US doctor shortage prompts calls for more exchange program waivers

• 63,000 more medical doctors needed

• Obama said to want thousands more medical residencies

• Lawmakers mulling allowing looser visitor exchange programs

CHICAGO, Illinois —The United States is expecting a shortage of 63,000 physicians, and President Obama has proposed an increase in the number of medical residency positions over the next ten years, primarily in primary care (family and internal medicine).

Moreover, certain members of Congress are mulling an increase in the number of applicants allowed to use two-year home residency waivers upon completion of medical exchange visitor program here.

This information is contained in a letter (dated March 21, 2014) of Chicago’s Consul General Leo H. Lim, which stated that the US will seek 13,000 medical residents in the next decade. The letter was sent to incoming Philippine Medical Association president, Dr. Ramon Lopez, a copy of which was provided to PINOY Newsmagazine.

The letter stated that the information was based on a “recent call of Dr. Humayan Chaudhry, president and chief Executive officer of the Federation of State Medical Board (FSMB) to Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr. at the Philippine Embassy in Washington” on March 10.

Because of the shortage, Chaudhry said “efforts in the nation’s capital are being made in support of an increase in the number of physicians in the U.S.”

He added that “certain members of the U.S. Congress want to see an increase in the number of applicants allowed in the Conrad Waiver Program, which allows J-1 medical doctors to apply for a waiver for the two-year residence requirement upon completion of the J-1 exchange visitor program.”

Further, Chaudhry revealed that “changes are in the offing in the U.S. Medical licensing Examination (MLE). (Details may be found online: http//www.usmle.org/pgfs/changes_to_USMLE_2014-2015_handout_FINAL.pdf.)”

In the same letter the following data were also stated:

•According to the 2012 Census, there are 878,194 actively licensed physicians in the U.S.

•22.4 percent or 196,573 are international medical graduates (IMGs)–those who graduated outside the U.S. and Canada.

•23 percent of the IMGs or 45,558 are from India, making them number one with the Philippines coming in a distant second at 8 percent or 14,785; while Pakistan (6 percent) and Mexico (5 percent) ranked third and fourth respectively.

•From those from the Philippines, 5,165 actively licensed physicians were graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas;  2,207 were from the University of the East (UE);  and 2,081 were from the University of the Philippines (UP)—making them, respectively, the first, second and third highest sources of U.S. actively licensed physicians from Philippine medical schools.