Global standard could improve candidate process for international physicians

International physicians go through a rigorous process when attempting to become doctors in the U.S.

Becoming a doctor is a difficult endeavor and those that achieved the accomplishment in another country will experience even more challenges when attempting to gain a physician job in the United States.

First, a foreign medical graduate will need to be approved by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) when looking to enter a U.S. residency program. The ECFMG is responsible for ensuring that every international medical graduate (IMG) is able to speak English proficiently, has a credible background and passed the initial two stages of the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

American Medical News suggested that developing a global standard for finding appropriate candidates to become practitioners in the United States will be significantly beneficial. Medical boards across the U.S. have had difficulties when deciding which IMGs are best suited and which ones had an adequate medical education in their country. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) supported this initiative of a global standard.

"There is no question it is a step in the right direction to raise the standard of medical education worldwide in the interest of protecting the public interest," AAFP President Dr. Glen Stream told the news source.

While the global standard is not a reality as of yet, some other changes in medical education are taking place, according to the U.S. News and World Report. The medical residency application process is undergoing some modifications, led by the National Residency and Match Program, and program directors will now rank applicants when including them in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP).

With more opportunities available in the medical sphere, students would be wise to invest in a future as a physician, nurse, therapist or other healthcare worker. To get a taste of the medical industry, recent college graduates and university students should consider becoming physician scribes and gaining experience in medical documentation and provider-patient dynamics.

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