Promoting Neurology in the US: International Medical Graduates
Description
This presentation will provide an overview of the journey undertaken by international medical graduates from medical school to residency, fellowship and after.
Promoting the Careers of International Medical Graduates*
Date: September 15, 2025
Time: 7:00 am to 8:30 am
Track: Professional Development Workshop - Early Career-Level Course
Session Description
International Medical Graduates (IMGs) make up close to one-third of our neurology trainees and one-quarter of our workforce. They play a major role in providing greater access to health care for millions of patients, especially in underserved regions. With the current shortage of neurologists—projected to increase over the next few decades—there is an even greater need for IMG neurologists. To remain in the US after training, IMGs face numerous visa-related and other challenges that can limit their scope of practice and range of opportunities in academic medicine. It is essential for training directors, supervising faculty, and hiring chiefs/chairs to understand the unique needs of IMGs before, during, and after their training. This session will allow attendees to:
- Understand the pathway to training in the US including types of visas, reporting requirements and unique needs during the onboarding/orientation process.
- Understand the hiring methods and visa options for IMG faculty training on a J-1 visa.
- Learn about funding options for IMG physicians planning to pursue an academic or clinician-scientist career path.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees should be able to:
- Illustrate visa issues faced by IMG neurologists.
- Highlight challenges and opportunities for IMG neurologists pursuing academic careers.
- Provide recruitment and counseling strategies for IMG neurologists.
Speakers
- (Speaker) Abhimanyu Mahajan, MD, MHS
- (Speaker) Imama Naqvi, MD, MS
- (Speaker) Jayant Acharya, MD, DM, FANA
Immigrant Neurologists in the Physician-Scientist Pipeline
Description
This presentation will review opportunities to advance the research portfolio for early and mid career IMG faculty.
Speakers
Hiring and Promoting the Career Development of IMGs: A Chairs' Perspective
Description
This presentation will address the benefits, complexities and challenges of hiring IMGs as academic neurology faculty from a leadership perspective, as well as provide an overview of hiring methods and career support for international medical graduates to chairs and other institutional leaders.