Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates

A prospective candidate must be a graduate of, or a final-year student at, an AVMA ECFVG®-listed veterinary school. To enroll, submit an online application along with a signed and notarized confirmation page; all necessary documentation; and required fees to the ECFVG office. The ECFVG will verify your credentials directly with the school from which you graduated.

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Candidates must successfully complete one of three standard English language assessments accepted by the ECFVG. This examination may be completed before enrolling in the program, but the ECFVG does require an original score report from the testing agency, and the testing agencies retain scores for only two years from the test date. Candidates completing secondary school in the United States, United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), Australia, New Zealand, or Canada (except Quebec) may request that the examination requirement be waived by submitting appropriate documentation of English proficiency in accordance with ECFVG policy.

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Candidates must successfully complete the ECFVG-specific Basic and Clinical Sciences Examination (BCSE), which is a 225-question, computer-based assessment of basic and clinical veterinary sciences knowledge. The ECFVG office will notify candidates of their eligibility to apply for the BCSE only after candidates complete Step 2. Information about application procedures, rescheduling rules, rules of conduct, and testing accommodations, can be found in the BCSE candidate bulletin.

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Documentation of surgical experience

Candidates who enroll in the ECFVG program on or after July 1, 2014, must submit validated surgical experience documentation forms as proof of having performed, in the five-year period prior to the date of the Clinical Proficiency Exam (CPE), at least one ovariohysterectomy as the primary surgeon, and at least five additional surgical procedures as either the primary or assistant surgeon.

Candidates must successfully complete the Clinical Proficiency Examination (CPE) to complete the program and achieve certification. The CPE is a multi-day, multi-section postgraduate assessment of hands-on clinical veterinary medical skills. It covers entry-level skills in both large and small animal species, as well as laboratory and other diagnostic practices. The ECFVG office will notify candidates of their eligibility to apply for the CPE only after candidates complete Step 3. See the CPE candidate bulletin for full information about the exam, including eligibility requirements, fee structure, application procedures, scoring, location of approved sites, rescheduling, rules of conduct, and testing accommodations.

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