The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is a non-governmental organization that aims to enhance the quality of medical education and training worldwide. One of its major projects is the WFME Recognition Programme, which aims to ensure that accreditation of medical schools in the world is at an internationally accepted standard. The WFME evaluates the compliance of accrediting agencies with pre-defined criteria, and awards Recognition Status to the accrediting agencies that apply and are assessed to be up to the agreed standard.
The Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM) is an internationally recognized medical accrediting agency that has gained WFME recognition until 2026. The National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA), part of the United States Department of Education, has listed ACCM as "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 Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has announced that, effective from 2024, individuals applying for ECFMG Certification must be a student or graduate of a medical school that is appropriately accredited by an accrediting agency that is officially recognized by the WFME. Therefore, WFME accreditation is a recognition given to accrediting agencies that meet the WFMEs pre-defined criteria for accrediting medical schools.
