Mohamed Soliman
University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston
Background: International Medical Graduates (IMGs) constitute 26% of the US physician workforce, and due to their diverse backgrounds, their perspectives about success during residency could be distinctly different from what US program directors expect. This study attempted to determine some of the success perspectives of IMGs, and compare them with those of program directors in US residency programs.
Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study of IMG physician and program directors, using online survey methodology.
Results: IMGs surveyed showed different background characteristics and a wide variety of success perspectives. Some of the background characteristics influenced some success parameters for IMGs, while others had no effect on their perspectives. When compared to success perspectives of Program directors, IMGs over estimated the importance of parameters related to medical skills, education and learning, while they underestimated success parameters related to communication skills and behavior.
Conclusion: Success perspectives regarding residency training are varied and depend on multiple factors. This study demonstrated that IMG physicians differ in some success perspectives from US residency program directors. The study also showed that certain background characteristics influence the success perspectives of IMGs. Such data could be used to guide residency programs in their applicant selection process as well as during their residency interviews.
