South Dakota is among the best places for international medical graduates (IMGs) to seek licensure. The South Dakota Department of Health has even made it a top priority to make licensure accessible for IMGs through the establishment of the J-1 Visa Waiver Program. The program aims to provide those living in underserved areas of South Dakota with high-quality international medical professionals like yourself. Additionally, the state is one of the best states in the country for physicians overall. South Dakota is ranked 2nd in the nation based on factors including annual wages, starting salary, cost of living, cost of malpractice liability insurance, and more.
With so many benefits of practicing medicine in South Dakota, as an IMG, you will definitely want to add it to your list. Even with the South Dakota Department of Health working to make licensure easier for IMGs, issues can always still arise. Whether it's with your Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification, the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), or any other issue, the Lento Law Firm is here to help. Our Professional License Defense Team will work tirelessly to keep your goal of becoming a South Dakota physician on track. Let us help you; call us at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Certification
The biggest barrier between your foreign medical education and practicing medicine in South Dakota is ECFMG certification. Like most things related to your career as a physician, ECFMG certification is a lengthy process requiring coordination between your foreign medical school, ECFMG staff, USMLE authorities, translators, and more. Certification requires a deep dive into your personal and professional life; errors can lead to further delays. Below are the core requirements for ECFMG certification and a few tips on going through the process.
Medical School Requirements
ECFMG certification requires that you graduate from an approved medical school. Approved medical schools are medical academic institutions whose programs meet the World Federation for Medical Education and FAIMER standards. The World Directory of Medical Schools (World Directory) database includes all international medical schools. When your school is approved, it will be visible in the school's World Directory profile in the “Sponsor Notes” section.
Application for ECFMG Certification
ECFMG certification, of course, requires the submission of an accurate and complete application. You will submit your application through the ECMFG online portal, the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) system. This portion of the application is where you will be grilled on all aspects of your background, education, and, to some extent, personal life.
There may be parts of your past that you think may not reflect well on you if disclosed, but honesty is important in the ECFMG process. You hardly need to be perfect to get your ECFMG certification; everyone has moments in life they aren't proud of, but omitting information or failing to present yourself accurately can cause problems in the certification process. If you are unsure if you have to disclose something, contact the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team. Some of our clients have previously taken advice from other IMGs, and even their own medical schools, that they didn't need to disclose certain information and then had issues down the line. At the Lento Law Firm, we can guide you through disclosing sensitive information in a manner that still paints you in the best light. Do not let your ECFMG certification be delayed or rejected for not being careful or honest on your application.
Medical Examination Requirements
Just like US medical students, you are required to take the USMLE. ECFMG certification requires IMGs to pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2. You will need to consult your medical school to determine when it is appropriate for you to sit for each exam. For example, in the US, medical students will generally take USMLE Step 1 after their second year of medical school, but this can differ for IMGs. USMLE Step 1 is a basic science competency exam in areas such as biology and physiology. Step 2 is more in-depth; you will be given patient hypotheticals and must answer questions related to diagnosis, prognosis, preventative measures, and more.
English Language Requirements
ECFMG also requires English language proficiency, as you would expect, considering you will be practicing medicine in South Dakota, where English is nearly everyone's first language. The simplest way to show language proficiency is through a passing score on the Occupational English Test (OET).
Tips for a Smooth ECFMG Process
If you have made it this far in your journey to becoming a physician, you are an organized and intelligent person. Taking these skills into the ECFMG certification process will be beneficial. Staying organized by making a schedule of submission deadlines can help ensure you are on track every step of the way. You can use an ECFMG-approved translator and become well-versed in ECFMG document authentication processes. You can also build a relationship with staff at your medical school who play a role in successfully sending your records to translators and ECFMG officials. If you have any doubts, the Lento Law Firm can help. We are here to help keep your ECFMG certification on track.
South Dakota IMG ECFMG Certification Issues
As mentioned above, any issues with your ECFMG application can cause delays in certification, which can subsequently delay your residency and licensure. A whole host of actions can cause ECFMG problems, which ECFMG refers to as "irregular behavior." ECFMG policies define irregular behavior 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 IMGs are accused of 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
If ECFMG staff is notified that you may have committed an irregular behavior or suspects it on their own, they will first decide if the allegation warrants further investigation. Sometimes, a staff member may reach out informally to ask you a question, and mistakes or miscommunications can be easily resolved. In more serious situations, staff will involve the ECFMG Medical Education Credentials Committee (Committee).
Staff can take any irregular behavior seriously and get the Committee involved. When the Committee learns about your case, it will notify you by mail, letting you know you are being investigated. The notification will include a few things: the allegation against you, the policy you have allegedly violated, a copy of the ECFMG Policies and Procedures Regarding Irregular Behavior, and a request and deadline for your written response.
Your written response is your chance to defend yourself; this opportunity should not be mishandled. As soon as you receive notification of the investigation against you, contact the Lento Law Firm. ECFMG permits IMGs to be represented by an attorney through the investigative process of irregular behavior, and that is exactly what our Professional License Defense Team does. Your Lento Law Firm attorney will immediately review your case and get to work drafting a response to the Committee. You are also entitled to request a hearing before the Committee where your Lento Law Firm attorney would argue your innocence in person. There are pros and cons to hearings, and a hearing may not be the best option in your case, but your Lento Law Firm attorney will walk you through your options during your consultation.
At no point should you be communicating with the Committee on your own. Particularly when there is a minor error or just a miscommunication that is causing the investigation, you may feel inclined to reach out to the Committee, but this could be a mistake. The Committee's first priority is ECFMG; it has no stake in the game as to whether or not you become a physician. The only person you can guarantee to be on your side and put your interests first is your Lento Law Firm attorney.
If the Committee finds that you are guilty of an irregular behavior, there are a few disciplinary actions it could take, including:
- Barring you from future examinations
- Barring you from ECFMG programs and services
- Invalidating the results of your USMLE examinations
- 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 you disagree with the Committee's decision, you have the right to appeal, but the scenario in which you can do so is very limited. Appeals are generally limited to only situations where new evidence is available that was not available and presented when the Committee made its decision. Additionally, appeals must be made within 30 days of receiving the Committee's decision. If you have not been represented by an attorney yet, it is not too late. Our Professional License Defense Team often gets involved in cases at the appeals stage and has successfully presented new evidence to the Committee. There is too much on the line for you to accept the Committee's decision without putting up a fight; let the Lento Law Firm go to battle for you.
South Dakota IMG USMLE Issues
USMLE issues generally relate specifically to the exam, but they can quickly become an ECFMG issue as well. If USMLE or ECFMG is investigating you, you can expect problems on both sides, but your Lento Law Firm attorney is experienced in fighting these multi-front battles for IMGs. At the Lento Law Firm, the most common South Dakota IMG issues we see are related to:
- 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 into 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 actions, your case will be handled by the USMLE Committee for Individualized Review (CIR). During the CIR investigation, a few different things might happen right off the bat, including:
- Your examination application will not be processed
- You will not be permitted to sit for the exam
- Your exam results will be withheld
Just like with the ECFMG Committee, CIR will notify you if there is an issue. If you are being investigated for misconduct, CIR will set a hearing date, which will be included in the investigation notification. As with ECFMG, USMLE will also request a written response from you within a short period of time following receipt of notification of the investigation into your conduct.
You need the Lento Law Firm to defend you from the start of your USMLE issues. As you would never represent yourself in a court case, you should not be representing yourself in front of CIR. USMLE issues cannot be appealed once CIR makes its decision, which includes the authority to ban you from taking USMLE or using your scores in the future. Do not gamble on your future by battling USMLE alone.
South Dakota IMG Licensing Representation
When your future as a South Dakota physician is on the line, you need the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team to swiftly resolve your IMG issues. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
