**********************************************


IN THIS ISSUE:

- IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR USMLE(tm) APPLICANTS REGARDING THE INTERACTIVE
WEB APPLICATION (IWA)


**********************************************

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR USMLE APPLICANTS REGARDING THE INTERACTIVE WEB
APPLICATION (IWA)

In preparation for enhancements to its on-line services, ECFMG will be
making changes to some of its computer systems, including the
Interactive Web Application (IWA), on February 11, 2008. To make these
changes, it will be necessary to delete incomplete IWA exam
applications
and requests to extend Step 1/Step 2 CK eligibility periods (EPEx).
Specifically, if you have begun but not yet finished the on-line part
of
an IWA exam application or EPEx request when these changes are made on
February 11, this incomplete on-line part of the application/request
will be deleted.

To ensure that your exam application or EPEx request will not be
deleted, you must finish the on-line part of the application/request,
including payment, no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United
States, on February 11, 2008. If your exam application or EPEx request
is deleted, you will be required to begin a new application/request in
order to apply for examination or request an eligibility period
extension. It is anticipated that you will be able to begin a new exam
application or EPEx request no later than 11:00 p.m., Eastern Time in
the United States, on February 11, 2008.

Thank you for your cooperation as we continue to enhance our on-line
services.

__________________
You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however

Hello,

Does anyone know the new process of applying that will be implementing? better for us?

ECFMG INTRODUCES MEDICAL SCHOOL WEB PORTAL

ECFMG is pleased to announce the introduction of the ECFMG Medical
School Web Portal (EMSWP), a significant addition to ECFMG's on-line
offerings and the first exclusively for international medical schools.
Through EMSWP, international medical schools have access to a free,
web-based program that enables them to verify the status of their
students and graduates who have applied to ECFMG for the United States
Medical Licensing Examination(tm) (USMLE(tm)).

ECFMG requires that international medical schools verify the status of
their students who apply to ECFMG for USMLE examinations. Prior to the
launch of EMSWP, ECFMG verified student status through a paper
Certification Statement, completed by the student and his/her medical
school for each USMLE application. Now, for a student whose medical
school participates in EMSWP, a paper Certification Statement is no
longer required for each exam application; instead, the student and
his/her medical school will complete a paper Certification of
Identification Form. Once it is accepted by ECFMG, the Certification of
Identification Form remains valid for all exam applications submitted
during the following five-year period. During this period, the student
will be able to complete the exam application process entirely on-line
using ECFMG's Interactive Web Application (IWA), and the medical school
will verify the student's status on-line using EMSWP in response to
each
exam application. For students from non-participating schools, ECFMG
will continue to require a completed Certification Statement for each
exam application. Students will be able to determine if their medical
school participates in EMSWP and obtain the appropriate form
(Certification of Identification Form or Certification Statement) after
completing the on-line part of the exam application using IWA.

Following a year of development, EMSWP represents a major investment by
ECFMG to increase use of the Internet to benefit international medical
students/graduates and international medical schools who use ECFMG's
services. To educate medical schools about the portal, ECFMG held a
number of web-based seminars featuring a demonstration of the EMSWP
prototype and the verification program. More than 140 medical school
representatives took part in the seminars and provided ECFMG with
feedback and suggestions. Participants were enthusiastic about the
program and indicated it will significantly streamline the amount of
work required of them in the verification process. To date, more than
400 international medical schools have begun the process of
establishing
EMSWP accounts. These schools represent more than 80% of the students
registered for USMLE by ECFMG in 2007.

Verification of the student/graduate status of USMLE applicants is the
first of a series of web-based services that ECFMG plans to make
available through EMSWP. This year, ECFMG will begin development of
EMSWP functionality that will allow for web-based primary-source
verification of the medical education credentials required for ECFMG
Certification.

__________________
You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however

**********************************************

2008 MATCH PERFORMANCE -- NUMBER OF IMGS MATCHING INCREASES

For the sixth consecutive year, the number of first-year (PGY-1)
residency positions offered through the Match increased. A total of
22,240 first-year positions were offered in the 2008 Match, held
earlier
this month. This represents an increase of 395 positions compared to
last year and an increase of 1,638 positions since 2002.

The number of IMGs who matched to first-year positions increased by 122
compared to 2007. Of the 10,304 IMGs who participated in the 2008
Match,
4,649* (45.1%) matched. In the 2007 Match, 4,527 (46.7%) IMG
participants were matched to first-year positions.

There was a decrease in the number of matches for non-U.S. citizen IMGs
and an increase in the number of matches for U.S. citizen IMGs.

Of the 7,335 IMG participants who were not U.S. citizens, 3,108 (42.4%)
obtained first-year positions. The number of non-U.S. citizen IMGs who
obtained positions in 2008 decreased by 72 compared to last year. This
is the first year that there has been a decrease in the number of
non-U.S. citizen IMGs matching to first-year positions since 2001.

Of the 2,969 U.S. citizen IMG participants, 1,541 (51.9%) were matched
to first-year positions, an increase of 194 over last year. This is the
fifth consecutive year that there has been an increase in the number of
U.S. citizen IMGs matching to first-year positions.

*Note: The total number of IMGs who will fill PGY-1 positions for the
2008-2009 academic year will be higher than this number, since a
significant number of IMGs obtain PGY-1 positions outside of the Match.


About the Match

The annual NRMP Match is the system by which applicants are matched
with
available residency positions in U.S. programs of graduate medical
education (GME). Participants submit to the NRMP a list of residency
programs, in order of preference. Ranked lists of preferred residency
candidates are likewise submitted by U.S. GME programs with available
positions. The matching of applicants to available positions is
performed by computer algorithm. The Match results announced in March
of
each year are typically for GME programs beginning the following July.


Additional Resources on the Match and Match Results

The preceding data are taken from the Advance Data Tables for the 2008
Main Residency Match compiled by the NRMP. These tables provide
detailed
information on the positions offered and filled by the Match in 2008
and
prior years. To access these tables, or to obtain further information
on
the NRMP, visit National Resident Match Program.

The June issue of Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of
American Medical Colleges, usually offers an analysis of Match results
from the preceding March. For more information, visit your medical
school's library or ACADEMIC MEDICINE - home.

The September issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical
Association traditionally provides an in-depth analysis of graduate
medical education in the United States. This analysis includes the
number of IMGs entering and continuing in U.S. GME programs and a
breakdown of IMG resident physicians by specialty and subspecialty.
Visit your medical school's library or JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research.


*********************************************

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

__________________
You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however

This is good news for the US-IMG's....i don't know if the trend of decreasing match rates for (Non-US) IMG's is siginifant yet. comments...

__________________
Useful Threads

List of Residents
Tips for New Students at Windsor!!
Note To All High School Graduates
Clinical Rotation Guide

Windsor Forum Moderator

Check out the Windsor Facebook group!

what about canadians

__________________
----------------------------------------
BSc MD-MS3
Windsor University School of Medicine

I think that Canadians are under pooled in with regular IMG's.

Based on the data from previous matches found here. Advance Data Tables: 2008 Main Residency Match

Graduates of Canadian Medical Schools matched at a rate of 62.2 in 2008 down from 73.6 in 2004. If this is any indication for Canadian-IMG's than the data suggests that the match numbers for Canadian-IMG's should be down in 2008. But, this is only a hypothesis because the NRMP does not break down the IMG category into different nationalities except US.

__________________
Useful Threads

List of Residents
Tips for New Students at Windsor!!
Note To All High School Graduates
Clinical Rotation Guide

Windsor Forum Moderator

Check out the Windsor Facebook group!

It seems Match 2008 was the toughest in the history for Non US IMG's!


According to the Match statistics 2004-2008, there is a steady increase of total NOn US IMG applicants at least since 2004. 2008 having the most at 11,141, a 27% increase from the 8,796 at 2004, OUCH!!!

This year, we had highest number (1,671) AND percentage (15%) of NON US IMG applicants who did not get any interviews (No Rank List). Up from the easiest year 2005 with 1,137(12.7%).



This year we had the lowest percentage (19.2) of Non US IMG's withdrew from the Match, down from the 25.5% in 2005. Keep in mind that this number includes people who either did not get their ECFMG certificate in time, or prematched. Since we do not have particular reasons to suspect that fewer people this year did not get ECFMG in time, may we say that this year we had the lowest percentage of Non US IMG's applicants who prematched?

Most of all, for people who certified their ROL this year we had the lowest Match rate (42.4%) for Non US IMG's applicants in five years, down from the 55.6% in 2005. If we did this three years earlier, things might be different... the AMGs are having the highest Match rate (94.2%) in five years, up from the 92.9% in 2004. In fact, they had the highest match rate in 30 years. The favor for AMGs is growing even stronger!

__________________
You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however

what about the nigerians, where they matched? WANNA KNOW!!!

__________________
Impossible is Nothing - Mohammed Ali

Nigerians would come under the non US IMG's

__________________
You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however