Graduates of foreign medical schools who wish to enter a residency or fellowship training program at the University of Washington must hold valid ECFMG Certification prior to appointment.
Applicants for ECFMG Certification must satisfy both the medical science examination and clinical skills requirements of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). To satisfy those requirements, applicants must pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2. Step 2 has two separately administered components, the Clinical Knowledge (CK) component and the Clinical Skills (CS) component. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) serves as the registration entity for international medical students/graduates taking Step 1 and Step 2 (CK and CS).
Residents and fellows participating in the NRMP match must have passed all exams required for ECFMG certification and the results must be available by the rank order list deadline. Please refer to the Verification of Credentials for Match Eligibility page on the NRMP website for detailed information.
Foreign Nationals
If you are not a citizen of the US and do not hold Permanent Resident status, you will need to secure a visa prior to commencement of training.
Please refer to the ECFMG website for detailed information on registering for the USMLEs, ECFMG Certification, and the J-1 visa sponsorship process.