Do International Medical Graduates (IMGs) “Fill the Gap” in Rural Primary Care in the United States?
Publication Date
March 2009
Citation
Thompson MJ, Hagopian A, Fordyce M, Hart LG. (2009). Do International Medical Graduates (IMGs) "Fill the Gap" in Rural Primary Care in the United States? A National Study. Journal of Rural Health. 25(2), 124-34.
Abstract
The contribution that international medical graduates (IMGs) make to reducing the rural-urban maldistribution of physicians in the United States is unclear. Quantifying the extent of such "gap filling" has significant implications for planning IMG workforce needs as well as other state and federal initiatives to increase the numbers of rural providers. IMGs fill gaps in the primary care workforce in many rural areas, but this varies widely between states. Policies aimed to redress the rural-urban physician maldistribution in the United States should take into account the vital role of IMGs.