International medical graduates (IMGs) are graduates of non-US or non-Canadian medical schools, regardless of US citizenship status; they represent one quarter of all physicians currently practicing in the United States. The top three countries where IMGs are from include India, Pakistan, and the Caribbean, offering diverse perspectives and unique experiences that create more equity in the US healthcare system.
IMGs pursue training in the United States for a variety of reasons, including better job opportunities, high-quality training, family ties to the US, and challenging political situations in their home countries. There must be a strong commitment for the individual to leave the familiar and pursue the long, expensive, and challenging road of moving to a different country, facing extremely difficult exams (many times in a different language than the one they train for in medical school), and cultural differences. The entire process to get certificated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) can take an average of 3 years, and only 60% complete the process. In 2020, from those who applied to the National Resident Matching Program, 40% of them failed to match for a residency program.
The ECFMG certification process requires the candidate to pass the first 2 steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).
