Electronic Verification of Medical Education Credentials

May 3, 2012 3:20 - 5:00pm

Rob Seaner, BS, Educational Comission for Foreign Medical Graduate
Kara Corrado, BS, Educational Comission for Foreign Medical Graduate

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has developed a system to electronically verify the medical education credentials of students and graduates of international medical schools. The first release of this system allows medical school officials to electronically upload and verify final medical diplomas and final medical school transcripts, which is a requirement for ECFMG Certification. Currently, ECFMG verifies these credentials through a robust paper process. The new system takes advantage of the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) application to allow authorized medical school officials secure access to the credentials of their students and graduates. EMSWP uses a multi-phase authentication process to ensure that only authorized medical school officials have access to the system. The system uses advanced imaging tools to view the credential and to digitally affix the medical school seal and signatures to the document. By utilizing technology, ECFMG has significantly reduced the turnaround time for verifying medical credentials while maintaining the integrity of the process, thus improving operational efficiencies.