Internal medicine and the training of international medical graduates: a time for open discussion and new approaches.

The number of foreign national medical graduates entering internal medicine residency training programs in the United States has doubled since 1986. A rigorous, standardized preresidency evaluation of the basic clinical skills and language abilities of international medical graduates should be implemented. Those found to have significant deficits should undertake a preparatory curriculum designed to meet special educational needs before entry into the formal training program. A relevant curriculum might include formal lectures, reading assignments, physical diagnosis sessions, language classes, patient encounter sessions, and a tutorial on U.S medical culture that includes medical ethics and the basics of the our health care system. All or only some of these may be required for any given individual. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) could provide many of the methods needed for an evaluation program and work collaboratively with program directors. This new approach to training of international medical graduates will require an evaluation system to to measure its effectiveness. Important questions about the funding of graduate medical education for international medical graduates must also be addressed.