Where have all the students gone? An epidemiologic study of US nationals applying for certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, 1969 through 1982.

Larger and larger numbers of US nationals are studying medicine abroad and they now comprise the foremost national group of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) seeking to enter the US health care system. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is currently conducting a comprehensive study of 205,542 graduates of foreign medical schools who, during a 14-year study period, 1969 through 1982, have sought its certification, an established prerequisite for FMGs applying for training in an accredited hospital residency program and/or licensure within the United States. This report summarizes preliminary data on the 17,642 US citizens included in the study who attended 431 different medical schools in 79 foreign countries. Particular attention is given to their performance on the combined medical knowledge-English language competence examinations requisite to the awarding of ECFMG certification.