The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is expressing its support for the Hahnemann University Hospital community in light of the announced closure of this long-standing member of the graduate medical education (GME) and health care communities. The closure of this large academic medical center will have broad and significant implications.
As a leader in medical education worldwide, and particularly as part of the Philadelphia community, ECFMG is concerned for Hahnemann’s patients, house staff, physicians, and other employees, as well as the Drexel University medical students who receive clinical education at Hahnemann. We are most concerned for the city of Philadelphia and its many patients who depend on Hahnemann for care.
ECFMG also is the sole J-1 visa sponsor of foreign national physicians to participate in GME at U.S. hospitals. Each year, we sponsor more than 11,000 physicians in J-1 visa status to participate in GME programs across the nation, where they receive medical specialty and subspecialty training and provide supervised patient care. Some of these physicians currently are in training at Hahnemann. Because of the closing of Hahnemann, they must seek other training venues.
Currently, we are focusing our efforts to assist the international physicians in training at Hahnemann under ECFMG J-1 visa sponsorship. ECFMG is reaching out to each of these physicians to provide support and assistance, as they seek to transition to other GME training programs. If they are unable to enter other U.S. training programs, they will need to return to their home countries.
As is the case in cities across our nation, international physicians in training at Hahnemann in Philadelphia make invaluable contributions to our clinical training environments and patient care. The loss of these physicians and their expertise, innovation, and international perspectives would be a loss to us all.
We offer our sincere best wishes to all who are impacted by this unfortunate situation. We look forward to working with national and local partners to help ensure the continued training of the many talented international physicians who have called Hahnemann home.
Please also see the ACGME statement, Hahnemann University Hospital Closure.
Additional information on Hahnemann’s closure is available on this website.
(published June 28, 2019, updated August 7, 2019)
