Recognizing International Medical Graduate Physicians Who Help Keep New York Healthy
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Colleagues:
October 19-23 is International Medical Graduate (IMG) Recognition Week, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the thousands of physicians who received their medical education outside the United States and have chosen to practice medicine in New York and throughout our nation. IMG status describes where a physician received medical school education, not citizenship; the group includes U.S. citizens as well as physicians born abroad.
New York, in particular, has benefited enormously from these physicians. They practice in virtually every specialty and in communities throughout our state. Many have chosen to practice in areas where recruiting physicians has historically been difficult, including rural communities and medically underserved urban areas. Their contributions extend beyond filling workforce vacancies. Many bring language skills and experience across cultures and health systems that can help them connect with patients and understand the communities they serve.
Recognition should also encourage us to examine the obstacles qualified physicians face. We should maintain rigorous standards while addressing avoidable delays and barriers that limit access to care. Patient safety must remain central. Education, clinical competency, appropriate postgraduate training, and compliance with licensing and credentialing requirements are essential. Policies that expand opportunities should include clear eligibility criteria, effective supervision where required, and accountability for quality of care.
New York recognizes the importance of IMG physicians through programs such as the State 30 J-1 visa waiver program. Under this program, qualified physicians can receive a waiver of the two-year home-residence requirement when they commit to practicing full-time for at least three years in federally designated underserved areas or serving populations residing in those areas. New York may recommend up to 30 waivers annually, subject to federal approval. Participating physicians must also meet applicable licensing and employment requirements.
MSSNY’s 2026 legislative program supports additional clinical training opportunities for appropriately supervised IMGs. We should also consider carefully designed proposals to expand eligible settings for supervised limited-permit practice, with patient safety safeguards. These proposals should be evaluated on their merits and distinguished from the requirements currently in effect. At a time when patients are struggling to find physicians, particularly in underserved communities, we cannot afford to overlook this tremendous resource.
IMG physicians have made a commitment to medicine, to their patients and, in many cases, to communities that need them most. They have become colleagues, teachers, researchers, specialists, primary care physicians, and leaders in organized medicine. During IMG Recognition Week, we should do more than simply thank them. We should recognize their importance to New York’s health care system and work to ensure that qualified international medical graduates have a meaningful opportunity to practice medicine in the communities that need them.
For MSSNY, that means advocating for a physician workforce that is large enough, appropriately distributed, and capable of meeting the needs of every New Yorker. International medical graduates have already demonstrated what they can contribute to our state. Our responsibility now is to make sure we do not put unnecessary obstacles in their way.
All the best,
Mark J. Adams, MD, MBA, FACR
MSSNY President
