Hi all,
I am at the end of my training.
I have thought deeply over the last 6 years of the various instances of discrimination I have faced due to being a foreign grad.
My question to you all is how do you shed sunlight on these issues so that we address these through increased awareness.
1. Lack of residency interviews from top US programs
- despite having good profile, scores in 260s
2. Despite leveling the play field, or so I thought, after residency from a mid tier university program, I failed to get interviews from top US fellowship programs
- despite having more research than AMG colleagues
- letters from leaders in my field
- ITE scores over 90 the percentile
- no problems in residency
- fortunately matched at one top program which interviews FMGs
3. During job search
- top ivy league and west coast programs declined to interview me
- AMGs with substantially lower credentials were offered jobs over me, despite me having much better credentials, e.g. way more publications, oral presentations, national and international awards,
- jobs offered to FMGs are more clinically heavy while AMGs get more cushy job with more protected research time
4. Systemic issues
- FMGs on visa are not eligible for T32 grants during fellowship
- or NIH career development awards, which are given out like peanuts to US citizens
- this robs FMGs from opportunity to have protected time during early career which is crucial to build an academic career
5. During job as attendings in university program, my FMG colleagues are significantly looked down upon by AMGs
- even during training, AMG co-residents/fellows feel entitled to **** on FMG co-residents/fellows
These issues are not limited to myself
- but collective experience of me and my FMG colleagues
- issues which new FMGs starting the USMLE process do not have grasp over
- also note that I do not have a problem with accent as AMGs have frequently complemented me on my English and had been surprised to know that I have been in the US only for 6 years.
Even the most accomplished and distinguished faculty from top programs who are FMGs will attest to these.
- They will tell you that you have to be twice as good as an AMG to get the same bar or get a job or recognition
- I am saying this from first hand experience of having received such advice, verbatim, from some of such faculty
I think ECFMG is also complicit in perpetuating this by giving physicians the easy path of J1
- only that J1 and subsequent j1 waiver is essentially bonded servitude
- which traps FMGs in abusive waiver jobs in the middle of nowhere
- minority who are able to get good jobs in competitive places, are frequently stuck with O1 visas independently which needs to renewed annually
This is all despite data to show that clinical outcomes of patients treated by FMGs are better than AMGs
- despite the patient population treated by FMGs were more high-risk underserved patients (BMJ article from Harvard)
I wrote this post very quickly, and I am sure I can remember more instances and examples if I think harder.
I am at the end of my training.
I have thought deeply over the last 6 years of the various instances of discrimination I have faced due to being a foreign grad.
My question to you all is how do you shed sunlight on these issues so that we address these through increased awareness.
1. Lack of residency interviews from top US programs
- despite having good profile, scores in 260s
2. Despite leveling the play field, or so I thought, after residency from a mid tier university program, I failed to get interviews from top US fellowship programs
- despite having more research than AMG colleagues
- letters from leaders in my field
- ITE scores over 90 the percentile
- no problems in residency
- fortunately matched at one top program which interviews FMGs
3. During job search
- top ivy league and west coast programs declined to interview me
- AMGs with substantially lower credentials were offered jobs over me, despite me having much better credentials, e.g. way more publications, oral presentations, national and international awards,
- jobs offered to FMGs are more clinically heavy while AMGs get more cushy job with more protected research time
4. Systemic issues
- FMGs on visa are not eligible for T32 grants during fellowship
- or NIH career development awards, which are given out like peanuts to US citizens
- this robs FMGs from opportunity to have protected time during early career which is crucial to build an academic career
5. During job as attendings in university program, my FMG colleagues are significantly looked down upon by AMGs
- even during training, AMG co-residents/fellows feel entitled to **** on FMG co-residents/fellows
These issues are not limited to myself
- but collective experience of me and my FMG colleagues
- issues which new FMGs starting the USMLE process do not have grasp over
- also note that I do not have a problem with accent as AMGs have frequently complemented me on my English and had been surprised to know that I have been in the US only for 6 years.
Even the most accomplished and distinguished faculty from top programs who are FMGs will attest to these.
- They will tell you that you have to be twice as good as an AMG to get the same bar or get a job or recognition
- I am saying this from first hand experience of having received such advice, verbatim, from some of such faculty
I think ECFMG is also complicit in perpetuating this by giving physicians the easy path of J1
- only that J1 and subsequent j1 waiver is essentially bonded servitude
- which traps FMGs in abusive waiver jobs in the middle of nowhere
- minority who are able to get good jobs in competitive places, are frequently stuck with O1 visas independently which needs to renewed annually
This is all despite data to show that clinical outcomes of patients treated by FMGs are better than AMGs
- despite the patient population treated by FMGs were more high-risk underserved patients (BMJ article from Harvard)
I wrote this post very quickly, and I am sure I can remember more instances and examples if I think harder.
