Promoting the Careers of International Medical Graduates*
Date: October 18, 2026
Time: 7:30 am to 9:00 am
Room: Coral 2
Track: Professional Development Workshop - Mid to Late-Career Level
Session Description
International Medical Graduates (IMGs) comprise nearly one-third of neurology trainees and approximately one-quarter of the physician workforce. As the population ages and more than 40% of physicians approach retirement, IMGs play a critical role in expanding access to care and advancing the academic mission. It is essential for program directors, faculty, and hiring leaders to understand the unique needs and contributions of IMGs across all stages of training and career development.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Review visa pathways available for training and employing qualified IMGs.
- Examine the challenges and opportunities IMGs encounter when pursuing academic careers.
- Identify effective recruitment and institutional strategies to support the successful integration and retention of IMGs.
Speakers
- (Chair) Jayant Acharya, MD, DM, FANA, FAES, FACNS, FAAN
- (Co-Chair) Abhimanyu Mahajan, MD, MHS, FANA
- (Speaker) Imama Naqvi, MD, MS
- (Speaker) Erica Schuyler, MD, FAAN, FANA
- (Speaker) Thabele Leslie-Mazwi, MD, FANA
- (Speaker) Justin McArthur, MBBS, MPH, FAAN, FANA
International Medical Graduates as Physician Scientists
Description
International medical graduates (IMGs) represent a significant portion of the neurology trainee workforce, with approximately one-third of trainees being IMGs and one-fourth requiring visa sponsorship. Navigating a research career as an IMG can present unique challenges, particularly for those on visas, and requires careful planning to achieve long-term research training and career goals.
This presentation will provide an overview of pathways to a successful physician-scientist career, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges that may uniquely affect immigrant neurologists. Participants will explore potential roadblocks related to immigration status and visa requirements, as well as key stepping stones along the career path, including research training, funding mechanisms, mentorship, networking, and advocacy resources. Speakers will discuss the current research environment, realistic challenges facing early-stage investigators, and strategies that have supported successful careers, incorporating real-life experiences and practical advice.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the landscape for IMGs pursuing physician-scientist careers and practical strategies for navigating visa-related challenges, identifying funding and mentorship opportunities, and building a sustainable and fulfilling long-term research career.
IMGs in Graduate Medical Education
Description
International medical graduates (IMGs) play a vital role in the U.S. healthcare workforce, yet many face complex educational, regulatory, and professional challenges as they navigate training and career advancement. Faculty and institutional leaders are uniquely positioned to foster supportive environments that enable IMGs to thrive and contribute fully to academic medicine.
This presentation will examine the challenges international medical graduates encounter while pursuing training and careers in the United States. Participants will gain insight into the educational, licensing, immigration, and professional barriers that can affect career progression while exploring practical strategies that faculty and institutional leaders can use to advocate for and support IMG success. Topics will also include approaches to mentorship, sponsorship, and inclusive leadership that promote professional development, workforce diversity, and equitable opportunities within academic neurology.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the unique experiences of international medical graduates and practical strategies for fostering inclusive learning environments, strengthening institutional support, and advocating for the success of IMGs in academic neurology.
IMGs and the Health System
Description
International medical graduates (IMGs) play an essential role in the U.S. health care system, bringing clinical expertise, cultural and linguistic breadth, and a deep commitment to service. IMGs are particularly important in underserved communities, rural regions, and high-need specialties, yet they often navigate complex training, credentialing, immigration, and career pathways that can create significant barriers to professional advancement.
This session will examine the role of IMGs both as individual physicians navigating the U.S. health care system and as a vital component of the national physician workforce. Participants will review the contributions IMGs make to access, equity, workforce capacity, and innovation; explore common challenges across training and career development; and discuss institutional, cultural, and policy approaches that can better support IMG physicians throughout their careers.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the importance of IMGs to the health care workforce, the barriers that can limit their success, and practical strategies for creating systems that more effectively recognize, support, and advance their contributions.
Importance of IMGs to the Health of the US
Description
International medical graduates (IMGs) play a substantial and often underrecognized role in sustaining and advancing the U.S. physician workforce, including the field of neurology. Understanding the evolving role of IMGs is essential to appreciating the diversity, capacity, and workforce dynamics of neurology training programs across the country.
This presentation will examine the historical and current role of IMGs in U.S. medical education, drawing on trends in residency and fellowship recruitment and the demographic, economic, and policy factors that have influenced these patterns. Participants will explore how these evolving trends have shaped the composition of neurology residency programs, including their contributions to the diversity of clinical perspectives, the development of the neurology workforce, and access to neurological care across academic and community settings.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the contributions of IMGs to U.S. neurology residency programs and the broader neurology workforce, as well as the factors shaping their continued participation in graduate medical education and neurological care.
