| Hello John, One major complaint about the U.S. health care system is limited access to care. In one poll, 43% of Americans say there are not enough options for medical care where they live. That’s a big problem. The cause: A lot of that has to do with a lack of doctors. Indeed, the U.S. is grappling with a critical physician shortage, with over 37,000 physicians missing from the workforce as of 2021. - This shortage is compounded by the fact that 43% of current physicians are at retirement age or will reach it in the next decade. And physician “burnout,” due to insurance-company hassle, is encouraging early retirements.
- Meanwhile, the residency system remains overburdened and unable to meet the growing demand for training new doctors — 7% of U.S. med-school grads were not successfully matched to a residency in 2023.
- This physician deficit is particularly acute in rural and underserved areas, where access to quality care is already limited.
A promising solution: Addressing this crisis requires innovative solutions — and one promising avenue is international medical graduates, or IMGs. IMGs are highly skilled medical professionals trained in rigorous programs abroad comparable to the training they would receive at U.S. medical schools. The pool of IMGs is potentially large. There are 263,000 legal immigrants with international health care degrees in the U.S. who are underemployed. It’s a colossal waste. But there’s a hurdle: Strict residency requirements often force them to redo years of training, even if they are already experienced practitioners. This not only wastes valuable time and talent but also worsens the health care access gap, leaving thousands of communities without adequate medical care. And a solution: Fortunately, change is on the horizon. Several states have begun to implement new policies offering IMGs time-limited provisional licenses. These licenses allow IMGs to practice under supervision while they work toward fulfilling the requirements for an unrestricted license. Enabling IMGs to practice in underserved areas immediately ensures high-quality care, eases pressure on the residency system, and strengthens the health care system by leveraging an underutilized talent pool. Your voice matters. Better access to health care for all Americans is achievable. Supporting provisional licenses for IMGs isn’t just about solving a staffing problem — it’s about creating a better health care system, which means better health care outcomes. Please sign the petition urging policymakers to allow foreign-trained doctors to help cure our doctor shortage. Don’t wait — sign today before the doctor shortage gets worse. | 
