enhancing education, knowledge, and evaluation for the...

Copyright © 2018 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. All rights reserved. 1

Enhancing Education, Knowledge, and Evaluation for The Doctor We Want

Association of Medical Councils of Africa

July 24, 2018

William W. Pinsky, MD FAAP FACC President & CEO, ECFMG

Chair, Board of Directors, FAIMER

Copyright © 2018 by ECFMG. All rights reserved. 2

Today’s Topics

• About ECFMG® & FAIMER®

• Enhancing Medical Education

o FAIMER’s Education Programs

o ECFMG’s Accreditation 2023 Initiative

o ECFMG’s GEMx


Today’s Topics

• Enhancing Knowledge of Medical Schools

o ECFMG’s Medical Education Resources

o ECFMG’s Medical School Investigations

• Enhancing Evaluation of Physician Qualifications

o ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC)

• Questions & Discussion

Copyright © 2018 by ECFMG. All rights reserved.

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

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Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research

Partnering to Improve Medical Education and Health Care Worldwide

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Mission

The ECFMG promotes quality health care for the public by certifying international medical graduates for entry into U.S. graduate medical education, and by participating in the evaluation and certification of other physicians and health care professionals nationally and internationally. In conjunction with its Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), and other partners, it actively seeks opportunities to promote medical education through programmatic and research activities.

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• Non-profit

• Private, non-governmental

• Established in 1956

• Founded to evaluate international medical graduates (IMGs) for entry into U.S. graduate medical education

o “ECFMG Certification”

About ECFMG

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• Non-profit foundation of ECFMG

• Established in 2000

• Enhances world health through education

o Trains health professions educators

o Conducts research

o Builds data resources on medical education

• Supports ECFMG in enhancing medical education and promoting quality health care worldwide

About FAIMER

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About ECFMG & FAIMER Areas of Expertise

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• Physician credentials related to medical education, training, and licensure

• Primary-source verifying authenticity of credentials

• Assessing clinical skills

• Medical education systems

• Education methods and assessment

• Accreditation

• Migration of physicians

• Contributions and quality of IMGs


Doctor Shortages 9

Medical Tourism

Medical Volunteerism Immigration Policies

Economic Issues

Professional Development Opportunities

Educational Exchange

Global

competition

for physicians

Escape from

Conflict Zones

Globalization of Medicine Migration

Why Enhance Education, Knowledge & Evaluation?

Growth in Number of Medical Schools


Enhancing Medical Education: FAIMER Education Programs

Approach

• Develop effective model

• Partner with educators to share model

• Create opportunities for local experts to adapt, apply, and share knowledge

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Enhancing Medical Education: FAIMER Education Programs

• For health professions educators

• Regional Institutes and Education Centers catalyze and sustain local curricular improvement

• Distance Learning in accreditation and assessment, in partnership with Keele University and CenMEDIC in UK

• Fellowships to earn master’s degrees in health professions education

• Alignment of educational programs to create pathways for development of outstanding leaders

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FAIMER Education Programs in Africa

• FAIMER Institute o Began in 2001 in Philadelphia, U.S. o Has trained 79 health professions educators from 16 African

countries • Sub-Saharan Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) o Began in 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa o Partnership between FAIMER and non-profit company

incorporated in South Africa o Has trained 168 health professions educators from 16 African

countries

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A program to facilitate educational exchange in medicine and other health professions

• Supports exchanges at global and regional levels

• Provides international perspectives in medical education

• Web-based system for applications and program management

• A network of participating institutions means more exchange opportunities for many students

• No cost to students

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Enhancing Medical Education


Partnering with Networks in Africa

• African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth)—Student exchanges in medicine and nursing, 12 institutions in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

• College of Ophthalmology of Eastern Central and Southern Africa (COECSA)—Postgraduate ophthalmology resident exchanges, 5 institutions in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia

• Eastern Africa Health Professions Educators’ Association (EAHPEA)—Student exchanges in health professions education, 5 institutions in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda

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Enhancing Medical Education


Enhancing Medical Education: ECFMG’s Accreditation 2023 Initiative ECFMG 2010 Board Resolution

Applicants for ECFMG Certification must graduate from a medical school

that has been “appropriately accredited,” and the accrediting agency must be “recognized.”

Takes effect in 2023

“Accreditation 2023” 15


Goals

• Catalyze international accreditation efforts

• Develop universally accepted standards for evaluating undergraduate medical education internationally

• Enhance quality of medical education

• Protect the public

Enhancing Medical Education: Accreditation 2023

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Enhancing Medical Education: Accreditation 2023 WFME Recognition Programme

• “Recognizes” accrediting agencies

oWFME does not accredit medical schools

• Agencies include

oGovernment entities

oEntities authorized or recognized by the government

oEntities authorized or recognized by a professional or scientific association

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• Goals

o Increase connectedness with medical schools and other organizations that issue educational credentials

o Create new knowledge base on world’s medical education, training, and licensure systems

o Share “thought leadership” on important topics with partners and clients

• Dedicated staff members with multiple language capabilities

• Staff organized by geographic regions and language

Enhancing Knowledge of Medical Schools ECFMG’s Medical Education Resources


• Addresses “spurious” practices of medical schools

o Accepting students who may have been dismissed/failed out of other medical school(s)

o Falsifying transcripts

o Giving credit for courses failed or withdrawn at another school

• Resulting in enhanced ECFMG medical school acceptance criteria

• Notification via updates to World Directory of Medical Schools

Enhancing Knowledge of Medical Schools Medical School Investigations


Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC)

• Primary-source verification (PSV) of medical credentials for the world’s medical regulatory authorities (MRAs)

• NO COST to MRAs

• Helps ensure that physicians who migrate are qualified

• Web-based platform

• Brings ECFMG’s PSV expertise to organizations and physicians worldwide

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Enhancing Evaluation of Physician Qualifications


A life-long career portfolio for physicians

• Secure, centralized, electronic storage of their primary-source verified credentials

• Ability to request copies of credentials and verification reports demonstrating their authenticity for organizations worldwide:

o MRAs

o Potential employers, such as hospitals or academic institutions

• Affordable: Physicians pay for services only when they need them



ECFMG’s PSV Expertise

• Authenticity of credentials verified directly with the issuing institution since 1986

• More than 800,000 credentials have been primary-source verified over the past 30 years

• ECFMG’s Medical Credentials Reference Library contains thousands of samples of medical school credentials and school seals

• ECFMG maintains lists of officials at medical schools authorized to verify credentials



Credentials Verified

• Final Medical Diploma

• Alternate Graduation Document

• Final Medical School Transcript

• Student Medical School Transcript

• Pre-graduation Internship Document

• Postgraduate Medical Education Credential

• Specialist Qualification

• Advanced Degree in the Medical Sciences

• Medical Registration Certificates / Licenses to Practice Medicine

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International MRA Clients

Europe

Australasia North America & The Caribbean

Africa

Denmark

Ireland

Norway

United Kingdom

Australia

New Zealand

Bahamas

Canada*

Sint Maarten

Namibia

Nigeria

South Africa

Zimbabwe

* Canada uses a custom developed software program and not EPIC.


Credential Sent via Courier/Mail to Medical School

• Address verified

• Sent to Authorized Official

• Sent on special ECFMG watermark paper

Verification Received

• Confirm signature from authorized individual

• Confirm seal

• Confirm document is returned from primary source

Paper Process

Credential Sent Electronically to Medical School

• Authorized Official

• Secure Web Portal, password protected

Verification Received

• Automatically accepted

Prima Facie Review

• Confirm format with sample in Reference Library

Electronic Process

Enhancing Evaluation of Physician Qualifications Medical School Verification Process


Applicant Case File

Evidence from Issuing Institution

Explanation from Applicant

Other relevant Research

Original documents

submitted by applicant

1. Communication with authorized officials

2. Communication with applicant

3. Communication with other individuals & organizations

4. Research by staff

5. Documentation analysis

Enhancing Evaluation of Physician Qualifications Investigation Process


Notifications

1. Permanent Annotation on ECFMG Verification Reports sent to hospitals, MRAs, etc.

and

2. Bar/Revocation of ECFMG Certification

3. Bar from examination, if applicable

• ECFMG partner organizations • IAMRA Members • Medical School, if appropriate • U.S. Governmental Agencies • U.S. Graduate Training Programs • U.S. Federation of State Medical

Boards • U.S. House of Medicine Organizations • USMLE Program • Other interested parties

Sanctions

Enhancing Evaluation of Physician Qualifications Consequences of Irregular Behavior

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ECFMG’s EPIC experts are at AMCOA!

Please visit ECFMG’s table to learn more and see a demonstration.



Information www.ecfmg.org |

Contact [email protected]

Questions & Discussion

Follow @ECFMGPrez

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