Issue 136 - February 4, 2009
ECFMG’s IMG Advisors Network Expanding – New Advisors Needed
ECFMG is currently seeking international medical graduates (IMGs) to serve on a voluntary basis as advisors for the IMG Advisors Network (IAN). This unique resource connects qualified IMGs who plan to enter U.S. graduate medical education (GME) with advisors who may be able to answer many of their questions about living and working in the United States.
To qualify as an advisor, you must:
- be certified by ECFMG,
- either be in or have completed training in an ACGME-accredited program in the United States,
- be licensed to practice medicine (training or permanent license) in at least one state or jurisdiction in the United States,
- have ready access to e-mail, and
- be willing to reply to inquiries from advisees in an honest and timely manner.
The personal experience and first-hand exposure to the challenges of entering a residency program and living and working in the United States make individuals who meet these requirements uniquely qualified to provide practical advice and information.
Advisors will be listed in the on-line IAN database by name, medical specialty, U.S. GME program, location in the United States, country of origin, medical school, and other demographics. IMGs who meet certain criteria and register with the IAN program will be able to search the IAN database for the advisors most likely to be helpful in providing information and advice about relocating to the United States. Ideal advisors might be those in the same residency program or from the same country or medical school, but even less specific matches could be of great help. Advisors are provided with the e-mail addresses of the advisees who have selected them so they can begin communicating directly with the advisees via e-mail; these communications are not visible to or monitored by ECFMG unless the advisor or advisee so chooses.
Since the start of the IAN program in early 2007, most advisors have had only one or two advisees and exchanged only a few e-mails, so the advisor role has not placed excessive demand on advisors' time. Although it is not possible to estimate how often advisors and advisees might correspond or how much time the advisor role will take on an ongoing basis, advisors are able to limit the number of advisees they accept and have the option of declining to serve as an advisor for an individual advisee. Advisors can have their names removed from the IAN database if they so choose.
Starting with the 2009 Match, the eligibility criteria for IMGs to participate in IAN as advisees has been expanded. In addition to applicants for initial J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa sponsorship by ECFMG, IMGs who are participating in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and who have submitted a rank order list to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) are eligible to be advisees. It is anticipated that this expanded eligibility will significantly increase the number of advisees seeking advisors prior to entering programs in July of 2009. In order to better serve this larger group of advisees, ECFMG is hoping to increase the number of advisors in the IAN program.
If you are interested in becoming an IAN advisor or would like to learn if you are eligible to participate in IAN as an advisee, you can obtain more information by visiting the IMG Advisors Network homepage.