Advocacy

International medical graduates (IMGs) are essential to our ability to provide accessible, high-quality health care to U.S. patients. One-quarter of the U.S. physician workforce, IMGs serve in high numbers in underserved areas—both rural and urban—and in primary-care specialties. These talented and qualified physicians bring important international perspectives and add much-needed cultural and ethnolinguistic diversity to our physician workforce.

Intealth and its divisions, ECFMG and FAIMER, are leaders in advocating for IMGs and their significant contributions to U.S. health care. Through the ECFMG Certification program, Intealth’s ECFMG division evaluates the readiness of IMGs to enter accredited U.S. programs of graduate medical education (GME). Roughly 75% of the physicians we certify are foreign nationals. Intealth is the sole J-1 visa sponsor of foreign national physicians in clinical U.S. GME training programs. In this role, Intealth currently sponsors more than 14,600 J-1 physicians at teaching hospitals across the nation.

In mid-2023, Intealth established a Government Relations office to enhance its advocacy for IMGs and the critical roles they play in the U.S. health care system. At the end of 2024, Intealth is developing a robust advocacy plan for 2025. In November 2024, Intealth published Navigating Change: Embracing the Role of International Medical Graduates as the United States Enters a Period of Transition, reaffirming its commitment to supporting IMGs throughout the coming post-election transitions in federal and state governments in order to ensure a robust and inclusive health care workforce that serves the U.S. public effectively.

2024 Highlights

Educating on the Contributions of IMGs

In January, Intealth held its first Congressional Briefing, titled “The Value of International Medical Graduates as the Nation Faces Health Workforce Shortages.” Co-hosted by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), the briefing was a well-attended success that reiterated the bi-directional contributions of IMGs; the value of IMGs in light of U.S. workforce challenges; and Intealth’s policy expertise, services, and mission.

Intealth announced in March that it had joined with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish the Advisory Commission on Additional Licensing Models. The Commission was established in response to increasing interest among state policy makers in improving patient access and reducing workforce shortages by changing licensure requirements for physicians who completed training and/or practiced abroad. The Commission worked throughout 2024 to develop preliminary recommendations for state medical boards, state legislators, policy makers, and interested stakeholders to help inform development of additional licensing pathways for internationally trained physicians. Released in draft form for public comment in late 2024 , the preliminary recommendations will be available in early 2025 and will be followed by additional Commission recommendations in the coming year.

Throughout 2024, Intealth supported legislation that impacts the entry of IMGs to U.S. health care and physician wellness, including the following:

The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act would extend federal grant programs to help reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among medical residents, physicians, and other health care professionals, including IMGs. Intealth joined with more than 60 other national health organizations in a letter of support.
The Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act was introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to address health care workforce shortages across the country. The bill would establish a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant for programs to help internationally educated health care professionals overcome common barriers to entering the health care workforce in the United States, via system- and individual-level improvements.
The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would help address green card backlogs for health professionals via a one-time recapture of up to 40,000 unused employment-based visas – 25,000 for foreign-born nurses and 15,000 for foreign-born physicians. Intealth joined more than 50 national health organizations in a letter of support to congressional leadership endorsing this legislation.
In response to a Medicare GME reform policy outline proposed by a bipartisan working group of Senate Finance Committee members, Intealth sent a letter highlighting the disproportionate role IMGs — U.S. citizens and foreign nationals — already play in primary care, psychology, and underserved areas. The letter also emphasized the importance of IMG representation in federal advisory committees such as a proposed Medicare GME Policy Council.
The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 would add 14,000 Medicare-supported GME slots over seven years. Intealth joined more than 80 health care and medical education organizations in supporting this legislation. Intealth also participated in a “GME Day of Action ” with dozens of national organizations, Members of Congress, and the academic medicine community in support of expanding GME.

Connecting with IMGs

Representatives of Intealth connected directly with IMGs at events throughout the year. Our participation at these events supports IMGs planning to enter or in U.S. GME and creates important opportunities for sharing resources and feedback.

Physician Wellness

Intealth’s physician wellness initiatives are an important complement to its advocacy efforts for IMGs. These wellness initiatives include an annual well-being grant opportunity for foreign national physicians in U.S. GME, collaboration with the ACGME on well-being research and events, and development of tools and resources. Learn more by visiting the Physician Wellness web page.

Contact Us

Please contact us to learn more, request a speaker, or discuss opportunities for collaboration.

Elizabeth Ingraham
Assistant Vice President, External Relations and Public Affairs, Intealth
eingraham@intealth.org

Matthew Shick
Assistant Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer, Intealth
mshick@intealth.org

Tracy Wallowicz, MLS
Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Chief Communications Officer, Intealth
twallowicz@intealth.org

[Last update: February 3, 2025]

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