What does FAIMER/IMED and ECFMG actually mean to me?

Baffled by the jargon? Part two in our series of posts demystifying some of the jargon you may encounter as you decide what medical school is right for you. What does FAIMER/IMED and ECFMG actually mean to me? 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 graduates (IMGs) comprise one-quarter of the U.S. physician workforce. Certification by ECFMG is the standard for evaluating the qualifications of these physicians before they enter U.S. graduate medical education (GME), where they provide supervised patient care. ECFMG Certification also is a requirement for IMGs to take Step 3 of the three-step United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States. Saint James School of Medicine is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools with an ECFMG® Sponsor Note. For the graduation years indicated in the Sponsor Note, our students and graduates are eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and USMLE® as a step towards ECFMG Certification. The School is listed in the International Medical Education Directory produced by FAIMER.