The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is the ‘gatekeeper’ for entry to the medical profession in the U.S., certifying graduation in good standing from medical schools elsewhere in the world. In 2010, ECFMG announced that from 2023 (later changed to 2024), overseas doctors will only be eligible for certification if they have graduated from a medical school that is accredited by a ‘recognised’ agency.

This policy empowered the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) to create a recognition programme for regulatory agencies in 2012. This presentation summarises the findings of a series of research studies that have examined the context around this programme and what it tells us about the state of global medical education. Specifically, it will examine the evidence base around accreditation in medical education and consider possible alternative models for regulating medical schools around the world.