PPP Home

PRINCIPLES REGARDING INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOLS AND GRADUATES

The American Medical Student Association:

1.             In regard to international medical schools:

a.             OPPOSES the certification of international medical schools by any state that results in the circumvention of established national guidelines for the return of U.S. citizens and the entry of non-U.S. citizens studying in international medical schools;

b.             URGES the federal government to initiate a comprehensive evaluation and accreditation process for all international medical schools that enroll significant numbers of American students, and especially the proprietary medical schools in the Caribbean . Such an evaluation should assess both basic science education and clinical training, using standards comparable to those utilized within the United States , and the information gained and conclusions reached should be made available to state licensing boards and residency programs. (1986)

2.             In regard to international medical graduates and residencies:

a.             RECOGNIZES the value of international medical graduates to the U.S. physician workforce; (2006)

b.             OPPOSES drawing qualified international medical graduates away from their country of citizenship, contributing to workforce shortages around the workforce and decreasing health status of nations; (2006)

c.             URGES the United States to fulfill its own medical work-force needs through the education of its own citizens and legal, permanent residents for the practice of medicine; (2006)

d.             RECOMMENDS looking into ways to educate international physicians through exchange programs without a full residency; (2006)

e.             URGES fulfilling the U.S. physicians workforce shortage through expanding the U.S. ’s own medical school capacity instead of relying on the pipeline of internationally trained physicians; (2006)

f.              Recommends the development of support systems to facilitate return of international medical graduates to their own countries, if they desire. (2006)

3.             SUPPORTS continued graduate medical education funding through Medicare for those graduates of international medical schools who have passed both parts of the International Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences; (1986)

4.             URGES that any phase out of graduate medical education funding through Medicare for graduates of international medical schools be implemented gradually, and ENCOURAGES the federal government, in the event of a phase out, to maintain federal funding for  a limited number of residency slots available to qualified international medical graduates at the discretion of the residency program. International Medical Graduate enrollees should be under strict visa requirements such that they shall return to their country of origin following training; (1986)

5.             URGES that postgraduate training be a truly educational experience for both foreign-trained physicians and United States graduates;

6.             RECOGNIZES the difference between International Medical Graduates who are citizens or legal, permanent residents of the United States (US-IMGS) and International Medical Graduates who are not citizens of the United States (non-US-IMGS).  (2000)

7.             SUPPORTS the US-IMGS in the event of a reduction in the number of residency positions if the applicants are equally qualified.  (2000)