According to data, there are around 247,000 doctors from foreign countries currently practicing in the United States. There seems to be a projected shortage of healthcare workers in the future. There will likely be a higher demand for foreign medical graduates.
According to reports, in areas with the highest level of poverty, (where more than 30 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty rate) 1/3 of these doctors are foreign-trained. This is also the same for areas when 10% or less have a college degree. In areas where the per-capita is below $15,000 per year, 42.5% of all doctors are foreign-trained. In areas that the population in non0white, 36.2 % of the doctors are foreign-trained.
In areas where half the doctors have trained abroad in foreign countries, the population is a higher percentage of African-American, Hispanic, and non-white individuals. These are the areas that are less likely to have access to primary healthcare.
According to a study by Havard’s School of Public Health, those who were treated by a foreign-educated doctor had a better survival rate than individuals cared by U.S. medical graduates.
The demand for foreign-trained doctors will only increase as the need for affordable healthcare continues to grow.
The current changes in immigration policies may make a major impact. With the crackdown on immigration, it will limit the ability for these doctors to provide medical care/practice in the United States.
Source: Immigration Impact
