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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Visa Pause Could Leave U.S. With Fewer New Doctors Amid Shortage
About a quarter of doctors currently in practice were educated in foreign medical schools and the United States faces a growing physician shortage. Newly-minted M.D.s are among the thousands of students, trainees, teachers and exchange visitors put in limbo after the Trump State department hit pause on new visa appointments last week, as it develops a plan to vet visa candidates' social media. For foreign-born and educated doctors who haven't snagged an appointment yet, the timing couldn't be worse—most medical residencies officially begin July 1, with orientations for the newest M.D.s (known as interns or P.G. 1s) starting some time in June. International medical graduates without visas could miss their start date, putting their positions at risk and leaving hospitals in the lurch, since interns provide hands-on medical care under the supervision of more experienced doctors. According to the American Medical Association, about a quarter of doctors currently in practice in the U.S. were educated in foreign medical schools and the nation faces a growing physician shortage. But before a foreign-educated doctor can be licensed to practice medicine in the United States, they must complete a U.S. residency, making these programs crucial to keeping the needed supply of foreign doctors flowing. In March, in what's known as the 'main residency match,' 37,677 graduates of medical schools and schools of osteopathy were placed into first year jobs. Of those, 6,653 were foreign-born students who graduated from a non-U.S. medical school per data from the National Resident Matching Program. (Another 3,108 were U.S. citizen graduates of foreign medical schools.) These figures don't include the 2,374 positions that were initially unfilled in the March match; 300 of those jobs later went to foreign-born and educated students. 'Some people are saying, 'Oh, maybe [foreign doctors] are taking all the spots,' says Sebastian Arruarana, a resident physician at the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. 'But no, they're not taking the spots—there's a bigger number of positions to be filled than the number of medical students graduating here.' Most international medical graduates (who aren't U.S. citizens) come to the United States on J-1 visas, which are reserved for exchange visitors participating in teaching, research and other training. Many of this year's incoming interns have already made their visa appointments, but about 5%—or more than 300 doctors—have not, estimates Zain Abdin, a Chicago-based physician and founder of the international medical graduate support organization IMG Helping Hands. Arruarana, who is also a social media influencer focused on international medical graduate issues, has been hearing from some of those doctors stuck in limbo. 'We are stuck and we are helpless,' one international medical graduate who matched at a Texas medical center said in a message to Arruarana. The new resident's orientation program began on June 3, which is on the early side. 'I don't know what to do in this position.' 'I just got matched on May 23 after so many challenges and against all odds,' another messaged Arruarana. 'My program just started the J1 visa sponsorship process, so I don't have an interview slot.' Some residencies start later in the year, explains Abdin, primarily in September. Those residents, on the whole, are more likely to be impacted by this visa hold. Big states like New York and Florida—where 1,592 and 698 foreign-born international medical graduates matched this March, respectively—are home to the most foreign medical residents, according to NRMP data. But they represent only 24% and 19% of residents. Less populous states like North Dakota, Wyoming and Arkansas—all of which supported Trump in the last election—rely more on foreign medical residents, with foreign-born and educated medical graduates making up 38%, 33% and 32% of their incoming residents, NRMP data shows. The ongoing appointments pause affects all student visa types, including F-1 visas, primarily issued to foreign undergraduates and graduates at colleges and universities, and M-1 visas, issued most often to foreign students studying at trade schools or in non-academic programs like flight school. State department correspondence said the scheduling pause would stay in place until further guidance is issued 'in the coming days,' Politico reported last week. In the meantime, leadership from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which essentially serves as a gatekeeper for foreign medical graduates entering the U.S., is attempting to gain an exception for physicians, according to Arruarana, who says he spoke with a staffer there. An email from the ECFMG warned current residents who need to renew their visas not to travel outside the U.S. until the pause is ended. The ECFMG did not return Forbes' request for comment. More From Forbes
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Woman, 96, puts ad in newspaper to find family doctor
Dorothy Lamont, like more than 90,000 Nova Scotians, doesn't have a family physician. Having been without one for three years, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Nicola Seguin has the story.
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
'Seeking a Physician': 96 and doctorless, N.S. senior turns to the classifieds
The unusual advertisement in the Friday morning newspaper caught the eyes of many Nova Scotians. It tells the story of a 96-year-old woman who is "of sound mind and body" for her age, and who doesn't want to be "a burden to the healthcare system." Her biggest concern? She doesn't have a family doctor. "I am apparently somewhere in the 80,000's in the physician waiting list, and so time is increasingly of the essence," the ad reads. Dorothy Lamont wrote that ad, using the title "Seeking a Physician" — a last-ditch effort to take matters into her own hands after three years without a family doctor. "I really didn't know what else to do," Lamont told CBC News in an interview at her home in downtown Dartmouth, N.S. "I should have a doctor. You know, at 96 years old, there's sure to be problems. But I have no one to turn to." Lamont said in the past nine years, she has had five doctors, all of whom retired or left the city. This has left her with a virtual doctor that she says just isn't cutting it. "It doesn't make sense to me," she said. "And I'm sure there are many other seniors in the same situation as I am." Though Lamont's tactic of advertising for a doctor is unique, her story isn't. An estimated 6.5 million Canadians don't have a family doctor. According to a recent Health Canada report, Canada needs nearly 23,000 additional family physicians to address the shortage. In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston has campaigned on fixing health care and is aiming to slash the list of people waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The list has been shrinking, after it reached a peak of about 160,000 last June. Still, 91,474 people — or about 8.6 per cent of the province's population — were on the Need a Family Practice Registry as of May 1. "I think for all folks that are dealing with complex health concerns or for the average person in Nova Scotia, we want to connect as many people as possible as quickly as possible to care," Bethany McCormick, Nova Scotia Health's vice-president of operations for the northern zone, said in an interview Tuesday. 'At 96, I think you deserve a bit better' Lamont, a retired Grade 4 teacher, loves spending time outside tending to her tulips and large vegetable garden. She calls herself a "busy person" who used to be an avid reader before her eyesight deteriorated. She has lived in Nova Scotia all her life, and says she remembers decades ago when doctors made house calls, and it seemed like most people had access to primary medical care. Her son, Stewart Lamont, is also without a family doctor. He said his mother had a health scare last year and he spent hours with her in the emergency department. When she was eventually discharged, there was no followup because she had no doctor to send the file to. He said his mother isn't angry with the government and isn't trying to be political. What she is doing is standing up for herself and other seniors in similar situations. "We respect our seniors, we try to look after them. At 96, I think you deserve a bit better," he said. "I'm just proud of her that … she is still willing to make a public statement." The provincial Department of Health and Wellness declined an interview request for Health Minister Michelle Thompson, and directed the request to the Nova Scotia health authority. McCormick, from Nova Scotia Health, said she can't discuss Lamont's case due to patient confidentiality, but she urges anyone without a doctor to make sure their information is up to date on the registry, because the list is triaged. Patients on the registry fill out a health questionnaire and a health complexity score is created for them. "It tells us about their type of concerns and people that have chronic conditions or more complex health-care needs, maybe a new emerging issue," McCormick said. "We do use that as a way to think about who needs continuous care and connection to a family practice sooner." McCormick said she has never heard of someone putting an ad in the paper looking for a doctor. "I think that person is trying to advocate for their health-care needs, which I think is important." A surprise call Stewart Lamont said he received a call from a Nova Scotia Health employee on Friday afternoon, after the advertisement ran in the newspaper, saying his mother's information wasn't filled out properly on the registry and would now be added. They called back Monday morning and said they were working to find her a doctor. Then Monday afternoon, a Dartmouth medical clinic called and said a new doctor moving to the province to take over from one of her former physicians who retired years ago can take her on as a patient in the next few months. CBC News contacted the clinic, who said the doctor is on vacation and unavailable to comment. Dorothy Lamont said she is optimistic, but is left with one thought. "I would like all our seniors to be able to have a doctor to go to, not just me because I put the ad in."
