Issue Fourteen - December 20, 2007
ECFMG’s IMG Advisors Network Seeking New Advisors
ECFMG is pleased to announce the continuation of the IMG Advisors Network (IAN) for international medical graduates (IMGs). Introduced on a pilot basis in December 2006, IAN is a free service that connects qualified IMGs entering 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. ECFMG is currently seeking IMGs to serve on a voluntary basis as advisors for this unique resource.
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.
Advisors who are selected 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. Incoming 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.
Eligible advisees are certified by ECFMG and should have a contract for a U.S. residency position, among other requirements. Therefore, questions about ECFMG Certification and applying to residency programs should be limited. Additionally, 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 from how many advisees an advisor might receive inquiries, how often they might correspond, or how much time it would 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.
As IAN moves into its second year, the database of qualified advisors will consist of: advisors from last year’s pilot program who wish to continue; advisees who participated in the pilot program who have been recruited to serve in an advisory capacity; and newly recruited IMGs who meet the advisor qualifications.
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.