the jurisdiction where they intend to apply for licensure to obtain complete information. Also, the FSMB can provide general information on medical licensure.