International Medical Graduates (IMGs)

Research Products & Journal Articles

Browse the full list of research publications on this topic completed by the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

2016

Conrad 30 Waivers for Physicians on J-1 Visas: State Policies, Practices, and Perspectives
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2016
States rely on international medical graduates (IMGs) to fill workforce gaps in rural and urban underserved areas. This study collected quantitative and qualitative information from states to assess how state policies and practices shape IMG recruitment and practice in underserved areas.

2015

Recruitment of Non-U.S. Citizen Physicians to Rural and Underserved Areas Through Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Programs
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2015
Conrad 30 programs allow international medical graduates (IMGs) on J-1 visas to remain in the U.S. after their residencies to provide healthcare for medically underserved populations. Information from state health department personnel was used to characterize national trends in waivers and factors related to states' successful recruitment of IMGs.

2009

Do International Medical Graduates (IMGs) "Fill the Gap" in Rural Primary Care in the United States? A National Study
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2009
Compares the practice locations of international medical graduates (IMGs) and U.S. medical graduates (USMGs) in primary care specialties.

2007

2005 Physician Supply and Distribution in Rural Areas of the United States (Full Report)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2007
This study describes the 2005 supply and distribution of physicians (including osteopathic physicians and international medical graduates), with particular emphasis on generalists in rural areas.
2005 Physician Supply and Distribution in Rural Areas of the United States (Project Summary)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2007
This summary describes the 2005 supply and distribution of physicians (including osteopathic physicians and international medical graduates), with particular emphasis on generalists in rural areas.

2006

The Changing Geography of Americans Graduating From Foreign Medical Schools
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2006
Reports the results of a study of U.S.-born international medical graduates, analyzing changes in their numbers and countries of training from the 1960s and before until the early 2000s.

2005

The Flight of Physicians From West Africa: Views of African Physicians and Implications for Policy
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
West African-trained physicians have been migrating from the sub-continent to rich countries, primarily the US and the UK, since medical education began in Nigeria and Ghana in the 1960s. In 2003, we visited six medical schools in West Africa to investigate the magnitude, causes, and consequences of the migration.

2004

The Migration of Physicians From Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States of America: Measures of the African Brain Drain
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2004
The objective of this paper is to describe the numbers, characteristics, and trends in the migration to the United States of physicians trained in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: We used the American Medical Association 2002 Masterfile to identify and describe physicians who received their medical training in sub-Saharan Africa and are currently practicing in the USA.
Results: More than 23% of America's 771 491 physicians received their medical training outside the USA, the majority (64%) in low-income or lower middle-income countries. A total of 5334 physicians from sub-Saharan Africa are in that group, a number that represents more than 6% of the physicians practicing in sub-Saharan Africa now. Nearly 86% of these Africans practicing in the USA originate from only three countries: Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana. Furthermore, 79% were trained at only 10 medical schools.
Conclusions: Physician migration from poor countries to rich ones contributes to worldwide health workforce imbalances that may be detrimental to the health systems of source countries. The migration of over 5000 doctors from sub-Saharan Africa to the USA has had a significantly negative effect on the doctor-to-population ratio of Africa. The finding that the bulk of migration occurs from only a few countries and medical schools suggests policy interventions in only a few locations could be effective in stemming the brain drain.

2003

The Effects of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act on Family Practice Residency Training Programs
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2003
This study assessed the impact of the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 on family practice residency training programs in the United States.

2002

The Immediate and Future Role of the J-1 Visa Waiver Program for Physicians: The Consequences of Change for Rural Health Care Service Delivery
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 04/2002
This paper examines the consequences for the delivery of healthcare services in rural underserved areas if current policies governing the granting of J-1 visa waivers are changed and increases or decreases the numbers of physicians affected.

2001

If Fewer International Medical Graduates Are Allowed in the U.S., Who Might Replace Them in Rural Underserved Areas?
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 05/2001
This findings brief describes a study to identify rural communities that would be most affected by a decrease in availability of international medical graduates (IMGs) and perceptions of recruiters on who might replace IMGs in these areas.
If Fewer International Medical Graduates Were Allowed in the U.S., Who Might Replace Them in Rural Areas?
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 02/2001
This paper identifies rural communities that would be most affected should restrictions on international medical graduates' (IMGs') entry into the United States be tightened and reports on the perceptions of physician recruiters and health planners about who might replace IMGs currently working in such areas.