International Medical Graduates (IMG)

Promoting diversity in medicine
The International Medical Graduates Section (IMG) represents and promotes the interests of physicians who graduated from medical schools outside of the United States or Canada. Thirty-five thousand members strong, all AMA members who are IMGs are automatically members of the IMG Section.

AMA-IMG Observership Working Group
If you have expertise in medical observerships and job shadowing programs (informal or formal) for international medical graduates, the AM- IMG Section would like your feedback and input as we finalize our Observership Guidelines. If you are interested in participation with this working group send an e-mail and attach your CV and statement of interest by Sept. 30th. The first conference call is slated for mid-October. You will be notified via e-mail in early October.

View the adopted AMA CME Observership report and its recommendations (PDF, 37KB)

View the AMA-IMG Section Summary of Actions from the AMA Annual Meeting in June (PDF, 123KB)

Take part in the Virtual IMG Congress Sept. 2-12
In order to hear the opinions from all interested AMA-IMG members, the AMA-IMG Section Governing Council established a Virtual IMG Congress to solicit testimony related to items of business for the upcoming AMA House of Delegates. Starting Sept. 2 we will be posting Interim 2008 resolutions for your review on this Web site. Review the resolutions being considered for the AMA’s Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates and submit your testimony via e-mail by Sept. 12 for the Governing Council’s consideration. Check back on the same Web site from Sept. 19-23 to view the final amended resolutions and ratify the final resolutions by sending an “approve” or “not approve” email to img@ama-assn.org. This new timeline insures that the AMA IMG resolutions will be finalized in enough time to be included in the AMA House of Delegates handbook for widespread distribution and consideration by other State and Specialty Delegations. The IMG Congress meeting in Orlando will consider late resolutions and other items of business germane to the IMG Section.

AMA-IMG Section activities set for Orlando
Join your IMG colleagues on Friday, Nov. 7 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for the IMG Congress; Monday, Nov. 10 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. for the IMG Delegates Caucus followed by the Busharat Ahmad, MD Leadership Program from 9:00-11:00 a.m. All activities will be held at the Marriott Orlando World Center, Orlando, Fla. RSVP by e-mail before Oct. 15 using the AMA-IMG Section registration form (Word, 89 KB)

Wanted: IMG advisors
After a successful pilot year, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is once again seeking the participation of qualified physicians to serve on its IMG Advisors Network (IAN). IAN allow IMGS who are applying for J-1 visas through the Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program to communicate directly with IMGs who have successfully entered or completed GME training in the U.S. Learn more about serving as an advisor in the ECFMG IAN.

IMGs in the U.S. Physician Workforce Discussion Paper- 2007 edition (PDF, 419KB) The AMA-IMG Section is pleased to provide the 2007 edition of this document which provides information on IMG workforce related issues including: the role of IMGs in the U.S. physician workforce, statistics on IMGs, IMG contributions to the delivery of health care in the U.S. and much more. Additional information on IMG workforce issues is also available in a slide presentation (PDF, 1MB) given by Nyapati R. Rao, MD, MS in June 2007.

Practicing medicine in the U.S.
Information on immigration, certification and licensing. Applying for residency positions. Residency vacancies.

The AMA working for IMGs
Current advocacy on IMG issues and efforts to increase visibility of IMGs in the AMA and in organized medicine.

About us
History and evolution, mission statement, bylaws, accomplishments, and IMG Newsletters.

IMG leadership
Structure and leadership of the IMG Congress and Governing Council. Election procedures and results.

Meetings
The voice of the IMG Section influences policy and supports advocacy issues. This Web site includes Congress agendas, ethnic medical society meetings dates, actions from IMG Section meetings and links.

IMGs in the U.S.
Demographics of IMGs in the U.S.
State and Specialty IMG Sections.
Ethnic Medical Associations.
Setting the record straight on common myths.

FAQs
Frequently asked questions of concern to IMGs.

Contact us
Contact information for AMA Staff, IMG Governing Council and related services.

This AMA e-mail newsletter is sent weekly to IMGs. AMA eVoice informs IMGs about meetings and events, leadership applications and awards, up-to-date information from the IMG Section, current events in the healthcare industry, and much more!