ECFMG Translation Requirements

If you're applying for ECFMG (Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) certification, you'll need to submit several documents. If any of them aren't in English, ECFMG requires certified translations. This guide will walk you through exactly what you need to do and where to get it done right.

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Table of Contents

1. What is ECFMG?
2. ECFMG Translation Requirements Checklist
3. Why ECFMG Compliance Matters
4. What We Provide

Rapid Translate graphic of healthcare workers around a digital health record on a large screen symbolizing ECFM certification.

What is ECFMG?

ECFMG is a non-profit organization that provides certifications to allow foreign or international medical graduates to practice in the US. A foreign or international medical graduate is anyone who has a medical degree from a college outside the US.

Note

Graduates from Canadian medical schools will be considered international medical graduates if they receive their degrees after July 1, 2025. Previously Canadian graduates were grouped in the US graduates.

ECFMG Translation Requirements Checklist

Use this checklist to meet ECFMG’s academic transcript translation requirements if you’re
an international medical graduate in the US:

Ask a professional translation agency, medical school official, or a government official to translate your documents. You can approach a consulate officer, dean, or registrar.
Use either the original document or its photocopy as the translation source.
Accurately translate word-for-word to ensure it matches the original version.
Make sure the translated document comes on a letterhead. If you’re using a professional translation agency, their letterhead must highlight that they’re a translation agency.
The translated document should contain the translator’s title and signature. You can also ask them to include their seal, if available.
The translator must provide a translation certificate highlighting the accuracy of their translation for your document.

Why ECFMG Compliance Matters

ECFMG compliance matters if you’re a foreign medical graduate because you can:

Practice medicine without restrictions in the US.
Join fellowship or residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Become eligible for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) as ECFMG certification is one of the requirements.

What We Provide

Rapid Translate’s academic translation services are ECFMG-compliant. We only assign certified translators
who are fluent in the original language in your documents.

This ensures the translations accurately represent the information on the original records. We also have a
multi-step review process to ensure the final translated document is error-free. Moreover, you’ll receive the
translated document on our letterhead with a translation certificate as per ECFMG’s guidelines.