Connect USMLE exams, ECFMG certification, Pathways, OET Medicine, documents, applications, interviews, and the Match in the order they actually affect one another.
Application and supporting-document deadline for candidates who need a Pathway for the 2027 Match, unless an official page states otherwise.
Verify with ECFMG ↗An exam date can affect a Pathway. A document delay can affect certification. Certification timing can affect Match eligibility. Review the whole chain before committing to isolated dates.
Confirm that your medical school and graduation status meet current ECFMG eligibility requirements in the World Directory. Create the correct identity and application records.
Both exams satisfy ECFMG’s medical science examination requirement. Sequence them around medical-school knowledge, score-reporting buffers, rotations, and your residency strategy.
The Pathways address clinical and communication skills. Your licensure, school, graduation date, prior Step 2 CS history, and clinical evaluation route determine which Pathway can apply.
All current Pathway applicants must meet the OET Medicine communication requirement, including native English speakers. Passing OET alone does not complete a Pathway.
Create a coherent specialty profile through clinical work, letters, experiences, teaching, research or improvement work, and a personal statement grounded in what you have actually done.
Use ERAS or the correct specialty application service to send applications. For MyERAS, applicants may begin submitting September 2, 2026; programs begin reviewing September 23.
Register separately with NRMP, interview, evaluate programs, certify your true preference order, and prepare for Match Week and SOAP contingencies.
The cards below are orientation only. Read the complete official rules, including general eligibility, school lists, graduation dates, documents, evaluator criteria, and prior exam history.
For applicants with a current or recent qualifying license or registration to practise without supervision.
For eligible applicants whose medical school administers an acceptable OSCE required for medical licensure.
For eligible recent students or graduates of qualifying schools accredited by a WFME-recognized agency.
For eligible recent students or graduates of qualifying schools under a comparable accreditation arrangement.
For eligible recent students or graduates whose school jointly issues the degree with an LCME-accredited U.S. school.
For applicants not eligible for Pathways 1–5; uses six qualifying in-person clinical encounters and evaluators.
The USMLE service transition changed how candidates access application and score services. International students and graduates now follow the current FSMB USMLE portal instructions, while MyIntealth remains central to ECFMG certification services.
Read the official 2026 addendum ↗Current medical science examination requirements include passing Step 1 and Step 2 CK. Applicants must also meet clinical and communication skills and all other ECFMG requirements.
ECFMG states that 2027 Pathways applications and required supporting materials are generally due by January 31, 2027 for applicants who need the Pathway for the 2027 Match.
They are separate processes. The application service delivers applications to programs, while NRMP manages registration, rank lists, and matching.