ECFMG Original Document Policy Updated

ECFMG Original Document Policy Updated

(Posted June 9, 2011)

In concert with the existing policy established for all U.S. medical graduates applying for residency programs and to maintain the integrity of documents reviewed by program directors via ERAS, ERAS Support Services at ECFMG requires that all letters of recommendation (LoRs) and Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs) submitted as part of an ERAS application be original documents. This policy applies both to paper documents submitted to ECFMG via mail or courier for scanning and to electronic documents submitted to ECFMG by third parties, such as medical schools, on behalf of applicants.

The submission of copies will not cause processing delays at ECFMG nor will documents be rejected by ECFMG if copies are submitted. Additionally, this is an ECFMG requirement only. Programs have been instructed not to disregard an ERAS application based on a copy annotation.

ECFMG’s Original Document Policy, which outlines these policies and requirements, has been updated for ERAS 2012. Refer to the Original Document Policy for more information.