IMG

• One-quarter of practicing physicians in major Western countries are IMGs. IMGs have to pass USMLE examinations to practice in the United States, whereas English-language proficiency among these physicians is stressed in the United Kingdom. The US Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates has stated a goal to accredit all foreign medical schools by 2023.
• The current study by Tsugawa and colleagues demonstrates that mortality rates were slightly lower among older adults treated by IMG hospitalists vs US-trained hospitalists. Costs of care by IMGs were slightly higher than those of US-trained physicians, and there was no difference between the 2 cohorts of physicians in readmission rates.
• Implications for the Healthcare Team: The current study should help dispel the notion that IMGs provide worse medical care compared with US medical graduates. The study results may be used by hospitals and health systems to create awareness about IMGs and their qualifications as clinicians.