Where do rural hospitals look if they are having trouble attracting hospitalists to their communities—and keeping them there? One target should be graduates of international medical schools. Brian Bossard, MD, FACP, FHM, director of Inpatient Physician Associates in Lincoln, Neb., estimates that he has recruited 40 physicians to HM practice at the three hospitals his group serves, and at least a dozen of them were international medical graduates (IMGs).
Dr. Bossard works closely with a specialized immigration attorney, Elahe Najfabadi of the Offices of Carl Shusterman in Los Angeles. “There are lots of barriers to address to negotiate positive outcomes,” Dr. Bossard says. “You need an attorney you can rely on thoroughly.”
We get exceedingly high-quality physicians to provide care in rural communities. I love working with them.
—Brian Bossard, MD, FACP, FHM, director of Inpatient Physician Associates in Lincoln, Neb.
There are basically two categories of visas for IMGs: H-1B visas, which are capped nationally but allow doctors the flexibility to move around, and J-1 visas, which allow clinicians to remain in the U.S. while completing their medical studies. J-1 visas expire after two years, but physicians often are granted waivers and remain in the U.S.
According to Najfabadi, each state is allowed 30 physician J-1 visa waivers annually. Physicians must work in underserved areas, including rural communities, and those physicians must stay in the job for three years.
When it comes to the J-1 waiver program, timelines, deadlines, requirements for employers, and other regulations vary by state.
“In one state, we’ve had cases where the state wants verification of the doctor’s approved immigration status before issuing the medical license,” Najfabadi says.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service requires a valid license or a letter from the state that the physician is eligible in order to grant an H-1B permit. Najfabadi encourages potential rural employers of IMGs to learn the rules in their state, and to take advantage of such resources such as the IMG Task Force (http://www.imgtaskforce.org/).
“What I have found is that we get exceedingly high-quality physicians to provide care in rural communities,” Dr. Bossard says. “I love working with them.”
Larry Beresford is a freelance writer in Oakland, Calif.