Early Career Development for International Graduates: Challenges and Opportunities*
JEC
Time: 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM
Description
International medical graduates (IMGs) make up approximately a third of neurology trainees and active neurologists in the USA. They play a major role in providing greater access to health care for millions of patients, especially in underserved regions. With the current shortage of neurologists, which is projected to increase in the next few decades, there is an even greater need for IMG neurologists. In order to remain in the US after training, IMGs face numerous visa-related and other challenges that can limit their scope of practice and range of opportunities in academic medicine. Advocacy and legislation efforts to address immigration complexities, increased recruitment of IMG neurologists in academic departments and a systematic approach to reducing bias and supporting diversity are necessary. During this session, speakers will present the landscape, challenges, and opportunities for in-training and early-career IMGs for a successful academic career in neurology. Greater knowledge and understanding of these issues will also benefit department chairs and other institutional leaders, and encourage them to recruit qualified IMG faculty and provide appropriate counseling to their IMG trainees.
Objectives
Illustrate visa issues faced by IMG neurologists.
Discuss challenges and opportunities for IMG neurologists pursuing academic careers.
Describe recruitment and counseling strategies for IMG neurologists.
Speakers
Concerning Visas: An IMG Tale
DescriptionA quarter of all neurology residents in the US are on a visa. This presentation aims to highlight systemic issues faced by such trainees before, during and after training. It shares various pathways they can pursue to alleviate such issues that can limit their opportunities and scope of practice. It hopes that better understanding of such obstacles can help individuals and institutions work together to maximize their talent.
SpeakersHow Mentorship Matters When Choosing a Career Pathway
DescriptionThis talk will describe key principles for successful mentor-mentee relationships and highlight how these principles can be leveraged while mentoring international medical graduates through different stages of career development from medical school to faculty appointments.
Immigrant Neurologists in the Physician-Scientist Pipeline
DescriptionWe will discuss gaps and opportunities specific to International Medical Graduates training in the US, and aspirational early career investigators who are considering a long term career in academic Neurology.
SpeakersMy Academic Journey as an Immigrant Neurologist
DescriptionIn this presentation, I will discuss my personal experience on the challenges and opportunities of Academic Neurology starting as a medical student in the Philippines, as a J-1 visa sponsored neurology resident and neurocritical care fellow, and as O-1 visa sponsored junior to midcareer-level faculty in an academic institution.