Data Sources
Every figure on this site is traced to a named source with a reporting year and a verification date. This page lists the primary sources we rely on, what each is used for and how often it is re-checked.
Primary sources by purpose
| Source | Used for | Re-check cadence |
|---|---|---|
| LCME directory | Accreditation status of MD programs | Quarterly |
| AAMC (AMCAS, MSAR, MCAT) | Application process, admissions data, examination rules | Each application cycle |
| AACOM | Osteopathic colleges and the DO degree | Annually |
| USMLE | Examination structure, eligibility and scoring | Each testing year |
| ECFMG | IMG certification requirements and Sponsor Notes | Quarterly |
| World Directory of Medical Schools | School listings and sponsor notes | Quarterly |
| NRMP | Match results by specialty and applicant type | Annually after results release |
| ACGME | Accredited residency programs and training length | Annually |
| State medical boards / FSMB | Licensure conditions, including IMG-specific rules | Annually |
| School websites | Tuition, cost of attendance, admissions policy, Match lists | Annually per school |
Source links
- 1.Accredited MD programs in the United States — Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- 2.Applying to medical school with AMCAS — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 3.Taking the MCAT exam — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 4.Paying for medical school — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 5.Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 6.USMLE Bulletin of Information — United States Medical Licensing Examination
- 7.ECFMG Certification — Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
- 8.World Directory Sponsor Notes — Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
- 9.World Directory of Medical Schools — WFME and FAIMER
- 10.Main Residency Match results and data — National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
- 11.ERAS for residency applicants — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 12.Accredited residency and fellowship programs — Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
- 13.State medical board licensure requirements — Federation of State Medical Boards
- 14.Students and the F-1 visa — US Department of Homeland Security, Study in the States
- 15.Foreign Medical Graduate Examination and registration information — National Medical Commission, India
- 16.Osteopathic medical colleges and the DO degree — American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
- 17.COMLEX-USA examination series — National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners
- 18.Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation — American Osteopathic Association
- 19.Preparing for medical school as an undergraduate — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 20.FIRST: financial information, resources, services and tools — Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- 21.Fulbright Foreign Student Program — US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
- 22.Student visa information — US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
- 23.SEVP-certified schools and the Form I-20 — US Department of Homeland Security, Study in the States
- 24.Credential evaluation service members — National Association of Credential Evaluation Services
- 25.Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria — Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria
- 26.Pakistan Medical and Dental Council — Pakistan Medical and Dental Council
- 27.Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council — Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council
- 28.Canadian faculties of medicine and admission requirements — Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
- 29.Canadian Resident Matching Service — CaRMS
What we do not do
- We do not estimate a figure a school has not published.
- We do not treat a missing value as zero.
- We do not republish outcome statistics without a cohort size and reporting year.
- We do not use ratings, reviews or reputation surveys.
Read the methodology for how these sources are classified and scored.