BACKGROUND: Available evidence suggests that international medical graduates have improved the availability of U.S. health care while maintaining academic standards. We wondered whether studies had been conducted to address how international graduates were treated in the post-graduate selection process compared to U.S. graduates. METHODS: We conducted a Medline search for research on the selection process. RESULTS: Two studies provide strong evidence that psychiatry and family practice programs respond to identical requests for applications at least 80% more often for U.S. medical graduates than for international graduates. In a third study, a survey of surgical program directors, over 70% perceived that there was discrimination against international graduates in the selection process. CONCLUSIONS: There is sufficient evidence to support action against discrimination in the selection process. Medical organizations should publish explicit proscriptions of discrimination against international medical graduates (as the American Psychiatric Association has done) and promote them in diversity statements. They should develop uniform and transparent policies for program directors to use to select applicants that minimize the possibility of non-academic discrimination, and the accreditation organization should monitor whether it is occurring. Whether there should be protectionism for U.S. graduates or whether post-graduate medical education should be an unfettered meritocracy needs to be openly discussed by medicine and society.
BACKGROUND: Available evidence suggests that international medical graduates have improved the availability of U.S. health care while maintaining academic standards. We wondered whether studies had been conducted to address how international graduates were treated in the post-graduate selection process compared to U.S. graduates. METHODS: We conducted a Medline search for research on the selection process. RESULTS: Two studies provide strong evidence that psychiatry and family practice programs respond to identical requests for applications at least 80% more often for U.S. medical graduates than for international graduates. In a third study, a survey of surgical program directors, over 70% perceived that there was discrimination against international graduates in the selection process. CONCLUSIONS: There is sufficient evidence to support action against discrimination in the selection process. Medical organizations should publish explicit proscriptions of discrimination against international medical graduates (as the American Psychiatric Association has done) and promote them in diversity statements. They should develop uniform and transparent policies for program directors to use to select applicants that minimize the possibility of non-academic discrimination, and the accreditation organization should monitor whether it is occurring. Whether there should be protectionism for U.S. graduates or whether post-graduate medical education should be an unfettered meritocracy needs to be openly discussed by medicine and society.
Authors: Kevan Sternberg; Jaime Jordan; Mary R C Haas; Shuhan He; Nicole M Deiorio; Lalena M Yarris; Teresa M Chan Journal: J Grad Med Educ Date: 2020-10
Authors: Shashank Sarvepalli; Ari Garber; Michael B Rothberg; Gautam Mankaney; John McMichael; Gareth Morris-Stiff; John J Vargo; Maged K Rizk; Carol A Burke Journal: JAMA Surg Date: 2019-07-01 Impact factor: 14.766
Authors: Shalini T Reddy; Michael Kisielewski; Lisa L Willett; Sandhya Wahi-Gururaj; Vinny M Arora; Furman S McDonald; Himangi Kaushal; Saima Chaudhry Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2021-02-11 Impact factor: 6.473
Authors: Alexis E Pelletier-Bui; Caitlin Schrepel; Liza Smith; Xiao Chi Zhang; Adam Kellogg; Mary Ann Edens; Christopher W Jones; Emily Hillman Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2020-12-07 Impact factor: 2.463