Primary source verification

Primary Source Verification (PSV) means verifying the credentials or awards that an international medical graduate (IMG) has achieved from the source, that is from the training organisation that awarded the credential or qualification.

Primary source verification through ECFMG is mandatory under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law) for all international medical graduates seeking medical registration in Australia.

MyIntealth is a new online environment for accessing services offered by Intealth and its members, ECFMG and FAIMER. MyIntealth will consist of a portal for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) pursuing verification of medical credentials. Using the MyIntealth environment, users will be able to establish and maintain accounts, request services, manage payments, and retrieve important messages by ECFMG.

IMPORTANT:

ECFMG, a member of Intealth, serves international organisations and authorities involved in medical registration, licensing and assessment by obtaining primary source verification of the medical education and registration credentials of medical graduates who completed their medical education outside their jurisdictions. 

The AMC uses ECFMG’s MyIntealth platform for the verification service of medical credentials. ECFMG  provides the AMC with a rigorous primary source verification process. The verification outcomes will be uploaded to the AMC candidate accounts, used by the Medical Board of Australia for registration purposes, and by relevant Australian specialist medical colleges for assessment purposes (if applicable and college is nominated by the candidate). 

For more information about the MyIntealth account process and verification service, refer to the ECFMG website. 

Also refer to ECFMGs Special Instructions for Physicians Applying to Practice in Australia for important notes on credentials verified through ECFMG. 

The Medical Board of Australia (the Board) and the AMC are two different organisations with different responsibilities regarding IMGs.  

For IMG assessment processes, the AMC is the verifications authority of Australia, responsible for maintaining the AMC’s portal with information and updates on verifications processed by ECFMG.  

This portal is used by the Board for registration purposes and by the Australian specialist medical colleges for specialist assessment purposes. 

The AMC can only accept the three credential categories from ECFMG regarding verification for a medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification): 

• Final Medical Diploma 
• Final Medical Transcript 
• Alternate Graduation Document. 

For any questions about your credentials please contact ECFMG directly as the AMC is unable to provide advice document requirements. 

Once a verification in any of the three categories above is received, the AMC can upload the verification status to the relevant IMG’s AMC account. Then the IMG can proceed with the relevant assessment process. 

IMPORTANT:  

If either a final medical school transcript or alternate graduation document/medical school letter for verification, Medical Board of Australia (the Board) might require the final medical diploma for verification when application for registration is undertaken. If any additional additional document is required to  be verified, this will incur additional costs by both the  AMC  and ECFMG. 

Regardless of the pathway applied for, the IMG must obtain verification of their required qualification(s) through ECFMG and establish the AMC portfolio. 

Once you have determined the eligible pathway, note the following if applying for the: 

• Standard Pathway (AMC examinations and assessment) the credential to submit for verification is: 
  • Medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification). This does not apply to Australian or New Zealand medical degrees. 
• Competent Authority Pathway the credential to submit for verification is: 
  • Medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification). This does not apply to Australian or New Zealand medical degrees.
• Specialist pathway and/or Short Term Training in a Medical Specialty Pathway, includes: 
  • Specialist recognition
  • Specialist area of need
  • Expedited Specialist pathway; and
  • Short term specialist training

• The credentials to submit for verification are: 
  • Medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification) – This does not apply to Australian of New Zealand medical degrees; and
  • Specialist qualification(s) and/or postgraduate medical credential(s). enquire with the respective Australian/Australasian specialist medical college and for the Expedited Specialist pathway (refer to the expedited Specialist pathway:accepted qualifications list) ed
  • Expedited Specialist pathway; and
  • Short term specialist training

The following types are NOT eligible/acceptable to be added to an AMC  account. An administration processing fee will be charged if you add non-eligible document details to your AMC account when applying, such as:

• medical registrations/license to practise
• PhDs
• research based (eg Phd, Bachelor of Science, etc)
• internship/ housemanship/foundation documents
• partially completed training/qualifications
• scientific (for e.g. Bachelor of Science) 
• short courses
• Australian/Australasian qualifications.

If any are added to an AMC application (initial portfolio or additional qualification(s)), these will NOT appear on an AMC account. 

To become eligible an IMG is required to submit their medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification) in clinical medicine and surgery for verification. It is important to determine that the medical school as well as the degree title and graduation year is eligible. This means all of the examination and training requirements are finished and have been awarded the medical degree. 

For those with a New Zealand medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification) obtained from an eligible medical school, it is not required to obtain verification of the medical degree (final medical diploma/primary qualification) from ECFMG.  

The AMC encourages you to seek advice from the Board to determine their medical registration registration requirements. 

All qualification(s) previously submitted to the AMC for EICS verification and confirmed as passed, are still valid and are not required to be verified again. A Verification of Medical Qualification (otherwise known as EICS verification certificate) was issued to confirm the verification of the qualification(s).  You can view/download this document in the AMC account.

If the Board has requested a final medical diploma or any other particular qualification to be verified, then this would need to be verified through ECFMG and an AMC portfolio would need to be established.

Refer to FAQs section for further information – Can I view/obtain a copy of the EICS verification of my qualification(s)? 

All qualifications previously verified through EPIC verification process, are also still valid.

All verification status(es) will appear in the AMC account and available to the Board for registration purposes and to the nominated specialist college(s) for specialist assessment purposes.

Frequently asked questions

Refer to the FAQs page for more information.