Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background To describe the supply, distribution, and characteristics of international medical graduates (IMGs) in family medicine who provide patient care in the U.S. Methods A cross-sectional study design, using descriptive statistics on combined data from the Educational Commission for Fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Family Practice |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12875-019-0933-8 |
| _version_ | 1811230180470947840 |
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| author | Robbert J. Duvivier Elizabeth Wiley John R. Boulet |
| author_facet | Robbert J. Duvivier Elizabeth Wiley John R. Boulet |
| author_sort | Robbert J. Duvivier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background To describe the supply, distribution, and characteristics of international medical graduates (IMGs) in family medicine who provide patient care in the U.S. Methods A cross-sectional study design, using descriptive statistics on combined data from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and the American Medical Association, including medical school attended, country of medical school, and citizenship when entering medical school. Results In total, 118,817 physicians in family medicine were identified, with IMGs representing 23.8% (n = 28,227) of the U.S. patient care workforce. Of all 9579 residents in family medicine, 36.0% (n = 3452) are IMGS. In total, 35.9% of IMGs attended medical school in the Caribbean (n = 10,136); 19.9% in South-Central Asia (n = 5607) and 9.1% in South-Eastern Asia (n = 2565). The most common countries of medical school training were Dominica, Mexico, and Sint Maarten. Of all IMGs in family medicine who attended medical school in the Caribbean, 74.5% were U.S. citizens. In total, 40.5% of all IMGs in family medicine held U.S. citizenship at entry to medical school. IMGs comprise almost 40% of the family medicine workforce in Florida, New Jersey and New York. Conclusions IMGs play an important role in the U.S. family medicine workforce. Many IMGs are U.S. citizens who studied abroad and then returned to the U.S. for graduate training. Given the shortage of family physicians, and the large number of IMGs in graduate training programs, IMGs will continue to play a role in the U.S. physician workforce for some time to come. Many factors, including the supply of residency training positions, could eventually restrict the number of IMGs entering the U.S., including those contributing to family practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:25:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b00d2c0ad354fae9717742e1ee27f2d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2296 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:25:57Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Family Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b00d2c0ad354fae9717742e1ee27f2d2022-12-22T03:36:59ZengBMCBMC Family Practice1471-22962019-03-012011810.1186/s12875-019-0933-8Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional studyRobbert J. Duvivier0Elizabeth Wiley1John R. Boulet2Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and ResearchJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthEducational Commission for Foreign Medical GraduatesAbstract Background To describe the supply, distribution, and characteristics of international medical graduates (IMGs) in family medicine who provide patient care in the U.S. Methods A cross-sectional study design, using descriptive statistics on combined data from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and the American Medical Association, including medical school attended, country of medical school, and citizenship when entering medical school. Results In total, 118,817 physicians in family medicine were identified, with IMGs representing 23.8% (n = 28,227) of the U.S. patient care workforce. Of all 9579 residents in family medicine, 36.0% (n = 3452) are IMGS. In total, 35.9% of IMGs attended medical school in the Caribbean (n = 10,136); 19.9% in South-Central Asia (n = 5607) and 9.1% in South-Eastern Asia (n = 2565). The most common countries of medical school training were Dominica, Mexico, and Sint Maarten. Of all IMGs in family medicine who attended medical school in the Caribbean, 74.5% were U.S. citizens. In total, 40.5% of all IMGs in family medicine held U.S. citizenship at entry to medical school. IMGs comprise almost 40% of the family medicine workforce in Florida, New Jersey and New York. Conclusions IMGs play an important role in the U.S. family medicine workforce. Many IMGs are U.S. citizens who studied abroad and then returned to the U.S. for graduate training. Given the shortage of family physicians, and the large number of IMGs in graduate training programs, IMGs will continue to play a role in the U.S. physician workforce for some time to come. Many factors, including the supply of residency training positions, could eventually restrict the number of IMGs entering the U.S., including those contributing to family practice.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12875-019-0933-8WorkforceFamily medicinePrimary careInternational medical graduatesMedical school |
| spellingShingle | Robbert J. Duvivier Elizabeth Wiley John R. Boulet Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study BMC Family Practice Workforce Family medicine Primary care International medical graduates Medical school |
| title | Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Supply, distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the United States: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | supply distribution and characteristics of international medical graduates in family medicine in the united states a cross sectional study |
| topic | Workforce Family medicine Primary care International medical graduates Medical school |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12875-019-0933-8 |
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