Rajam Ramamurthy, M.D., was appointed to the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates Board.
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Rajam Ramamurthy, M.D., was appointed to the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Board to hold one of two positions held by the American Medical Association (AMA). “I hope to bring a global perspective to health education which is in keeping with the programs of the ECFMG,” Dr. Ramamruthy said.

Dr. Ramamurthy is the William and Rita Head, in honor of their children, Brice and Gretchen, Distinguished Chair in Developmental and Environmental Neonatology in the department of pediatrics and is the medical director of the Premature Infant Development (PREMIEre) Program. She chaired the Texas Medical Association (TMA) International Medical Graduates (IMG) Section in 2000 and the AMA IMG Section in 2004. She compiled the first report on IMGs in the U.S. Physician Workforce, which is now updated annually by the AMA IMG Section. She also serves on the TMA Council on Medical Education.

The Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates
The ECFMG Board is a national organization made of representatives from the Association of American Medical Colleges, American Board of Medical Specialties, AMA, Association of Hospital Medical Education, Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Medical Association. Through its program of certification, ECFMG assesses the readiness of international medical graduates to enter residency or fellowship programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Another aspect of the ECFMG is the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, which actively seeks opportunities to promote international medical education through programmatic and research activities.

History
As early as the 1940s, legislation facilitated entry into the United States by foreign trained physicians. In the 1950s the need for a formal program of evaluation of foreign medical graduates intensified due to the explosive demand for health care services in the United States and the greater dependence on physicians in training to provide medical care. In 1956, with the help of the National Board of Medical Examiners, a medical science and English proficiency exam was developed and in 1958 the exam was administered for the first time by ECFMG in 17 centers internationally. In 2006 the ACGME accredited 8,186 programs in 120 specialties that trained 103,367 residents. Twenty-four percent of resident physicians are international medical graduates. ECFMG has served the health care needs of United States and has helped health education globally.