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- The CAP Applauds Bipartisan International Medical Graduate Legislation
The CAP applauds Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN-D) and Susan Collins (ME-R) for reintroducing the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (S. 665), which would reauthorize the Conrad 30 waiver program for three years, make improvements to the program, and increase the number of waivers granted to each state. This program incentivizes qualified international medical graduates (IMGs) to serve in underserved communities and is critical to help address the physician workforce shortage. The CAP continues to advocate to increase the physician workforce to maintain patient access to quality health care.
The United States is facing a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. In the March 31 letter to Senators Klobuchar and Collins, the CAP outlined how “IMGs are an important part of our nation’s health care system and currently represent 25% of the physician workforce. The percentage of first-year pathology resident slots were non-US IMGs was 33.3% in 2022 and 30.1% in 2023 …Under current law, J-1 visas require IMGs to return to their country of origin for at least two years upon completion of their residency, unless a Conrad 30 waiver is obtained.” This two-year requirement unnecessarily burdens the US medical workforce by placing strain on the hiring process after investing resources to train these IMGs.
The bipartisan Conrad 30 waiver program allows IMGs to work in underserved communities. Once the IMGs agree to the terms of the Conrad 30 program, they will not have to leave for two years before they are eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent residence. The CAP will advocate for Congress to advance this important legislation.