BOARDS & COMMISSIONS
National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA)

Purpose

The purpose of the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) is to review the standards used by foreign countries to accredit medical schools and determine whether those standards are comparable to standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. The committee’s function is specified in section 102(a)(2)(B) of the Higher Education Act, as amended.

The NCFMEA does not review or accredit individual foreign medical schools. If you have questions about individual foreign medical schools, please contact the Office of Federal Student Aid’s Foreign Schools Team at fsa.foreign.schools@ed.gov or (202) 377-3168. The request by a foreign country for review by the NCFMEA is voluntary.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why is this type of comparability determination important?

    It's important to American students who want to attend a foreign medical school and wish to receive federal student loans to help them with educational expenses. If the NCFMEA determines that a foreign country's accreditation standards for medical schools are comparable, then any accredited medical school in that country is eligible to apply to the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the federal student loan program.

  2. Does the NCFMEA accredit foreign medical schools?

    No, the NCFMEA does not review or accredit individual foreign medical schools. The NCFMEA only reviews the standards that a foreign country uses to accredit its medical schools.

  3. Does the U.S. Department of Education accredit foreign medical schools?

    No, the U.S. Department of Education does not accredit foreign medical schools. Any accredited medical school in a country that has comparable accreditation standards as determined by the NCFMEA may apply to the Department to participate in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program (Direct Loans). As part of the application, the school must provide documentation that it has been accredited by the entity in the foreign country that has responsibility for such accreditation. Evidence of accreditation is just one of the eligibility criteria that the foreign medical school must meet in order to participate in the Direct Loan Program.

  4. How do I obtain a list of foreign medical schools that are eligible to participate in Direct Loans?

    For information on which foreign medical schools are eligible to participate in the Direct Loans, contact the Foreign Schools Team at the U.S. Department of Education. The Team's phone number is (202) 377-3168 and fax number is (202) 275-3486.

  5. Have the regulations concerning foreign medical schools been developed to implement the recommendations made in the NCFMEA’s 2009 Report to Congress and the Secretary of Education?

    The final regulations for foreign schools, including foreign medical schools, became effective on July 1, 2011.

Decisions of Comparability

The countries listed below have been reviewed by the NCFMEA and found to use standards to accredit their medical schools that are comparable to the standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. The date(s) in parentheses is (are) the date(s) of the Committee's decision(s) of comparability.

Australia (2/95, 3/01, 9/07, and 9/09) - Australian Medical Council
(Note: The Australian Medical Council also accredits medical schools in New Zealand under the terms of an agreement with that country.)

Canada (2/95, 3/01, and 3/09) - Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools

Cayman Islands (9/02, 9/03, 9/04, and 3/09) - Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine

Czech Republic (3/98, 9/04, and 10/11) - Czech Republic Accreditation Commission

Dominica (10/97, 3/01, and 3/07) - Ministry of Health & Social Security and the Dominica Medical Board

Dominican Republic (10/97 and 3/04) - National Council of Higher Education, Science and Technology

Grenada (9/96, 3/03 and 3/07) - Grenada Ministry of Health, Social Security, The Environment, and Ecclesiastical Relations in conjunction with the New York State Department of Education's Office of the Professions

Hungary (3/97, 3/03, and 10/11) - Hungarian Accreditation Committee

India (3/97, 3/03, and 3/09) - Medical Council of India

Ireland (3/97, 9/03, and 9/09) - Irish Medical Council

Israel (9/99 and 9/08) - Council for Higher Education

Mexico (10/97 and 3/04) - Mexican Board for the Accreditation of Medical Education

Netherlands (3/98 and 9/07) - Netherlands Flemish Accreditation Organization

Nevis (4/12) - Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine

Pakistan (3/97, 3/03, and 3/09) - Pakistan Medical and Dental Council

Philippines (3/99, 3/04, and 10/11) - Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities

Poland (10/97, 9/03, and 10/11) - Ministry of Health/Accreditation Committee of Polish Universities of Medical Sciences

Saba (3/03 and 9/09) - Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine

St. Maarten (3/98, 3/04, and 10/11) - Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine

Slovak Republic (9/07) Accreditation Commission of the Government of the Slovak Republic

Sweden (9/00, and 9/09) - National Agency for Higher Education

Taiwan (3/02, and 3/09) - Taiwan Medical Accreditation Council

United Kingdom (9/96, 9/01, and 9/09) - General Medical Council

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NCFMEA Guidelines

Attached is the latest revision of the NCFMEA Guidelines that the committee approved at its September 2009 meeting that reflects the recommendations contained within its 2009 report to Congress and the Secretary of Education.

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Review Procedures

The information below provides a brief overview of the process used by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) for reviewing a foreign country's standards for accreditation of its medical schools.

Step 1: Submission of Information
When a country contacts the U.S. Department of Education (Department) and asks to have its accreditation standards reviewed, the Department works with the country to provide a user id and password for its e-Recognition system. The Department requests that the country submit answers to the questions found in the NCFMEA Guidelines regarding the country’s accreditation standards and processes and their effective application. Countries must also provide supporting documents (e.g., copies of statute and regulations, standards, examples of site visits, etc.) in English. All submissions must be in English.

Step 2: Staff Analysis
A Department staff member is assigned to review the information and documents. If the submission is insufficient, the Department requests additional information and/or documents. The staff member then prepares an analysis, based on the documentation provided by the country, of the comparability of the country's standards to those used in the United States for accrediting medical schools. A copy of the staff analysis is sent to the country for review and comment.

Step 3: Advance Materials to NCFMEA Members
Approximately two weeks before the NCFMEA meeting, the Department transmits copies of the staff analysis, supporting documentation, and the country's response to the staff analysis (if any) to the NCFMEA members for their review prior to their meeting.

Step 4: NCFMEA Meeting -- Public Session
For each country on the meeting agenda, a Department staff member presents an overview of the analysis of the country's accreditation standards and processes to the Committee members and answers any questions Committee members might have. After the staff presentation, any official representatives of the country are given the opportunity to present information and answer any questions posed by Committee members.

Step 5: NCFMEA Meeting -- Executive Session
After the presentations by Department staff and country representatives (if any), the Committee goes into executive session, which is open to official representative(s) of the country but is closed to members of the public. During this executive session, the Committee discusses the country's accreditation standards and procedures and then makes a determination as to whether the country's system for accrediting medical schools is comparable to the system used in the United States.

Step 6: Secretary's Letters regarding NCFMEA Decisions
The decisions reached by the NCFMEA at its meeting are kept confidential until the U.S. Secretary of Education reviews the decisions and issues official notification to the countries. After the Secretary letters are faxed and mailed to the countries, and the U.S. Department of State is advised of the NCFMEA decisions, those decisions are made available to the public.

Step 7: Implementation of Decisions
An accredited medical school in a country determined to have comparable standards may apply to the Department to participate in Direct Loans. The institution's application and supporting documentation (such as proof of accreditation, financial statements, etc.) are reviewed by the Department's Foreign Schools Team to determine whether the institution meets the regulatory requirements to participate in Direct Loans. If the institution does meet the requirements, it must sign a Program Participation Agreement with the Department. After that agreement is executed, American students who attend that medical school may apply to receive loans under the Direct Loan Program.

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Helpful Hints for Countries Applying for Comparability

The following tips are based on the most frequently cited issues by Department staff when conducting comparability determination reviews in preparing their submissions for the NCFMEA. They relate to both the policy and procedures contained within the NCFMEA’s Guidelines for Requesting a Comparability Determination and to the review process itself.

  1. Be proactive in communicating with Department staff. Provide them with the requested information in a timely manner. Without it, the review may be postponed until the following meeting or it may otherwise affect the NCFMEA’s decision. Remember that countries are responsible for ensuring that all portions of their submissions are in English. Countries should plan on sufficient time to translate their narrative and any documentation associated with their response from their native language into English.

  2. To better demonstrate how your standards are applied effectively, summarize your evaluation procedures, describe your standards, and provide the reports that your site evaluators create to convey the findings of school evaluations. (NCFMEA Guidelines, Part 2, Section 4. Educational Programs, Subsection 4.7 Design, Implementation and Evaluation)

  3. As early as possible in the comparability determination process, clarify the authorized governmental entity to approve medical school operations and designated accrediting body. Promptly communicate any changes in their contact information to the Department staff. (NCFMEA Guidelines, Part I, Entity Responsible for the Accreditation/Approval of Medical Schools)

  4. Document the visitation of all clinical sites, both in the host country and abroad. Ensure there are sufficient resources available for residents at the clinical sites. (NCFMEA Guidelines, Part 2, Section 3. Administration, Subsection 3.4 Remote Sites)

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Meetings

The Committee, which was established as a result of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, held its first meeting in September 1994. The NCFMEA traditionally meets twice a year in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, usually in March and again in September. The first meeting of the newly re-established NCFMEA was held on Friday, October 21, 2011, from 8:00 a.m. until approximately 5:00 p.m., at the U.S. Department of Education Auditorium, Potomac Center Plaza Building, 550 Twelfth Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20202.  Due to security restrictions, all attendees pre-registered. Please e-mail your registration request to aslrecordsmanager@ed.gov by October 14, 2011 and include "NCFMEA Meeting Registration" in the Subject line. Your request should include your name, title, affiliation, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and facsimile numbers, and Web site (if any) of the person/group requesting registration. Also, since all audience members will need to be escorted within the building, please bring an identification card with your picture on it to the NCFMEA table that will be set up in the building’s lobby. If you have any questions about the meeting registration process, please call Carol Griffiths, Committee Executive Director at (202) 219-7035. The following countries are scheduled for review:  Czech Republic, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, and St. Maarten.  The draft meeting agenda and staff analyses will be posted to this Web site prior to the meeting.The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting (e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format), notify the contact person listed in the paragraph above by Friday, October 14, 2011. Although we will attempt to meet a request received after that date, we may not be able to make available the requested auxiliary aid or service because of insufficient time to arrange it. Top

NCFMEA Report

Attached is the report required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act to Congress and the Secretary of Education that contains recommendations concerning institutional eligibility criteria that would permit additional foreign medical schools to participate in the Federal student loan program. The Department relied on the committee’s report during the foreign school negotiated rulemaking sessions that concluded in February 2010. On November 1, 2010, the Department published the final regulations for foreign schools participating in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program and they may be accessed at http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2010-4/110110a.html.
  • Report to the U.S. Congress by the National Committee On Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation Recommending Institutional Eligibility Criteria for Participation by Certain Foreign Medical Schools in the Federal Family Education Loan Program - 2009 download files MS Word (447K) | PDF (1022K)
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Members

The members of the newly re-established NCFMEA include:
  • Martin Crane, M.D., Chair
  • Radheshyam M. Agrawal, M.D.
  • Alice A. Tolbert Coombs, M.D.
  • Robert K. Crone, M.D.
  • N. Lynn Eckhert, M.D.
  • James Hallock, M.D.
  • David Munoz, M.D., M.P.H.
  • Deborah Powell, M.D.
  • Andrea Reid, M.D., M.P.H.
  • Krishnan Subrahmanian, student member
  • Adewale Troutman, M.D., M.P.H.
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Links to Useful Web Sites

U.S. Department of Education Additional Web Sites
disclaimer Disclaimer

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For More Information
For information on the NCFMEA, please contact:
Carol Griffiths, NCFMEA Executive Director
U.S. Department of Education
1990 K Street, N.W., Room 8073
Washington, DC 20006
Voice: (202) 219-7035
Fax: (202) 502-7874

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Last Modified: 08/22/2012