Mississippi is a great state for international medical graduates (IMGs) to consider when deciding where to pursue medical licensure and settle down to practice. Mississippi is the US state with the lowest cost of living, and physicians in Mississippi have lower malpractice premiums than many other states. Additionally, with Mississippi in the midst of a severe physician shortage in nearly all specialties, from family practice to obstetrics, there are lots of opportunities for IMGs to find their place in the Mississippi medical community. Mississippi is a particularly good location for IMGs because of the state's number of IMG-friendly residency programs. These programs include residencies in pediatrics, neurology, internal medicine, and family medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a variety of general residencies at Merit Health Wesley and Magnolia Regional Health Center. Also making Mississippi more appealing is its J-1 Visa Program, which the Mississippi Department of Health implemented to address the physician shortage by bringing high-quality international medical talent to the state.
Even with the J-1 Visa Program and IMG-friendly environment, the process for an IMG to obtain medical licensure in the state is complex. Fortunately, you don't need to go through the process on your own. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team serves IMGs seeking licensure in Mississippi by ensuring any issues you have surrounding examinations, certification, and licensure are resolved quickly. Our attorneys can guide you through the application process and tackle any hurdles in your way. If there is an issue threatening your Mississippi medical licensure, call us today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
Mississippi Requirements for International Medical Graduates
IMGs have additional requirements on top of the general candidate requirements that they must comply with to obtain a Mississippi medical license. The biggest difference between the application process for US and Canadian medical graduates is the requirement for an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification. The process will be discussed in further detail below, but certification means you will be coordinating with numerous people at a variety of different organizations when collecting the information for your certification application. You will encounter various ECFMG staff, the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) staff, your foreign medical school's records and transcripts office, translators, and more.
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
There are a few core things you will need to do to obtain ECFMG certification. Certification is a lengthy process, and how quickly or slowly it goes will depend on whether you, your school, translators, and others get information submitted to ECFMG promptly and in accordance with ECFMG rules.
Application for ECFMG Certification
You can meet all the eligibility requirements for ECFMG certification and, ultimately, Mississippi medical licensure, but without submitting a complete and truthful application, you won't be able to make your dreams a reality. There are parts of the application you complete and others that your academic institution will complete. Your portion of the application will be submitted, at least in part, online through the ECMFG online portal, the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) system.
The application provides an in-depth look at your academic history, character, and fitness, including your personal life. Everyone makes mistakes and bad judgments, especially in our youth. You may feel embarrassed about disclosing behavior you think reflects poorly on you, but failing to disclose certain things from your past can become an ECFMG issue.
If ECFMG thinks you have lied, even a lie by omission, on your application, it can delay and even deny your certification. You may be getting conflicting advice from your school or other ECFMG candidates about whether or not you need to disclose certain things, but you need professional guidance to avoid facing ECFMG troubles. At the Lento Law Firm, our Professional License Defense Team has guided numerous Mississippi IMGs with their ECMFG applications. We help you disclose sensitive information without threatening your certification approval.
Medical School Requirements
To ensure that your foreign medical education meets the standards required for you to safely practice medicine in Mississippi, ECFMG requires that you graduate from an approved school. ECFMG-approved schools meet specific requirements and standards set by the World Federation for Medical Education and FAIMER. These organizations publish their assessment of foreign medical schools on the World Directory of Medical Schools (World Directory). To confirm your school is approved, you can go to the website and look at the “Sponsor Notes” tab of your foreign medical school's profile.
Medical Examination Requirements
IMGs, just like US and Canadian medical students seeking licensure in Mississippi, must pass USMLEs. ECFMG requires IMGs to pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2. When US medical students take these exams, they may differ from when they sit for the exam. For example, US medical students usually take Step 1 after their second year of medical school, but that may differ based on your school's program.
USMLE Step 1 covers basic science that you will need to advance to further medical training. Topics include biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology. Step 2 is more related to the actual practice of medicine. This exam will provide hypothetical patient situations, and you will be tasked with answering questions about diagnosis, prognosis, preventative care, and more.
English Language Requirements
It is no surprise that practicing medicine in Mississippi will require you to be fluent in English. Therefore, ECFMG has English language requirements. Most IMGs will demonstrate their English language proficiency by submitting a passing score on the Occupational English Test (OET) with their ECFMG application.
Mississippi IMG ECFMG Certification Issues
ECFMG issues can delay your certification, ultimately delaying your admission to a residency program and your Mississippi medical license. Because the ECFMG certification process is so extensive, issues can arise in plenty of places. ECFMG refers to serious issues with an applicant and their application as “irregular behaviors.” ECFMG defines irregular behaviors as "the actions or attempted actions on the part of applicants, examinees, potential applications, others when solicited by an applicant and/or examinee, a medical school official, or any other person or entity that would or could subject the examination, certification or other processes, programs or services of ECFMG."
The most common irregular behaviors that IMGs have problems with include:
- Submission of falsified or altered documents
- Failing to comply with USMLE requirements
- Failure to follow ECFMG policies, procedures, or rules
- Falsification of information on the application or other ECFMG submissions
When ECFMG suspects irregular behavior, it will either contact you informally for clarification or open an investigation. If the issue is minor or they expect it might be a typographical error (you accidentally checked a "yes" instead of a "no" box), they may decide informal is the best method.
The matter will be sent to the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee (Committee) if true misconduct is suspected. They will begin their investigation by sending you a written notification of the suspected irregular behavior along with a request that you provide a written response before a specific deadline. Along with the notification will be a copy of the ECFMG Policies and Procedures Regarding Irregular Behavior. In addition to a response, you also have the option to request a hearing before the Committee.
The hearing and the written response are your opportunities to defend yourself. Even if you believe this is all the result of a misunderstanding, you need to take these proceedings seriously and present a strong defense. You can ensure the Committee hears your side of the story and views you in the best light possible by retaining the Lento Law Firm to defend you. Our Professional License Defense Team frequently represents IMGs before the ECFMG Committee. We handle your case from start to finish by drafting your written response, arguing your case at the hearing, and being the sole communicator with the Committee. At no point in the process should you be communicating with the Committee on your own. The only person you can guarantee to be on your side is the Lento Law Firm attorney.
If the Committee determines you are guilty of an irregular behavior, you can face serious consequences. Ideally, you will get off with a warning and an opportunity to rectify the situation, but at worst, actions the Committee may take include:
- Barring you from ECFMG programs and services
- Withholding or rejecting your ECFMG certification
- Reporting the behaviors to the UESMLE Committee for Individualized Review, Federal of State Medical Boards, and other relevant state or international medical licensing authorities
If the Committee has taken one of the above actions, you may want to consider appealing. Unfortunately, there are not many situations where appeals are permitted, but when you retain the Lento Law Firm for your appeal, we will walk you through all the options. Generally, appeals are only permitted when new evidence comes to light that the Committee did not consider when making its initial decision. If you haven't been represented by an attorney yet, chances are you may have missed something. When the consequences are this severe, don't take any chances; call the Lento Law Firm immediately to learn about your appeal options.
Mississippi IMG USMLE Issues
USMLE issues are those typically related to taking or applying for a USMLE. When you have a USMLE issue, you will also have an ECFMG issue. While you may be scared to tell ECFMG of your USMLE issue, it is unavoidable. When you don't disclose your USMLE issue to ECFMG, it can be interpreted as lying or hiding information. Alternatively, if ECFMG isn't aware of USMLE delays and issues, it may deny or further delay your ECFMG certification application because it just doesn't know what is going on.
When an exam plays such a crucial role in your life and your future, you can expect there are many opportunities for issues to arise on this highly regulated exam. The most common USMLE issues our Professional License Defense Team sees from Mississippi IMGs are:
- Registering for a USMLE that you are not eligible to sit for
- Soliciting exam materials
- Reproducing exam materials
- Attempting to or discussing exam content with former or potential examinees
- Providing false information on your USMLE exam application
- Impersonating another applicant and taking the exam on their behalf
- Providing unauthorized assistance to examinees at any point before, during, or after the exam
- Taking notes at the testing center
- Failure to comply with any USMLE rules, policies, or instructions
- Taking photos or videos during the examination
- Cheating on the exam
- Attempting to manipulate exam scores
If you are accused of any of the above behaviors, the investigative and disciplinary process will be handled by the USMLE Committee for Individualized Review (CIR). During the disciplinary process, there are a few options for what could happen immediately:
- Your examination application will not be processed
- You will not be permitted to sit for the exam
- Your exam results will be withheld
The USMLE CIR disciplinary action process is similar to that of ECFMG. When a matter is sent to CIR, you will receive a written notice that will also request a written response within a specific timeframe. Unlike the ECMFG notification, this notification will include a scheduled hearing date and time. Like the ECMFG process, the Lento Law Firm attorney will handle everything related to the response, the hearing, and communicating with CIR. If you have a USMLE issue, contacting the Lento Law Firm immediately is important, particularly because you cannot appeal the CIR's decision.
Mississippi IMG Licensing Representation
If you're an IMG dealing with issues related to getting your Mississippi medical license, the Lento Law Firm can help. Our Professional License Defense Team will do everything in our power to resolve your issues efficiently and quickly so you can begin practicing as soon as possible. Let us fight for you; call 888-535-3686 or contact us online today.
