INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS

ECFMG Notes IMG Participation Levels in 2016 Annual Resident Matching Program

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has reported that the number of international medical graduates (IMGs) participating in the 2016 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) increased from 2015. The annual NRMP Match is the system by which applicants are matched with available residency positions in U.S. graduate medical education (GME) programs.

Compared to 2015, the number of IMGs who participated in the Match increased by 403, and the number of IMGs who matched to first-year residency positions increased by 336.

Of the 12,790 IMGs who participated in the 2016 Match, 6,638 (51.9%) matched to residency positions. In the 2015 Match, 6,302 (50.9%) IMGs were matched to first-year residency positions.

Of the 5,323 U.S. citizen IMG participants, 2,869 (53.9%) were matched to first-year positions, an increase of 209 from last year. The number of U.S. citizen IMGs matching to first-year positions has increased in 12 of the last 13 Matches.

Participants in the NRMP submit a list of residency programs they would like to enter, in order of preference. Ranked lists of preferred residency candidates are likewise submitted by U.S. GME programs with available positions. The matching of applicants to available positions is performed by computer algorithm. The Match results announced in March of each year are for GME programs that typically begin the following July.

Source: ECFMG website

New Members Join IAMRA

The International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) recently announced the addition of several new members. They include:

• Rwanda Medical and Dental Council

• South Sudan General Medical Council

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK)

• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (U.S.)

• Health Professions Authority Zimbabwe

• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (U.S.)

IAMRA now has 95 member organizations, representing 44 countries.

Source: IAMRA website

International Physician Assessment Coalition Meeting to Convene Just Before 2016 IAMRA Conference

The International Physician Assessment Coalition (IPAC), an international forum designed to encourage collaboration and best practice in the assessment and remediation of physicians, will host a conference September 19–20, 2016 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre — just before the 2016 International Conference of IAMRA.

The IPAC conference is designed for individuals involved in assessing the performance of physicians, medical regulators and medical educators.

During the conference, participants will share experiences and insights about assessing the performance of physicians, risk factors for poor performance among physicians, and trends and developments in remediating poorly performing physicians.

To register or learn more about the conference, please visit www.iamra2016.org/3852-2/

Source: IAMRA 12th International Conference on Medical Regulation website

Web Portal Helps IMGs Understand Canadian Standards for Communication and Cultural Competence

A new web-based self education program for international medical graduates (IMGs) to learn about Canadian communication and cultural competence has been launched by Canada's National Assessment Collaboration (NAC). The orientation portal is interactive, including videos, self-reflection questions, self-assessment and follow-up resources.

The portal content was drawn from an IMG communication and cultural competence website developed by assessment experts from the University of Toronto and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

The content was designed to help IMGs explore specific standards for Canadian health care that may not be addressed in other types of learning and orientation — presenting useful information for IMGs that in many cases differs from physician practice in their country of origin. IMGs participating in focus groups testing the new program in the fall of 2015 reported that they had faced several cultural and communication issues since their arrival in Canada. These included not only language difficulties and cultural differences, but concepts such as autonomy, justice and patient-centered medicine. Professional issues such as collaborative teamwork among specialists and the less formal structure for physicians in Canada were also raised.

To learn more about the portal, please visit www.mcc.ca/home.

Source: Medical Council of Canada website

Medical Council Reports Highest Number of Physicians Ever in Ireland

The Medical Council of Ireland recently reported that at the end of 2015 Ireland's medical workforce stood at 20,473 physicians – the highest number ever recorded in the Council's year-end statistics. The total represents an increase of 889 physicians from 2014.

The Council also reported a significant increase in the number of new physicians registered in Ireland. In 2015, 2,600 new physicians were registered, compared with 1,800 new registrations in 2014. The Council processed 50 percent more registration applications in 2015 than in 2014. There was also an increase in 2015 in the number of newly registered physicians who had received medical training outside of Europe.

Source: Medical Council of Ireland website