LocumLife - November 2008 - (Page 19)

Kathleen A. Moore I nternational professionals comprise a small but valuable segment of the locum tenens community in the United States. More and more medical facilities are accepting these providers into their temporary staffing rotations, helping to alleviate shortages in generally underserved areas and in regions lacking physicians in particular specialties. Graduates of foreign medical schools who want to remain in, or return to, the United States often seek locum tenens opportunities here for a variety of reasons. Some look to explore new places and return to old ones; others use this career option to visit friends and loved ones or to keep up with current U.S. practice in their specialties; and of course, it provides additional income. Read on as staffing representatives present a valuable overview for internationally trained physicians considering locum tenens opportunities and two foreign-trained professionals describe their experiences in the U.S. MEETING THE DEMAND “Many international physicians come to the U.S. on training (J-1) visas,” explains Katie Abby, executive vice president of VISTA Staffing Solutions, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. “With these visas, professionals must return to their home countries for 2 years before being eligible to practice in the U.S. This requirement can be overridden, however, if providers accept jobs in qualified, medically underserved areas in America.” She notes, “Physicians, regardless of their level of experience or years in practice, must complete an approved U.S. residency training program to be eligible for state licensure.” “Foreign medical graduates must take the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam before entering into residency programs and must be licensed in the states where they are practicing,” adds Laura Ables, an occupational medicine, physiatry, and neurology scheduling director also with VISTA Staffing Solutions. “To accept contracts with our company,” she says, “foreign physicians must have 2 years of postgraduate or residency training in the U.S.; a green card, work visa, or U.S. citizenship; and a certificate from the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.” How do foreign-born physicians find out about temporary opportunities? “Although our company does not have a program to actively recruit locum tenens physicians from outside of the U.S.,” Ms. Ables explains, “international practitioners usually find us through an Internet search or word of mouth, or through their postgraduate training here.” Like other locum tenens professionals, international physicians with the credentials to practice in the United States may choose when and where they accept opportunities, provided there is a need. “Physicians tend to come back to places with which they are familiar,” states Ms. Ables. “For example, one physician who accepts matches from our firm had completed NOVEMBER 2008 Circle Career Card No. 609 LocumLife 19 http://www.staffcare.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of LocumLife - November 2008

LocumLife - November 2008 Editorial Contents From Nalto Stat! Residency Corner Sailing the High Seas Last-Minute Luxury International Colleagues Explore the U.S. Advertiser Index Opportunities Direct City Beat Contest Rules Anyone's Guess La Vita Locum

LocumLife - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.