International medical graduates: From America to ‘down under’

To the Editor

‘Tam, what do I need to do to move to Australia? I am an American Board-certified psychiatrist’, a longtime friend and now a practicing psychiatrist in the United States asked me frantically on the phone. I was shocked at first to receive several such inquiries from visa-requiring International Medical Graduates (IMGs) serving in the United States.

Since Donald Trump was sworn in as America’s 45th president, IMGs in the United States are feeling on edge as clouds of uncertainty loom over their future. Trump’s travel ban and recent travel restrictions have blocked travel and stay for hundreds of IMGs, from the banned country list, in the United States (Majeed et al., 2017). The United States, like Australia and New Zealand, is heavily reliant on International Medical Graduates for its health care system. Most of these immigrant doctors, who have gone to America for training, stay on and work in the United States on J-1 or H1-B visas but remain a citizen of the country of their origin (Majeed and Saeed, 2017).

Many of these IMGs are contemplating making a move to Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom. They are especially interested in exploring the ‘specialist pathway’ in Australia because of this country’s welcoming immigration policy, arguably better lifestyle, attractive wages, Medicare benefits and a truly diverse multicultural society. The ‘specialist pathway’ is for overseas-trained specialists seeking registration in Australia or who are applying for one of its area-of-need positions.

There are about 3650 psychiatrists registered in Australia, many of whom obtained their primary medical degree overseas (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency [AHPRA], 2017). The Medical Board of Australia report in 2016 indicated that 25 IMGs, immigrating to Australia, had obtained their specialist qualification in the United States. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has so far awarded 28 psychiatry fellowships to IMGs through the ‘specialist pathway’, including one psychiatrist trained in America (Medical Board of Australia, 2017).

It will be interesting to see if more US trained psychiatrists apply to the ‘specialist pathway’ in the near future and how it will affect the job situation ‘down under’. America’s brain drain could be Australia’s gain. RANZCP should be prepared to seize this opportunity that could strengthen psychiatry practice in Australia by increasing diversity, bringing knowledge and cross-cultural experiences from around the world.