- Purpose
- Guidelines
- Review Process
- Helpful Hints
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Decisions of Comparability
- Meetings
- Members
- Links
Purpose
The Purpose of the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) is to review the standards used by foreign countries to accredit medical schools and determine whether those standards are comparable to standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. The committee’s function is specified in section 102(a)(2)(B) of the Higher Education Act, as amended.
The NCFMEA does not review or accredit individual foreign medical schools. The NCFMEA only reviews the standards that a foreign country uses to accredit its medical schools. The request by a foreign country for review by the NCFMEA is voluntary.
NCFMEA Guidelines
- NCFMEA Guidelines
MS Word (167K) | PDF (112K)
Review Process
The information below provides a brief overview of the process used by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) for reviewing a foreign country's standards for accreditation of its medical schools.
Step 1: Submission of Information
When a country contacts the U.S. Department of Education (Department) and asks to have its accreditation standards reviewed, the Department requests that the country answer questions regarding its accreditation standards and processes and also provide supporting documents (e.g., copies of statute and regulations, standards, etc.). The questions are designed to solicit information pertinent to the guidelines developed by the NCFMEA for its evaluation of a foreign country's standards.
Step 2: Staff Analysis
A Department staff member is assigned to review the information and documents. If the submission is insufficient, the Department requests additional information and/or documents. The staff member then prepares an analysis, based on the documentation provided by the country, of the comparability of the country's standards to those used in the United Sstates for accrediting medical schools. A copy of the staff analysis is sent to the country for review and comment.
Step 3: Advance Materials to NCFMEA Members
Approximately two weeks before the NCFMEA meeting, the Department mails copies of the staff analysis, supporting documentation, and the country's response to the staff analysis (if any) to the NCFMEA members for their review prior to their meeting.
Step 4: NCFMEA Meeting -- Public Session
For each country on the meeting agenda, a Department staff member presents an overview of the analysis of the country's accreditation standards and processes to the Committee members and answers any questions Committee members might have. After the staff presentation, any official representatives of the country are given the opportunity to present information and answer any questions posed by Committee members.
Step 5: NCFMEA Meeting -- Executive Session
After the presentations by Department staff and country representatives (if any), the Committee goes into executive session, which is open to official representative(s) of the country but is closed to members of the public. During this executive session, the Committee discusses the country's accreditation standards and procedures and then makes a determination as to whether the country's system for accrediting medical schools is comparable to the system used in the United States.
Step 6: Secretary's Letters regarding NCFMEA Decisions
The decisions reached by the NCFMEA at its meeting are kept confidential until the U.S. Secretary of Education reviews the decisions and issues official notification to the countries. After the Secretary letters are faxed and mailed to the countries, and the U.S. Department of State is advised of the NCFMEA decisions, those decisions are made available to the public.
Step 7: Implementation of Decisions
An accredited medical school in a country determined to have comparable standards may apply to the Department to participate in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program. The institution's application and supporting documentation (such as proof of accreditation, financial statements, etc.) are reviewed by the Department's Foreign Schools Team to determine whether the institution meets the regulatory requirements to participate in the FFEL Program. If the institution does meet the requirements, it must sign a Program Participation Agreement with the Department. After that agreement is executed, American students who attend that medical school may apply to receive loans under the FFEL Program.
Helpful Hints
The following tips are based on the most frequently cited issues by Department staff when conducting comparability determination reviews in preparing their submissions for the NCFMEA. They relate to both the policy and procedures contained within the NCFMEA’s Guidelines for Requesting a Comparability Determination and to the review process itself.
Be proactive in communicating with Department staff. Provide them with the requested information in a timely manner. Without it, the review may be postponed until the following meeting or it may otherwise affect the NCFMEA’s decision. When responding to an NCFMEA request, allow sufficient time to translate the response from your native language into English.
To better demonstrate how your standards are applied, summarize your evaluation procedures, describe your standards, and provide the reports that your site evaluators create to convey the findings of school evaluations. (NCFMEA Guidelines, Section 4.7(c)(ii), Educational Program, Design, Implementation and Evaluation)
As early as possible in the comparability determination process, clarify the authorized governmental entity to approve medical school operations and designated accrediting body. Promptly communicate any changes in their contact information to the Department staff. (NCFMEA Guidelines, Part I, Entity Responsible for the Accreditation/Approval of Medical Schools)
Document the visitation of all clinical sites, both in the host country and abroad. Ensure there are sufficient resources available for residents at the clinical sites. (NCFMEA Guidelines, Section 3.4, Administration)
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Require students to sign a waiver to authorize release of their United States medical licensing exam administered by the Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The requirements for passing the examinations are stated in Section 101(2)(A)(II) of the Higher Education Act, as amended: "at least 60 percent…is seeking a loan under part B of Title IV."
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this type of comparability determination important?
It's important to American students who want to attend a foreign medical school and wish to receive loans under the Federal Family Educational Loan (FFEL) to help them with educational expenses. If the NCFMEA determines that a foreign country's accreditation standards for medical schools are comparable, then any accredited medical school in that country is eligible to apply to the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the FFEL Program.
Does the NCFMEA accredit foreign medical schools?
No, the NCFMEA does not review or accredit foreign medical schools. The NCFMEA only reviews the standards that a foreign country uses to accredit its medical schools.
Does the U.S. Department of Education accredit foreign medical schools?
No, the U.S. Department of Education does not accredit foreign medical schools. Any accredited medical school in a country that has comparable accreditation standards as determined by the NCFMEA may apply to the Department to participate in the FFEL Program. As part of the application, the school must provide documentation that it has been accredited by the entity in the foreign country that has responsibility for such accreditation. Evidence of accreditation is just one of the eligibility criteria that the foreign medical school must meet in order to participate in the FFEL Program.
How do I obtain a list of foreign medical schools that are eligible to participate in the FFEL Program?
For information on which foreign medical schools are eligible to participate in the FFEL Program, contact the Foreign Schools Team at the U.S. Department of Education. The Team's phone number is (202) 377-3168 and fax number is (202) 275-3486.
Decisions of Comparability
The countries listed below have been reviewed by the NCFMEA and found to use standards to accredit their medical schools that are comparable to the standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. The date(s) in parentheses is (are) the date(s) of the Committee's decision(s) of comparability.
Australia (2/95, 3/01, and 9/07) - Australian Medical Council
(Note: The Australian Medical Council also accredits medical schools in New Zealand under the terms of an agreement with that country.)
Canada (2/95 and 3/01) - Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools
Cayman Islands (9/02, 9/03 and 9/04) - Accreditation Commission
on Colleges of Medicine
Czech Republic (3/98 and 9/04) - Czech Republic Accreditation Commission
Dominica (10/97, 3/01 and 3/07) - Ministry of Health & Social Security and the Dominica Medical Board
Dominican Republic (10/97 and 3/04) - National Council of Higher Education, Science and Technology
Grenada (9/96, 3/03 and 3/07) - Grenada Ministry of Health, Social Security, The Environment, and Ecclesiastical Relations in conjunction with the New York State Department of Education's Office of the Professions
Hungary (3/97 and 3/03) - Hungarian Accreditation Committee
India (3/97 and 3/03) - Medical Council of India
Ireland (3/97 and 9/03) - Irish Medical Council
Israel (9/99) - Council for Higher Education
Mexico (10/97 and 3/04) - Mexican Board for the Accreditation of Medical Education
Netherlands (3/98 and 9/07) - Netherlands Flemish Accreditation Organization
Pakistan (3/97 and 3/03) - Pakistan Medical and Dental Council
Phillipines (3/99 and 3/04) - Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
Poland (10/97 and 9/03) - Ministry of Health/Accreditation Committee of Polish Universities of Medical Sciences
Saba (3/03) - Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine
St. Maarten (3/98 and 3/04) - Accreditation Commission on
Colleges of Medicine
Slovak Republic (9/07) Accreditation Commission of the Government of the Slovak Republic
Sweden (9/00) - National Agency for Higher Education
Taiwan (3/02) - Taiwan Medical Accreditation Council
Thailand (10/98) - Ministry of University Affairs and the Thai Medical Council
United Kingdom (9/96 and 9/01) - General Medical Council
Meetings
The Committee, which was established as a result of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, held its first meeting in September 1994. The NCFMEA meets twice a year in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, usually in February or March and again in September or October. Those portions of the meeting during which the Committee votes on whether a country's standards are comparable are closed to the public. All other portions of the meeting are open to the public.
FY 2008 Meetings:
Spring 2008 Meeting - March 6, 2008 - The Melrose Hotel, 2430 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20037, 1-800-635-7673
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Fall 2008 Meeting - September 15, 2008 - Washington Marriott, 1221 22nd Street, N.W., Washington, DC, 20037, (202) 872-1500
For information on these meetings or meetings held in previous years, please contact the Committee's Executive Director at (202) 219-7009.
Members
Members of the NCFMEA serve three-year terms. A member may be appointed, at the Secretary's discretion, to serve more than one term.
The current members of the Committee are:
Dr. J. Lee Dockery, Chair, Professor Emeritus, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Dr. Raymond F. Caron, Pediatrics
University of Florida, Instructor, College of Health Professions, Instructor,
Orlando, Florida
Dr. Martin Crane, Chairman, Massachusetts State Board of Medicine Board of Directors, Federation of State Medical Boards, Hingham, Massachusetts
Dr. James A. Hallock, President and Chief Executive Officer, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dr. John J. Jucas, Dermatology Surgical Clinic, El Dorado, Arkansas
Mr. Paul La Porte, Student, Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago
Dr. Norman I. Maldonado, President Emeritus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dr. John E. Maupin, Jr., President, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. David R. Muñoz, Senior & Managing Member, Internal Medicine Northwest, Tacoma, Washington, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
Dr. Kiran H. Shah, Physician Surveyor, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) OBGYN, Texas City, Texas
Dr. Dennis K. Wentz, Principal, WentzMiller and Associates, Former Director, Division of Continuing Medical Education, American Medical Association, Beaver Creek, Colorado
Links to Useful Web Sites
U.S. Department of Education
Questionnaire sent to selected foreign medical schools for the NCFMEA report required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act
MS Word (168K) | PDF (95K)
Additional Web Sites
Disclaimer
For More Information
For information on the NCFMEA and its activities, please contact:
NCFMEA Executive Director
U.S. Department of Education
Rm. 7005
1990 K St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Voice: (202) 219-7009, Fax: (202) 219-7008
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