Alien Physician
Regulations pertaining specifically to the Alien Physician category are found at [22 CFR 62.27].
The term “foreign medical graduate” (FMG) refers to a foreign national who graduated from a foreign or U.S. school of medicine accredited by a body (or bodies) approved for the purpose by the Secretary of Education. There are generally two types of exchange programs in which a foreign medical graduate participates:
- Clinical training in the “alien physician” category
- Non-Clinical training in the “research scholar” category
General information about each of the above-referenced programs is offered below.
Clinical Exchange Program (22 CFR 62.27(a)): Programs under which foreign medical graduates (FMGs) receive graduate medical education or training are considered to be clinical exchange. Participants in this type of program are categorized as Alien Physician and require sponsorship by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Refer to the ECFMG website for more information: http://www.ecfmg.org.
Foreign medical graduates (FMGs) may pursue graduate medical education or training at accredited schools of medicine or scientific institutions. To be eligible, FMGs must meet several criteria including, but not limited to, the following:
- They must have adequate prior education and training, and pass any of several qualifying exams.
- Competency in oral and written English is required.
- The applicant must provide ECFMG with a statement of need from the government of the country of his or her nationality or last legal permanent residence (and the test of such statement of need letter must utilize the language provided in 22 CFR Section 62.27(b)(6) to be considered acceptable by the Department of State); and,
- An agreement or contract from a U.S. accredited medical school, an affiliated hospital, or a scientific institution that is intended to provide the accredited medical education.
Non-Clinical Exchange Program (22 CFR 62.27(b)): Programs under which foreign medical graduates (FMGs) come to the United States for the purposes of observation, consultation, teaching, or research. Foreign medical graduates (foreign national physicians) may be sponsored by a U.S. university or academic medical center which has been designated by the Department of State to conduct an exchange visitor program in the category of Research Scholars. In this capacity, an FMG may observe, consult, teach or conduct research if:
- The sponsor provides certification, appended to the Form DS-2019, that states, “this certifies that the program in which…is to be engaged is solely for the purpose of observation, consultation, teaching or research and that no element of patient care is involved,” or,
- The Dean of the accredited U.S. medical school certifies the following five points:
- The program is predominantly observation, consultation, teaching or research;
- Any incidental patient contact will be under the direct supervision of a U.S. citizen or resident-alien physician who is licensed to practice medicine in the State in which the activity is taking place;
- The foreign national physician will not be given final responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of patients;
- Any activities will conform fully with the State licensing requirements and regulations for medical and health care professionals in the Sate in which the program is being pursued; and,
- Any experience gained will NOT be credited towards any clinical requirements for medical specialty board certification.