International medical graduates (IMGs) train and/or practice in nearly
every U.S. state, fill critical gaps in underserved communities, and
are essential to the future of U.S. health care. Intealth is
committed to supporting them through policy, partnership, and
programs that make a difference.
17,000+ J-1 Physicians Sponsored at teaching hospitals across the nation.
770+ Teaching Hospitals Hosting J-1 Physicians
J-1 physicians train and serve patients at over 770 teaching
hospitals across the United States.
44,000+ 2026 Match Positions
U.S. MD & DO grads alone cannot fill them. IMGs are essential.
1 in 4 U.S. Physicians
are IMGs serving patients nationwide.
The data is clear: international medical graduates are essential to
the U.S. health care system. They fill positions in the specialties
and communities where need is greatest. Understanding that reality
and working to sustain it is at the heart of what Intealth does.
Eric S. Holmboe, MD
President and CEO, Intealth
Educating Policymakers
Intealth engages directly with federal policy affecting IMGs and the
institutions that train them, participating in congressional
briefings, joining multi-organization meetings, and ensuring that
decision makers have the information they need to understand the
contributions IMGs make to U.S. health care.
JANUARY 24, 2024 · WASHINGTON, D.C.
Intealth’s First Congressional Briefing
Co-hosted by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), the
well-attended briefing — “The Value of International Medical
Graduates as the Nation Faces Health Workforce Shortages” — brought
together congressional staff, federal policymakers, physicians, and
graduate medical education (GME) leaders to discuss the contributions of IMGs and the policy
landscape affecting them. Intealth President and CEO Eric S.
Holmboe, MD presented alongside panelists from the Missouri
Department of Health, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the American Medical Association (AMA).
MARCH 2024 · ADVISORY COMMISSION
Advisory Commission on Additional Licensing Models
Intealth joined the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish a first-of-its-kind
commission addressing state-level barriers to licensure for
internationally trained physicians. The Commission developed
preliminary recommendations for state medical boards and
legislators, released in 2025.
Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act
Sen. Kaine’s bill establishes HRSA grants to help internationally
educated health care professionals overcome systemic barriers to
entering the U.S. workforce.
9,682
IMGs matched to first-year residency positions in 2026
(includes both U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen IMGs)
42% Internal
medicine positions filled by IMGs
30.4%
Pediatrics positions filled by IMGs
22% Neurology
positions filled by IMGs
Transition to Residency
Intealth and its divisions offer a developing suite of resources to help programs and physicians navigate the transition into U.S. residency successfully, including an introduction to U.S. health care culture, teams, and electronic records. Visit our dedicated
Transition to Residency (T2R) resource hub to explore all available
tools and programs.
As policies evolve that affect J-1 physicians and the programs that
train them, Intealth communicates directly with Program Directors,
DIOs, Training Program Liaisons, and J-1 physicians to provide
timely guidance and context. Communications are archived here as a
resource.
Foreign national physicians in U.S. GME face challenges that extend
beyond the clinical. Immigration uncertainty, cultural adjustment,
family separation, and the demands of residency training often occur
simultaneously. Intealth’s well-being work is designed to address
those realities directly.
Intealth has compiled a number of resources to assist training institutions and foreign national physicians in removing potential barriers to well-being and addressing well-being issues. Find them on the Intealth Well-being Resources page. Additionally, information specifically for J-1 physicians is available on the Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program (EVSP) section of the ECFMG website.
Many institutions have moved from H-1B sponsorship to reliance on
the J-1 program for physicians over the past ten years. Intealth’s
well-being programs have expanded in step with that growth.
J-1 Well-being Module
Free Available at
no cost to all trainees and programs
Well-being Grants
$5K Annual grants for IMG physician-led projects
Well-being Grant Recipients
11 Grant recipients since its inception in 2023
Well-being Grant Opportunity
Launched in 2023, this annual grant awards up to $5,000 to IMG physician-led projects supporting the well-being of physicians at their host institutions. Recipients have created peer support programs, mental health toolkits, cultural mentorship initiatives, and more. Learn more here.
ACGME Collaboration & Research
Intealth and ACGME partnered on a landmark well-being seminar
focused on the unique needs of foreign national physicians in U.S.
training. The resulting J-1 physician well-being module, Supporting the Well-being of Exchange Visitor Physicians, is free of charge and covers mental health, cultural adjustment, navigating the U.S. system, and peer connection. Research collaboration continues.
Learn more here.
IMG Well-being Day
Launched in 2025, IMG Well-being Day is held annually on the last
Friday in May. It is intended as a moment to recognize the
contributions of international medical graduates and bring focused
attention to their well-being needs. It convenes programs,
policymakers, and physicians around a shared commitment to support
and belonging. Learn more here.
The numbers reflect the scale of IMG contributions to U.S. health care. The stories shared on the Journeys in Medicine blog offer a closer look at what that means in practice, from the first days of residency to careers built in communities across the country.
I’m sitting in my residency library during my trauma surgery rotation. I stare out the window at the shedding cherry blossom trees, and I reflect on how the last ten months flew by. As I wait for a trauma alert, I realize: I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
Dr. E Chin Mak
Emergency Medicine Resident, U.S. GME
It was 2:00 AM at Beirut airport, moments before a long trip to the United States. I was 30 years old, recently engaged, and a fresh graduate in critical care — about to begin the fellowship that would make me the first neurointensivist in my country.
Dr. Toufic Chaaban
Neurointensivist, trained in U.S. GME
Well-being Grant Opportunity
ACGME Collaboration & Research
IMG Well-being Day
NAM Action Collaborative
