Abstract
Objective
International medical graduates (IMGs) constitute a significant proportion of the psychiatric workforce in the United States. Observership programs serve an important role in preparing IMGs for U.S. residency positions; yet there are limited resources with information available on establishing these observerships, and none specific to psychiatry. In this article, authors present a roadmap for observership programs in psychiatry for IMGs.
Method
This article draws on the experience of the IMG committee of the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry in establishing observership programs.
Results
Authors highlight the benefits of observership programs to IMGs, psychiatry departments, and the U.S. medical system as a whole. The different components of an observership program are presented, along with core competencies that need to be acquired. The authors discuss challenges that observership programs may encounter as well as recommendations for overcoming them.
Conclusion
Observership programs provide a unique opportunity to integrate IMGs into the U.S. medical system. This article provides a framework for establishing such programs in a way that will optimize their benefits and avoid potential pitfalls. Drs. Hamoda and Sacks contributed equally to this article and are hence co-1st authors.
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Hamoda, H.M., Sacks, D., Sciolla, A. et al. A Roadmap for Observership Programs in Psychiatry for International Medical Graduates. Acad Psychiatry 36, 300–306 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.11040073
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.11040073