Objective: International medical graduates (IMGs) make up a substantial proportion of the United States physician workforce, including psychiatrists in practice. The purpose of this study was to describe, based on current data, the characteristics and qualities of IMG psychiatrists who provide patient care in the US. Method: Physician data from…

The Clinical Skills Assessment Examination was constructed to test the clinical skills of foreign medical graduates. A pilot test of 635 foreign graduates, including 35 United States citizens, and 123 graduates of U.S. medical schools found 28 percent of foreign graduates deficient in clinical skills, consistent with previous research. (MSE)

The pass/fail results of 44 North American medical specialty certification examinations are compared and analyzed. Failure rates for comparable North American and FMG candidates were higher on Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examinations than on equivalent U.S. tests. (Author/LBH)

A study of the use of the Medical Education Evaluation Program, established by Ohio to evaluate clinical competencies of medical graduates of non-accredited schools, found the test to meet psychometric standards of certifying and licensing examinations. Potential problems with the test are discussed. (MSE)

A study of 550 Americans who took the examination sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in 1972 after or while attending foreign medical schools revealed that ten years after graduation, 70 have never qualified for American graduate medical education and 61 more have not become licensed practitioners. (Author/MSE)

The report examines issues concerning graduates of foreign medical schools applying for endorsement licensure and the question of whether they are subject to dissimilar and unfair requirements compared with those for graduates of U.S. medical schools. The investigation's objectives were to: (1) identify any differences between the states'…

The adoption of improved evaluation methods is advocated to ensure that graduates from schools not accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education have knowledge and skills that approach equivalency to those of U.S. domestic graduates. (MLW)

Data are presented on 9,491 graduates of foreign medical schools applying for certification through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in 1988, including the proportions certified, entering accredited residency programs, participating in physician exchanges, as well as their visa status. Details and requirements of…

A bibliography from the National Library of Medicine's MEDLARS Program covers: accreditation, certification and licensure; computers; continuing education; curriculum; educational measurement; faculty; forensic medicine; history; internship and residency; medical education in other countries; minority groups, sex and age factors; and premedical…

The 55 medical students from the University of Alabama who used a commercial test-coaching company's services to prepare for the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination scored significantly higher than students with comparable basic science grade-point averages. The impact of such coaching on licensure is discussed. (Author/JMD)

Physician migration to and from countries results from many local causes and international influences. These factors operate in the context of an increasingly globalized economy. From an ethical point of view, selective and targeted "raiding" of developing countries' medical workforce by wealthier countries is not acceptable. However,…

The purchase of fraudulent medical degrees and credentials and the provision of medical care by unqualified people posing as doctors are the subject of these hearings before the U.S. House of Representatives. Investigations revealed the following findings: U.S. citizens who graduated from foreign medical school have received medical licenses…

A program at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, developed and adminstered a preparatory course for the Federal Licensing Examination (FLEX) for non-fully licensed physicians employed in the United States. Statistical data indicated that nearly 75% of the condidates for licensure in states employing FLEX were foreign medical graduates with a…

Approximately 150 citations on medical education cover the following topics: accreditation, certification, and licensure; continuing education; current biography and obituary; educational measurement; educational research and evaluation; internship and residency; medical education in other countries; minority groups, sex factors and age factors;…

A followup to a 1980 General Accounting Office (GAO) report was undertaken to evaluate public and private activities that addressed problems created by U.S. citizens studying medicine abroad and returning to the United States to practice medicine. The 1980 report made suggestions to ensure that U.S. foreign medical graduates received education and…