The International Medical Graduates Section (IMGS) works to advocate for issues that impact international medical graduates. Learn about the major issues that the IMGS addresses and how it influences policy that is relative to the concerns of international medical graduates.
Important policy issues for International Medical Graduates
- State Licensure Requirements for International Medical Graduates: All state licensing jurisdictions require a graduate of a foreign medical school to complete 1 to 3 years of accredited U.S. or Canadian graduate medical education before licensure. Find state licensure board requirements for international medical graduates, and general information about licensure requirements.
- Equality in Examinations for International Medical Graduates
- Immigration Policies for International Medical Graduates: International medical graduates constitute more than 23% of physicians in the United States. International medical graduates play a vital role in U.S. health care, particularly in providing medical care to underserved communities. The IMGS advocates policies that address immigration issues and visa complications that may impede postgraduate education. Read the summary of the U.S. Supreme Court order reinstating President Trump’s travel ban (PDF).
- Promoting Opportunities for Residency Training: AMA will work to minimize the time it takes for international medical graduates to obtain visas to participate in GME or practice medicine in the United States. Find more information on available residencies in FREIDA Online®, the Residency and Fellowship Database®.
- Helping Underserved Communities
- IMG Representation in AMA and organized medicine
- With over 40,000 members strong, the IMGS members of the AMA are a formidable voice in organized medicine. All AMA members who are international medical graduates automatically become members of the IMGS and all members are allowed to vote in the election of the IMGS Governing Council.
- Physician Workforce Planning At the urging of the IMGS, the AMA has begun to re-examine its policies and assumptions about the future of the physician workforce.
- Credentials Verification International medical graduates are particularly affected by credentials verification because obtaining copies of diplomas, transcripts and other documents from medical schools outside the United States can be challenging.
Explore more about these policies in AMA’s PolicyFinder.
How to submit a resolution to the IMGS
Any AMA member may submit a resolution to the IMGS for consideration at the Assembly's Annual or Interim Meetings. Resolution ideas for the June annual meeting are due April 1. Resolutions ideas for the November interim meeting are due Aug. 1.
Resolutions that are submitted earlier than the deadline may be included in the IMGS Handbook and sent to all section members.
Resolutions submitted after the deadlines are considered late resolutions and require IMGS Governing Council approval to be considered at the IMGS meetings. The governing council will base its vote on the urgency of the issue, not its intrinsic merit.
Use the resolution template (DOCX) to submit a resolution, and email it to the IMGS team at [email protected].
Learn more about the governing council or leadership opportunities available for IMGS members.
