You took the leap and are now attending a foreign medical school. First semester came and went, and you start to realize…. “Where did the time go?!”
USMLE Step One is creeping up on you like your thirties.
Clinical rotations are closer than ever.
You have NO IDEA where to start!
If that’s the case, Welcome to my ECFMG Series: Part 1!
For some background information: ECFMG is the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. This organization oversees all requirements and certifies foreign medical graduates for application to US residencies. This is a necessary certification all foreign graduates, who wish to train and practice in the US, must receive.
Other than enrollment, there are no pre-requisites to obtain the ECFMG number. This process can be started as soon as Medical School begins.
Let’s start the process!
Navigate to the ECFMG website
Click on “On-line Services” from the top menu bar
Click on “For Physicians”
Then, click on “Use the On-Line Applicant Status and Information System (OASIS)”
You will be taken to the page pictured below. Click “Go to Oasis“
Now that you are on the OASIS log-in page, you need to get an ECFMG/USMLE identification number.
The following steps are intended for people who have never applied or been issued an ECFMG/USMLE identification number in the past .
Ensure you read and follow all of the information/instructions provided and have your UNEXPIRED passport on hand.
Confirm you have read the instructions, read the privacy notice, and confirm you understand the privacy information. Then click “Next”.
Confirm that you have never submitted an Application for ECFMG Certification and click “Next” to start the Authentication Process.
Fill out your personal information and answer the following questions. For my fellow Tecos, when you get to “Your Current/Degree Medical School” there are two listings for Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. UAG SOM is the one located in Lomas del Valle.
After you finish the authentication process, you will reach this page:
… ~5 Days later
It takes about 5 business days for them to respond with an e-mail. The e-mail will be from onlineservices@ecfmg.org
They will provide your ECFMG number in one e-mail and a one-time password for access to the ECFMG on-line services website in another. Both e-mails should arrive in the same day.
Once you log on to your Oasis account with your one-time password, you will be prompted to create a new password.
You will next be prompted to fill out your personal information which will then appear on the “Applicant Contact Information” tab. It should populate as such:
Make sure to take note of your ECFMG number.
Once the initial set up is complete, click on the “Application for ECFMG Certification Information” tab. It should be EMPTY.
Check out Part 2: Begin the Application for ECFMG Certification . Once Part 2 is complete, the “Application for ECFMG Certification Information” tab in the OASIS platform will auto-populate.