The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using a Competency-based Achievement System (CBAS) (a formative tool) in the practice ready assessment (PRA) of internationally-trained physicians seeking licensure to practice in Canada (summative assessment). The study was a retrospective analysis of over 5,000 FieldNotes completed…

The aim of this paper is to investigate from a discourse analytic perspective task authenticity in the speaking component of the Occupational English Test (OET), an English language screening test for clinicians designed to reflect the language demands of health professional-patient communication. The study compares the OET speaking sub-test…

Objectives: International medical graduates (IMGs) account for a significant proportion of residents in psychiatric training in the United States. Many IMGs may have previously completed psychiatry residency training in other countries. Their experiences may improve our system. Authors compared and contrasted psychiatry residency training in the…

This study identifies a unique context for exploring lay understandings of language testing and, by extension, for characterizing the nature of language assessment literacy among non-practitioners, stemming from data in an inquiry into the registration processes and support for overseas trained doctors by the Australian House of Representatives…

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan tracked a cohort of 39 international medical graduates (IMGs) in rural Saskatchewan and discovered that 51% left the province within five years (personal communication). A study by Basky, Mathew, Edwards, and Rourke (2007) found that half a cohort of IMGs in rural Newfoundland and Labrador…

International doctors ("international medical graduates" or "IMGs") constitute 23% of the physician workforce in the United States. Despite entry screening for educational credentials and spoken English proficiency, research shows that language and cultural issues can still persist for IMGs during and after their residency…

Despite predictions of a physician surplus by 1990, graduates of foreign medical schools (both aliens and U.S. citizens) continue to flow into the United States. Secondary analysis of 1980 data suggests that graduates of foreign schools may secure their presence within the American medical system by selecting specialties where shortages exist. (KH)

Overseas doctors working in the United Kingdom fall into two groups: those who studied medicine in English and those who did not. This article details the active and passive language skills that doctors working in England need and those in which the overseas doctors are deficient. (Author/PJM)

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)

Critical access hospitals (CAHs) are a federal Medicare category for isolated rural facilities with 15 or fewer acute care beds that receive cost-based reimbursement from Medicare. Purpose: This study examines the role of foreign-born international medical graduates (IMGs) in the staffing of CAHs. Methods: Chief executive officers (CEOs) of CAH…

A survey of 50,273 practicing physicians in New York State gathered data on demographic characteristics, medical education characteristics, practice setting characteristics, and specialty practice characteristics. Highlights of survey findings include: (1) physicians are distinctively male (78 percent) and white (76 percent); (2) minority…

Presents a 10-point program for Americans to help Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) become better acquainted with America. (Author)

Past and current impacts of the supply of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) on the total physician supply and on the availability of physician services are reviewed, and the possible future role of FMGs is forecasted. The relationship of the levels and changes in FMG supply to legislative decisions of the past three decades is also addressed, with…

The increase in the number of women and the decline in the number of foreign medical graduates in U.S. medicine were studied by comparing the specialty distributions of house officers in the 1973-74 and 1979-80 training years. Implications are discussed in the context that there is a physician surplus. (Author/MLW)

A survey of the number and distribution of women physicians in a nonmetropolitan area of Illinois is discussed. Graduates of foreign medical schools, the majority with physician relatives also from foreign schools, were found to constitute a sizable portion of the women physician pool in the smallest counties. (Author/MLW)