INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS

ECFMG Transitions to World Directory of Medical Schools for IMGs

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has announced that international medical students and graduates (IMGs) must use the World Directory of Medical Schools to determine their eligibility to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE). Previously, ECFMG required IMGs to use the International Medical Education Directory for this purpose.

In order for a medical school's students and graduates to be eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and examination, the school must be recognized by the appropriate agency in the country where the school is located. The World Directory includes medical schools that do not meet ECFMG's eligibility requirements. ECFMG, a major sponsor of the World Directory, has now included information in the World Directory for schools that meet ECFMG's eligibility requirements.

Before applying to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or USMLE, IMGs must consult the World Directory, which is available at www.wdoms.org, to confirm that students and graduates of their medical schools are eligible.

The World Directory is a joint venture of the World Federation for Medical Education and the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the University of Copenhagen.

More information is available at www.wdoms.org.

Source: ECFMG news release, June 20, 2015

Medical Council of Ireland Publishes Five-Year Review of Complaints

The Medical Council of Ireland (MCI) has published its first-ever comprehensive public review of complaints it has received about physicians. Titled “Listening to Complaints, Learning for Good Professional Practice,” the report chronicles approximately 2,000 complaints over a five-year period. A key finding from the report is that male physicians in Ireland are twice as likely as female physicians to have a complaint made against them.

In commenting on the report's findings, Medical Council President Freddie Wood, FRCSI, said: “I hope that by reflecting on the findings and looking at the most common causes of complaint, we can work with our partner organizations to reduce such instances in the future, and improve the collective response to concerns about doctors' practice for the benefit of both members of the public and doctors.”

According to the MCI, many factors were involved in complaints against physicians in Ireland. While questions about medical knowledge and skill featured in many complaints, physician attitudes and behaviors commonly motivated those who registered complaints, including poor communication skills and providing compassion and empathy.

The MCI reported that male physicians were more than twice as likely to be the subject of a complaint in comparison to their female counterparts.

“It is crucial now that we work with the wider health sector to collectively learn from complaints so that they are handled at the right level and dealt with in the most appropriate manner,” Dr. Wood said.

According to the MCI, a “mixed method” approach was used to produce the report, combining quantitative and qualitative methods in order to identify the trends in complaints by source of complaint and demographic background of those involved, while highlighting common factors in physician practice that led to the complaints.

The Medical Council of Ireland regulates physicians in the Republic of Ireland. The Council is made up of 25 regulators, including both elected and appointed members. More than 19,000 doctors are registered with the Medical Council. The Medical Council is funded by the annual payments of registered physicians — it does not receive public funding.

Source: IMC news release, July 13, 2015