IMG Advisors Network (IAN)

To increase the number of advisors in the IAN database, we are actively seeking IMG physicians who have the qualifications below and would be willing to serve as advisors to IMGs who plan to enter U.S. training programs.

Qualifications of Advisors
IAN advisors must:

• Be certified by ECFMG,
• Either be in or have completed training in an ACGME-accredited program,
• 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.

Most IAN advisors report that they 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. Since we do not know how popular IAN will become, it is not possible to estimate how many advisees an advisor might receive inquiries from, how often they might correspond, or how much time it would take on an ongoing basis. However, since advisors serve on a voluntary basis, they 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.

Since there is a wide range of topics on which advice and information might be sought, and since some advisors may be comfortable advising in some areas but not others, advisors have the option of indicating their willingness to advise in the two broad areas of:

• applying to programs, e.g., program selection, preparation of personal statements, interviews, etc.
• living and working in the United States, e.g., arriving in the United States, finding housing, getting a driver’s license, establishing credit, adjusting to GME programs, etc.

Advisors may indicate such preferences in their profiles. Advisees are instructed to only request advisors who indicate they are willing to advise in the areas in which the advisee intends to seek information.

Eligibility of Advisees
To participate in IAN, advisees must:

EITHER

• Have been offered a position in an ACGME-accredited training program, and
• Have submitted an application and payment to the ECFMG Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program for initial sponsorship as a J-1 Alien Physician.

OR

• Be registered with the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for the 2011 season, and
• Be registered with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for the 2011 Match.

How to Participate
If you feel you meet the requirements to be an advisor and are willing to make yourself available, please proceed to the Advisor login page and enter the information requested. If you have questions about IAN, please submit them to ian.advisor@ecfmg.org.

IMGs contribute significantly to the U.S. health care system by providing critical services for the U.S. patient population. By sharing your experience and advice with incoming IMGs, you will ease their transition into U.S. medicine and culture, ensuring that they continue to make such contributions, perhaps more efficiently, more quickly, and less painfully than you and your IMG colleagues did. Thank you for being a part of this effort!

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