Special Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions for Applicants to the Virginia Board of Medicine

Special Instructions

ECFMG partners with the Virginia Board of Medicine to primary-source verify medical education credentials of physicians who are applying for full and unrestricted MD licensure in Virginia and graduated from a medical school located outside of the United States or Canada (international medical graduate). If you are an international medical graduate applying for MD licensure in Virginia, you may have required credentials verified through EPIC.

To have your credentials verified through EPIC in support of an application for licensure in Virginia, complete the following steps:

Step 1 – Submit your application for licensure to the Board.

For more information on applying to the Board, please visit https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/Medicine/MD_DO_instruct_app.pdf.
Step 2 – Establish an EPIC Account.

See Getting Started for complete instructions. Once ECFMG has processed your request and established your EPIC Account, ECFMG will e-mail you login information so you can access your EPIC Account.
Step 3 – Confirm your identity with EPIC.

See Confirming your identity with EPIC for detailed information. Confirming your identity with EPIC requires you to submit an EPIC Identification Form (EIF). Once this form has been accepted by ECFMG, you will be able to upload credentials required by the Board to EPIC for primary-source verification.
Step 4 – Upload each credential required by the Board in support of your application and select the Board to receive an EPIC Report for each credential.

Log in to your EPIC Account and upload the following credentials for primary-source verification:
- Final Medical Diploma
- Final Medical School Transcript
- Documentation of postgraduate training, including internships, residencies, and fellowships (upload as Postgraduate Medical Education Credentials in EPIC)
For more information on the credentials verified through EPIC, see Using EPIC.

As you upload each credential, be sure to select the Virginia Board of Medicine to receive an EPIC Report once the credential is verified.

Please note: It is very important that you select the Board to receive an EPIC Report for each required qualification, as you upload it. If you do, an EPIC Report on that credential will be automatically sent to the Board when the credential is verified. If you do not select the Board to receive an EPIC Report on a credential at the time you upload it, you will be required to send an EPIC Report to the Board once your credential is verified.

If your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), you do not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG. These credentials will be added to your EPIC Portfolio at no cost. Simply provide your ECFMG/USMLE ID and/or EICS ID when you establish your EPIC Account. ECFMG will review your file typically within 10 business days; if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio.
Step 5 – Ensure reports on all required, verified credentials have been sent to the Board.

If you selected the Virginia Board of Medicine to receive an EPIC Report when a credential was uploaded, that report will be sent to the Board automatically when the credential is verified.

If you did not select the Board to receive an EPIC Report at the time you uploaded the credential, you must go to the “My Reports” tab in your EPIC Account and request an EPIC Report for the Board. Be sure to select Virginia Board of Medicine from the drop-down list when sending your report or your request will be rejected.

If you have any questions regarding EPIC and the EPIC verification process, please contact EPIC at info@ecfmgepic.org or +1 (215) 966-3900. Telephone assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

If you have questions regarding the Board’s application processes, please contact the Board at medbd@dhp.virginia.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please also read the general Frequently Asked Questions in the For Physicians section of the website.

About Applying to the Virginia Board of Medicine

When can I start using EPIC?

If you completed your medical education outside of the United States or Canada and wish to use EPIC to have your credentials verified in support of an application for MD licensure in Virginia, you may begin using EPIC at any time.

Which credentials should I submit to the Board through EPIC?

Credentials required in support of your application to the Board include:

Final Medical Diploma
Final Medical School Transcript
Documentation of postgraduate training, including internships, residencies, and fellowships (upload as Postgraduate Medical Education Credentials in EPIC)

You may have all of these credentials verified through EPIC.

If you have questions regarding the credentials you are required to submit, please contact the Board at medbd@dhp.virginia.gov.

How soon after applying to the Board should I upload my credentials (qualifications) to EPIC?

We recommend that you create an EPIC Account and upload your credentials to EPIC as soon as possible after applying to the Board. Through EPIC, your credentials are verified directly with the issuing institution. The time required to complete the verification of credentials varies and depends on a number of factors, including the time it takes for the issuing institution to respond to our verification requests.

My credentials have already been verified by ECFMG. How can I have reports on these verified credentials sent to the Board?

If your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG, you will need to create an EPIC Account and use EPIC to provide your credentials and verification reports to the Board. However, you will not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG; they will be added to your EPIC Account at no cost. Simply provide your ECFMG/USMLE ID and/or EICS ID when you establish your EPIC Account. ECFMG will review your file typically within 10 business days; if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio. You can then use EPIC to request that verification reports on the required credentials be provided to the Board.

About Using EPIC

Will I have access to my medical credentials (qualifications) after I apply to the Board?

Yes. The credentials that you upload to EPIC remain available to you as part of your EPIC Portfolio. You can use EPIC to send copies of these credentials along with reports verifying their authenticity to organizations worldwide at any time throughout your career.

Will the Board have access to my EPIC Portfolio?

No. The Board will not have direct access to your EPIC Portfolio. The Board will have access only to the credentials and verification reports that you make available to them through EPIC.

I requested an EPIC Report be sent to the Board. How do I know if the Board received the verification report and a copy of my credential?

When an EPIC Report is sent to the Board, the Board will have access to the report and a copy of your credential through the EPIC Report Portal. After accessing your EPIC Report, the Board will update your electronic application checklist. Processing of documents may take up to 10 business days after they are received. If you find your checklist does not exist or does not indicate necessary documents have been received, e-mail the Board at medicineandsurgeryapplications@dhp.virginia.gov with “Medicine and Surgery Application Question” in the subject line. E-mails will be answered within two business days.

If I have questions or problems regarding EPIC, should I contact EPIC or the Board?

If you have questions regarding EPIC’s services—such as creating an EPIC Account, uploading your credentials (qualifications), managing your portfolio, the verification process, sending verification reports, or fees—please contact EPIC at info@ecfmgepic.org or +1 (215) 966-3900. Telephone assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time in the United States.

If you have questions regarding applying to the Board—such as necessary documentation, required qualifications, or registration categories—please contact the Board at medbd@dhp.virginia.gov.