Originally Posted by Dr.Speed

Okay, so I've been a lurker at this forum and the major problem with CMU has been the lack of charter and whether or not the courses currently being taken by students will be valid for ECFMG certification.

I figured - why not just e-mail ecfmg and find out. Here's an excerpt from the e-mail I sent 9/19:

"Dear Sir/Madam:

The Caribbean Medical University located in Curacao (www.cmumed.org)
currently lacks a charter and has students studying there. The school officials claim that courses/credits taken during this time (without a charter) pose no problem when applying for ECFMG certification. They state that once they get their charter it will be retroactive and all classes taken at this time will count toward their degree and will be valid for ECFMG certification. Is this accurate?

Thanks."

I received a reply yesterday 9/28:

September 28, 2007

"Dear Doctor,

Please be advised ECFMG® will list a school in its International Medical Education Directory (IMED) only after we are notified by the ministry of health in that country that they recognize the medical school and from which date they began recognizing graduates of that medical school.

Therefore it is not up to ECFMG whether the dates will be retroactive instead it is determined by the Ministry of Health in the country where the school is located.

Sincerely,
J***"

(I'm not a doctor but I assume they reply to everyone with the title doctor)


So to conclude -- It is up to Curacao's Ministry of Health to decide if the dates will retroactive or not. So if CMU does get a charter, the courses their students have already taken may still be valid if the country allows it.

Hope that helps clear something up.