Publish date: January 25, 2024
By Steph Weber – MDedge Internal Medicine
Foreign-trained doctors can supplement the nation’s waning physician workforce and bring diverse perspectives to patient care, but a new study finds that most never enter comparable roles after immigration, raising questions about the feasibility of educational and licensing pathways for international medical graduates (IMGs).
Conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the nonprofit Upwardly Global, the study analyzed the data of 300 physicians who immigrated to the United States between 2004 and 2022.
Although 85% of IMGs found employment, only 1 in 3 became a medical resident or doctor.
Despite the study’s small sample size, it highlights the hurdles IMGs face, the authors noted. Even though they have a medical degree and potentially years of clinical experience in another country, they typically must start all over again in the US — passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), obtaining clinical experience, and securing a residency spot.
If unable to complete these steps, IMGs may pursue other healthcare jobs for which they’re overqualified and underpaid, given their experience. The study found that 23% of IMGs who were not on track to become physicians worked as medical assistants. Others became clinical researchers, medical interpreters, and case managers.
Russian ob/gyn Maxim Nikolaevskiy moved to the US in 2018 and understands why some IMGs switch career paths. His wife, who also trained as a physician in Russia, opted to enroll in a respiratory therapy program after they immigrated to Minnesota, whereas he found work as a research coordinator. The pressure to find housing, enroll their kids in school, and establish new routines took much of their focus.
Dr. Nikolaevskiy told this news organization that IMGs often struggle to find a residency program willing to consider their unique career trajectory, which looks markedly different from that of someone trained in the US.
“Multiple residency programs refuse IMGs’ applications, saying they graduated too long ago, without understanding they worked as a physician before,” he said. Immigrant doctors accepting nonphysician jobs once in the US, often out of financial necessity, only adds to this confusion.
New federal and state legislation aim to reduce practice barriers for IMGs and shore up physician shortages and access for some of the nation›s most vulnerable counties.
The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, supported by the American Medical Association, would revamp the J-1 visa waiver program to permit more immigrant physicians to work in medically underserved areas instead of returning to their home countries.
Last year, Alabama streamlined rules to allow IMGs to practice earlier. Effective July 1, those residing in Tennessee may skip residency requirements and receive a temporary medical license once they pass the state medical board and prove they have completed a 3-year postgraduate training program in their licensing country or recently fulfilled physician duties outside the US.
Washington state now issues 2-year medical licenses to foreign-trained doctors, no residency required, with the possibility of renewal. Doctors must meet other requirements, including passing all steps of the USMLE and establishing a practice agreement with a supervising physician. Illinois recently passed a similar law that will take effect in January 2025.
Beyond laws, communities can embrace IMGs and offer career guidance and clinical opportunities. Daniel Weber, MD, founded the International Healthcare Professionals Program in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to provide this critical support.
“It is daunting to master a new language and pass medical licensing and English proficiency exams while working full time to support themselves and their families,” Dr. Weber said.
Some participants have entered US residency training programs, but Weber told this news organization that many others have earned nursing degrees and are on track to become nurse practitioners.
More than 5 years after leaving Russia, Dr. Nikolaevskiy is inching closer to practicing medicine again.
He recently completed the Bridge to Residency for Immigrant International Doctor Graduates (BRIIDGE) program at the University of Minnesota Medical School. The 9-month program offers clinical experiences in community settings, outpatient primary care, and inpatient general medicine and pediatrics, clearing the way for him to apply for family medicine residency and possibly match in this cycle.
“If not for the BRIIDGE program, I would still be [doing] medical monitoring in clinical trials or pharmacovigilance jobs. I’m grateful for the clinical experience and the people and institutions ready to give me a second chance,” he said.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.
