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Comparative Study
. 2007 Feb;22(2):264-8.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-006-0022-2.

The United States physician workforce and international medical graduates: trends and characteristics

Elie A Akl  1 , Reem Mustafa, Fadi Bdair, Holger J Schünemann
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The United States physician workforce and international medical graduates: trends and characteristics

Elie A Akl et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Feb.

Abstract

Background: International medical graduates (IMGs) have been a valuable resource for the United States physician workforce, and their contribution to the United States workforce is likely to increase.

Objective: To describe the historical trends and compare the characteristics of IMGs to United States medical graduates (USMGs) in the United States.

Design: Longitudinal analysis of the American Medical Association Physicians' Professional Data (AMA-PPD) database using the 1978-2004 files and a comparative analysis of the characteristics of a random sample of 1,000 IMGs and a random sample of 1,000 USMGs using the 2004 file.

Measurements: Historical trends and characteristics of IMGs in the United States.

Results: Over the last 26 years, the number of IMGs in the United States grew by 4,873 per year reaching a total of 215,576 in 2004, about 2.4 times its size in 1978. The proportion of IMGs increased 0.12% per year, from 22.2% in 1978 to 25.6% in 2004. In 2004, compared with USMGs, IMGs were older, less likely to be board certified [Odds ratio (OR), 0.68; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.86], less likely to work in group practice (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.98), more likely to have Internal Medicine as practice specialty (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.62 to 2.71) and more likely to be residents (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.16).

Conclusions: Over the last quarter century, the IMGs provided a significant and steady supply for the United States physician workforce that continues to grow. Policymakers should consider the consequences for both the United States and source countries.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time trends (1978–2004) of the numbers of residents, practicing physicians, and total IMGs in the United States. Data for 1984 and 1990 are missing. We used straight interpolation in drawing the trends. The total number of physicians in the United State in 2004 was 843,248.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Time trends (1978–2004) of the proportions of residents, practicing physicians, and total IMGs in the United States. Data for 1984 and 1990 are missing. We used straight interpolation in drawing the trend.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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