Primary source verification of qualifications (EPIC)

Doctors who hold overseas qualifications and who want to apply for registration in New Zealand must have key documents verified from their primary source. Since November 2017 Council has required primary source verification using the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates’ Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (ECFMG’s EPIC) service.

What is primary source verification?

Primary source verification is when the institution which awarded a medical qualification or document (for example, a medical school or university) must confirm that the document is authentic.

Council uses the  (Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials) service for primary source verification where the ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) will contact the overseas institution directly for this verification.

Who is required to have documents primary source verified?

You will be required to have your documents primary-source verified through  if you are:

  • relying on international medical qualifications in your registration application. This includes doctors with primary medical degrees from Australian medical schools and with postgraduate qualifications from Australia-only vocational training providers;
  • a first-time applicant for registration, and do not already, or have not in the past, held any other form of registration;
  • currently registered with Council but are applying for a new scope of practice that relies on a qualification that has not been previously assessed by Council and is relied on to support that new registration application.
  • applying to sit the NZREX Clinical examination.

You will not need to submit the following qualifications to EPIC for verification if the criteria in the right-hand column is met:

Primary medical degree If it has been conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school
Or
If it was verified at source by MCNZ prior to 1 November 2017
Post graduate qualification    If it has been awarded by a New Zealand or Australasian training provider (see: Approved Australasian qualifications)
Or
If it was verified at source by MCNZ prior to 1 November 2017 and relied on for the scope of practice applied for prior to 1 November

When do documents need to be verified?

Applying for registration

At the time that you submit your registration application you must have submitted the required documents to EPIC for verification. You can submit your documents to EPIC for primary source verification well in advance of submitting your application for registration in New Zealand (your verification will not expire). A timely application to EPIC will prevent this verification process delaying the processing of your application.

By the time you attend your registration interview all of your required documents must have been primary source verified through EPIC.

Applying to sit NZREX Clinical

If you wish to sit the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX Clinical), you must have your primary medical qualification and prerequisite examination results primary source verified before you apply to sit the NZREX Clinical.

What documents will I need to get verified?

The documents you need to get verified will depend on whether you are applying for registration or to sit the NZREX Clinical, and which pathway to registration you are applying for.

Provisional General (New Zealand / Australian graduate pathway) (REG2-B)

Note: Use of EPIC applies only to applicants along this pathway to registration who are relying on a primary medical degree conferred by an Australian medical school.

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.

General (New Zealand / Australian graduate pathway) (CHKL1)

Note: Use of EPIC applies only to applicants along the New Zealand / Australian graduate pathway who are relying on a primary medical degree conferred by an Australian medical school or who hold a primary medical degree conferred by a MCNZ-accredited medical school in New Zealand, but completed their internship in Australia

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for applicants who hold a primary medical degree awarded by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • If you are not currently listed on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) on-line register:
    • Certificate of medical registration with AHPRA.

Provisional General (Competent authority pathway) (CHKL2)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • If you are not currently listed on the General Medical Council (GMC) or Medical Council of Ireland (MCI) on-line register:
    • Confirmation of completion of internship / one year of general medical experience issued by the GMC or MCI; or
    • Certificate of medical registration with the GMC or MCI.

Provisional General (Examinations pathway) (CHKL3)

If relying on NZREX Clinical (and you have not verified your documents), you must verify the following documents:

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Prerequisite examination results.

If relying on Part 2 of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test, you must verify the following documents:

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Part 2 of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board.

Provisional General (Comparable health system pathway) (CHKL4)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Certificate or license indicating current full or General Medical Registration in the comparable health system you have worked in during the last 48 months.
    • If you are (lawfully) not required to hold registration with a regulatory authority because you are participating in a recognised American or Canadian training program, a letter from the training institution confirming satisfactory participation in the training program should be EPIC verified.
  • Evidence of completion of your specialist training, if applicable
    • This would include evidence that you have obtained a Specialist Qualification (upload as a Specialist Qualification) following a formal period of postgraduate training. Upload this document to EPIC if you are relying on it as an exception to complying with this pathway’s active clinical practice requirement (i.e., if you hold a PGQ in General Practice/Family Medicine but do not have 33/48 months of general practice experience completed immediately prior to your application for registration). Please contact MCNZ if you are unsure if this applies to you.

Provisional General (Australian General Registrant pathway) (CHKL7)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • If you are not currently listed on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) on-line register:
    • Certificate of full medical registration with AHPRA
  • Australian Medical Council (AMC) Certificate
    • To upload your AMC Certificate to EPIC, please follow the steps outlined here.

Provisional General (United Kingdom General Registrants pathway) (CHKL8)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Part 2 of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board
  • If you are not currently listed on the General Medical Council (GMC) on-line register:
    • Certificate of Medical Registration with the GMC

Special Purpose (Visiting expert/teaching) (VEX1)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Postgraduate Qualification (PGQ)
    • The postgraduate medical qualification must have been awarded at the end of a period of specialist training. This would include evidence that you have obtained a Specialist Qualification (upload as a Specialist Qualification) or evidence of completion of a period of formal Postgraduate Training (upload as a Postgraduate Medical Education Credential) in the specialty.

Special Purpose (Teleradiology) (CHKL20)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Approved postgraduate qualification in teleradiology (the list of approved qualifications can be found here)
    • Upload as a Specialist Qualification in EPIC.

Special Purpose (Research) (CHKL12)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.

Special Purpose (Locum tenens) (CHKL13)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school.
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree.
  • Approved postgraduate qualification for locum tenens registration (the list of approved qualifications can be found here)
    • Upload as a Specialist Qualification in EPIC.

Vocational Pathway (Australasian graduates) (VOC2)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • Not required for applicants who hold a degree conferred by an accredited New Zealand medical school
    • Alternate Graduation Document may be used as alternative evidence of the Primary Medical Degree

Provisional Vocational Pathway (International medical graduates) (VOC3)

Please refer to the ‘Primary source verification – EPIC’ section of the guide to providing a complete application for registration within a vocational scope of practice.

The guide can be found here

Special Purpose (Postgraduate training) (CHKL11)

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • You can use an alternate graduation document as evidence of the Primary Medical Degree
  • Certificate(s) of Medical Registration in applicant's home/sponsor country
  • Postgraduate Qualification (PGQ)
    • PGQs include evidence of Postgraduate Training (Postgraduate Medical Education Credential) and Specialist Qualifications.
    • upload to EPIC only if you are relying upon a PGQ in support of your application for registration (option C).

NZREX Clinical

  • Primary Medical Degree (Final Medical Diploma)
    • You can use an alternate graduate document as evidence of the Primary Medical Degree
  • Prerequisite examination results.

The method of primary source verification of your prerequisite examination results varies based on your qualifying examination. Further information is available on the EPIC website .

How to create an EPIC account

You can create an EPIC account on the ECFMG's EPIC website.

If you have any questions regarding EPIC and the EPIC verification process, refer to their FAQ page or 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.

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