World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS): How to Check a Foreign Medical University

The World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) is a free, searchable online database of medical schools around the world. If you are planning MBBS abroad, WDOMS is the first place to check whether a foreign medical university exists, where it is located and what it teaches, before you pay any registration fee.

WDOMS does not approve or accredit any medical school, though. It confirms that an institution is listed, and the sponsor notes on each profile add recognition details for specific countries. This guide explains what WDOMS is, how to search it step by step, how it relates to NMC rules, and how to spot the “WHO approved” claims some agents use.

What Is WDOMS? (WDOMS Full Form)

The WDOMS full form is World Directory of Medical Schools. It is a registry of higher education institutions that offer medical training, and it serves as the main global database of medical schools. Students also search for it as the world medical directory, WDMS, WDOM or the world directory of medical college, but the official name and website are the same.

WDOMS does not endorse or approve institutions or their programmes. It records that a school exists and shows an operational status, along with alternate names, school type, the year instruction started, affiliations, contact information and programme details compiled with its sponsoring organisations.

Who Runs WDOMS?

WDOMS is a joint effort of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and the Foundation for directory, update institutional details and set the standards for listing schools. It was formed in 2014 by merging FAIMER’s IMED with WFME’s Avicenna Directory, and the evolution of the WDOMS is covered in the timeline below. Sponsors such as ECFMG, the Australian Medical Council and the Medical Council of Canada add notes to school profiles. You can see the full list of WDOMS sponsors on the official site.

Why WDOMS Listing Matters for Indian MBBS Aspirants

Choosing the right university is the most important step in MBBS abroad, and WDOMS gives you verified basic facts to decide on. Several national medical boards and health ministries wrote their licensing rules around the old WHO directory, requiring foreign graduates to come from schools listed in it. WDOMS is its successor, so the listing keeps the same importance.

The sponsors matter too. The Australian Medical Council, the Medical Council of Canada and ECFMG sponsor the directory, and a listing is a starting point when applying for licensing pathways in those countries. Each country still applies its own conditions, so read the sponsor notes on the school’s profile.

How to Search a Medical University on WDOMS: Step by Step

WDOMS is free and takes only a few minutes to use. These steps let you verify a medical university abroad yourself instead of relying on an agent’s word.

Step 1: Search by Country or School Name

Open the official WDOMS search portal and choose the country from the dropdown, or type the school’s name directly. You can add the city or filter by operational status to narrow the results.

Step 2: Open the School’s Profile

Results show the country, school name and city. Click a result to open its profile, which lists the school type, year instruction started, operational status, website and other details.

Step 3: Review the Remaining Details

The profile also includes the following information:

• Contact information: the main address, phone numbers, email address and, where available, an international contact.
• Programme details: the ongoing medical programmes and, in some cases, discontinued ones.
• Sponsor notes: notes from the sponsoring organisations on recognition and eligibility for licensing pathways in a country.

WDOMS List: Popular Universities for Indian Students by Country

A WDOMS listing confirms that a school exists. It is not an accreditation or an NMC approval. The table below is a sample of schools popular with Indian students and what WDOMS shows for each. This WDOMS list is not the full directory, so check the live World Directory of Medical Schools list for your chosen country before you decide. You can also compare fees and universities on our MBBS in Russia page or in our guide to MBBS abroad for Indian students at low cost.

Listed on WDOMS Does Not Mean NMC-Compliant

A WDOMS listing helps with global recognition, but it does not make your degree valid in India. The NMC sets separate conditions under the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations 2021, and you should confirm each one before admission. The main points are:

• A course of at least 54 months (4.5 years), excluding the internship.
• English as the medium of instruction for the entire course.
• A curriculum that covers all the mandatory subjects.
• A 12-month internship (clinical rotation) at the same foreign institution.
• The whole programme completed at the institution where you first enrolled, within 10 years of starting.
• A licence to practise in the country where the degree was earned, on par with its own citizens.
• After returning to India, a 12-month compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI) and a qualifying exam. Read our FMGE exCheck NMC Eligibility with Expertsam guide and the NExT exam page to see how licensing works.

How WDOMS Evolved: From the WHO Directory to Today

Many students and parents do not know where WDOMS came from, and some agents take advantage of that. This timeline shows how the WHO directory, IMED and the Avicenna Directory became one database.

1953-2007: The WHO Directories

The WHO published its World Directory of Medical Schools from the first edition in 1953, country by country. It listed schools, programme length, degrees awarded, enrolment, graduate numbers and tuition information, so national bodies, researchers and students could understand medical education worldwide. The WHO digitised the directory after its 7th edition in 2000, and later worked with the University of Copenhagen and WFME to maintain it. It stopped updating the directory in 2007.

2002-2014: FAIMER’s IMED Directory

ECFMG and FAIMER developed a directory in 2001, using ECFMG’s records on medical schools and licensing credentials as a starting point, as the WDOMS About page explains. The International Medical Education Directory (IMED) was made public in 2002.

2008-2013: The Avicenna Directory

In 2007 the WHO signed an official agreement with the University of Copenhagen to continue the directory. With WFME, the work was expanded and digitised as the Avicenna Directories, named after the Persian philosopher and physician. See also the archived Avicenna Directory page.

2014-Present: The WDOMS Database

FAIMER and WFME agreed in March 2012 to merge their databases into one, and the World Directory of Medical Schools was officially launched in 2014. IMED and the Avicenna Directory were then retired, giving students a single directory without duplicate listings.

“WHO Approved” Claims: A Warning for MBBS Abroad Aspirants

The World Health Organization does not approve, accredit or certify any medical college or university. Even so, some agents and consultants advertise colleges as “WHO approved” or “WHO certified” to attract students and parents.

The confusion comes from the old WHO directory, which was only meant to record how medical education is organised in each country, never to certify schools. Students who search for the “world dictionary of medical school” or an old WHO medical college list often land on outdated or fake PDFs that copy a past edition. The WHO stopped updating its directory in 2007, so quoting it as proof of recognition is wrong.

What to Do When an Agent Says “WHO Approved”

Treat the claim as a warning sign. Search the university yourself on WDOMS, read its profile and sponsor notes, and then check its compliance with the NMC’s FMGL Regulations 2021 if you plan to practise in India. Sponsors such as ECFMG, the Australian Medical Council and the Medical Council of Canada add details in the ‘Sponsor Notes’ tab based on their own policies.

Frequently Asked Questions About WDOMS

What is WDOMS and why is it important for MBBS abroad?

WDOMS stands for World Directory of Medical Schools. It is a free, searchable database that lists medical schools worldwide, with details such as school type, year instruction started, operational status and contact information. It matters for MBBS abroad because it lets you confirm that a school exists and is listed before you apply. The WHO started the original directory in 1953, and the current WDOMS was formed in 2014 by merging FAIMER’s IMED with WFME’s Avicenna Directory.

Does a WDOMS listing mean the NMC approves the university?

No. A listing does not mean a university is recognised or approved by the National Medical Commission (NMC). WDOMS itself states that a listing does not mean a school is recognised, accredited or endorsed by its sponsors or other bodies, unless an official document or their website says so. Always check the current NMC guidelines on the NMC website before taking admission.

How do I check USMLE eligibility for a school on WDOMS?

Search for the school on search.wdoms.org, open its profile and read the ‘Sponsor Notes’ tab. Look for a note from ECFMG or FAIMER about eligibility for ECFMG certification, and read any conditions attached to it.

Can a university’s status in WDOMS change over time?

Yes. A school’s operational status, programme details and other information can change as institutions or sponsor organisations update their records. Institutions can also contact WDOMS to correct errors or add details. Re-check the profile just before you pay any fee, not only when you shortlist.

Where can I search for a foreign medical university officially?

Use the official WDOMS search portal at search.wdoms.org. Search by school name and filter by country, city, keyword or operational status. The search is free.