The following information is being provided to aid applicants in the completion of their applications. It is not an exhaustive list and there is no guarantee that only the items listed below will be required of any specific applicant.

 

1)     Eligibility Requirements

 

a)     Premedical Education

 

i)        60 hours of pre-medical education, or,

 

ii)      Completion of required pre-medical education of the country in which your medical school is located

 

b)     Medical Education

 

i)        Graduation from a U.S. or Canadian medical school that was LCME or AOA accredited at the time of  graduation

 

ii)      Graduation from a medical school or college located outside the United States or Canada if:

 

(1)   the applicant is specialty board certified by a board approved by the ABMS or BOS; or,

 

(2)   the medical school or college:

 

(a)   provided medical education to the graduate that is substantially equivalent to a Texas medical school (see item c below); and

(b)   has not been disapproved by another state physician licensing board unless the applicant can provide evidence that the disapproval was unfounded

 

iii)    Fifth Pathway applicant

 

Completion of a Fifth Pathway program in lieu of graduation from medical school

 

c)      Substantial Equivalence of  Education

 

i)        Graduates of schools who do not have to provide additional documentation to demonstrate that their education was substantially equivalent to that of a Texas medical school. Demonstration is accomplished by:

 

(1)   being specialty board certified by a board approved by the ABMS or BOS; or,

(2)   listing of the school on the Substantial Equivalence web list

 

Schools are placed on the Substantial Equivalence web list after evaluation of characteristics including:

 

(1)   Length of operation

(2)   Stability of curriculum

(3)   Other graduates licensed in Texas

(4)   Concerns of fraud in school or country

 

ii)      Graduates of schools that are not listed on the Substantial Equivalence web list must provide additional documentation to demonstrate that their education was substantially equivalent to that of a Texas medical school.  

 

Demonstration is accomplished by furnishing detailed documentation of medical education including having their school and/or appropriate authority submit completed Additional Licensure Forms Z1 – Z7 for review and evaluation by staff.

 

Schools with characteristics including the following are NOT placed on the Substantial Equivalence web list:

 

(1)   Recently established schools

(2)   Schools with frequent curriculum changes

(3)   Schools with curriculums not consistent among students in the same years

(4)   Lack of organization, control, and oversight of curriculum by school for courses completed in other countries (e.g., students arrange their own clerkships)

(5)   Current concerns of fraud in school or country

(6)   Government changes impacting delivery of medical education or impacting accreditation of medical schools in the country

(7)   New English-language branches of well-established schools 

 

TMB does not maintain a list of schools not considered to be substantially equivalent. Such a list would change too frequently as schools open and close and we don’t track all the medical schools operating in the world.

 

d)     Medical Education Performed in the United States

 

Applicants who receive any medical or osteopathic medical education in the United States (not postgraduate medical education or training) must have obtained such education while enrolled as a full-time or visiting student at a medical school that is LCME or AOA accredited.

 

An applicant who is unable to comply with this requirement, for example, an international medical graduate who performed clinical clerkships in the United States, must demonstrate that the applicant either:

 

i)        received such medical education in a hospital or teaching institution sponsoring or participating in a program of graduate medical education accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Osteopathic Association, or the board in the same subject (emphasis added) as the medical or osteopathic medical education if the hospital or teaching institution has an agreement with the applicant's school; or,

 

ii)      is specialty board certified by a board approved by the ABMS or BOS.

 

2)     Documentation

 

i)        Deans Certification

 

(1)   Applicants using FCVS - no additional form is required (in most cases)

 

(2)   Applicants not using FCVS - applicants must request that each medical school attended submit Form D to the applicant in an unopened envelope(s) with a signature of a medical school official across the outside envelope flap. Form D and medical school transcripts may be submitted by the school in the same envelope.

 

ii)      Medical School Transcript

 

(1)   US or Canadian medical school graduates – transcripts are not required

 

(2)   Applicants using FCVS – transcripts are not required

 

(3)   IMGs NOT using FCVS

 

(a)   unofficial copies of medical school transcripts are acceptable for:

(i)     graduates who are specialty board certified by a board approved by the ABMS or BOS; or,

(ii)   graduates whose medical school is ON the Substantial Equivalence web list.

(b)   Certified medical school transcripts are required for:

(i)     graduates whose medical school is NOT on the Substantial Equivalence web list.  The applicant must request that each medical school attended submit certified transcripts to the applicant in an unopened envelope with a signature of a medical school official across the outside envelope flap. Medical school transcripts and Form D may be submitted by the school in the same envelope.

 

iii)    Fifth Pathway Applicants

 

(1)   Fifth Pathway Certificate – copy is acceptable

 

(2)   Fifth Pathway Letter

 

(a)   Applicants using FCVS – no letter is required

(b)   Applicants not using FCVS -  must have the director of the Fifth Pathway program submit a letter outlining the methods used to evaluate and admit the applicant to the program. This letter must be in a sealed envelope with the program directors signature stamped across the outside flap. Forward the letter, in the sealed envelope, to the TMB.

 

iv)    Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Certification – applies to IMGs only

 

(1)   Applicants using FCVS – no certificate is required

(2)   Applicants not using FCVS - must use Form M to request a report of ECFMG status

 

v)      Demonstration of Substantial Equivalence for Graduates of International Medical Schools

 

(1)   Applicants who are specialty board certified by a board approved by the ABMS or BOS – copy of specialty board certificate.

(2)   Applicants whose medical school is ON the Substantial Equivalence web list – Additional documentation is generally not required. A licensing analyst will notify the applicant if it subsequently becomes necessary.

(3)    Applicants whose medical school is NOT ON the Substantial Equivalence web list and who are NOT specialty board certified by a board approved by the ABMS or BOS:

(a)   Foreign Education Evaluation  – a foreign education evaluation is required. See Licensure Form N.

 ·    AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) Review – Licensure Form N (http://www.aacrao.org/) or

·     FCSA (Foreign Credentials Service of America) http://www.fcsa.biz/

(b)   Substantial Equivalence Packet - must submit (or have submitted on applicant’s behalf) all parts of the Substantial Equivalence Packet (Form Z).  These forms must be received to complete the pre-licensure screening process (the process that occurs BEFORE assignment to a licensing analyst).

 

The substantial equivalence packet consists of Forms Z1 – Z7. Forms Z1 – Z6 must be completed by the medical school. The documentation submitted in response to each form must have the appropriate form attached as a cover sheet to the appropriate documentation. Form Z7 describes the information required of the education agency in the country in which the medical school is located. All forms must be submitted directly to the board.

 

Form Z1         Admissions Standards and Selection of Students

Form Z2         Basic Medical Education                            

Form Z3         Curriculum                                                       

Form Z4         Educational Environment                              

Form Z5         Educational Facilities                                    

Form Z6         For Schools that Have Geographically Separated Programs

Form Z7         Authority of School to Grant Degrees

 

vi)    Clinical Clerkship Affidavit - Form J and additional documentation as needed, as described in Form J (applies to IMGs and Fifth Pathway applicants)