How to Verify International Medical Degrees

About 25 percent of doctors practicing in the U.S. are graduates of foreign medical schools, according to the American Medical Association. To practice in the U.S., they must be evaluated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which requires them to have completed at least four years of studies at a medical school listed in the International Medical Education Directory. A credentials verification service works together with the ECFMG and the doctor to obtain diploma copies, transcripts and other documents from foreign medical schools. Doctors must serve a minimum-three-year residency in the U.S. or Canada, be granted a license in their state and secure the proper immigration permits.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit state medical licensing board websites to verify that a doctor has the proper educational credentials and license to practice in the U.S. The website of each state's board has a search engine for checking a doctor's license, educational background, specialty area, hospital affiliations, years in practice and any recent disciplinary actions. You can find links to state boards at the website DocFinder, which the Administrators In Medicine organization maintains.

• 2

  Verify that the doctor's medical school is listed in the International Medical Education Directory. The directory provides more detailed information about medical schools worldwide, all of which must be recognized by the health ministry or another government agency in that country.

• 3

  Visit websites such as RateMDs and Healthgrades, which can provide additional information about a doctor's background and often include comments from patients about their experiences with the doctor and his or her office staff.