Partnership Enhances Process for Evaluating the Medical Education Credentials of Norway’s International Medical Graduates
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES—The Norwegian Directorate of Health (Directorate) and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) are pleased to announce their collaboration to incorporate ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPICSM) into the process for assessing the medical education credentials of Norway’s international medical graduates (IMGs), those physicians who completed their medical education outside of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA). The Directorate is responsible for granting authorization required for all categories of professions within the legally regulated health sector in Norway. Effective September 1, the Directorate requires all IMGs applying for registration to have their medical education credentials primary-source verified through EPIC.
Before September 1, 2016, the Directorate obtained primary-source verification of IMG credentials through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS). EPIC provides the Directorate with the same rigorous primary-source verification that ECFMG delivers through EICS, and additional benefits not available through EICS. These include a secure, web-based platform for authenticating the credentials of its applicants, along with paperless processing and recordkeeping. For IMGs, EPIC offers a service that they can use throughout their careers to build a digital portfolio of verified credentials related to their medical education, training, and registration/licensure. Using EPIC, IMGs can request reports demonstrating the authenticity of their credentials for organizations worldwide, including regulatory authorities and potential employers, such as hospitals and academic
institutions. EPIC also enables IMGs to submit their credentials for verification electronically, eliminating postal costs and potential transit delays, as well as reducing processing times.