Blog Archives

ERAS Support Services at ECFMG to Start Live Chat Option

I have found the ERAS support services at ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) to be very helpful. The representatives respond to my questions quickly via email. On September 1 ERAS support services at ECFMG are launching a live chat option to answer questions about ERAS.

Representatives will be available to live chat M-F 8a-5p EST. You will be able to access the Live Chat service here. Starting September 1, you will find a link to the Live Chat service on every associated web page.

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Application Support for IMGs

Starting July 1 IMG residency applicants can reach ERAS Support Services through extended hours Monday through Thursday 8a-6p EST and Friday 8a-5p at 215-966-3520. Remember too that applicants can get some questions answered by e-mail at eras-support@ecfmg.org. I’ve emailed the ERAS Support Services before, and they respond relatively quickly. If they don’t have your answers, they’ll point you in the right direction.

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The Good News and The Bad News…and Then More Bad News

There is a clearly-written article by Jan Greene in the current issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine about fifteen new, U.S. medical schools that are currently being accredited and slated to open. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) estimates that this increase will lead to an additional seven thousand medical school graduates every year throughout the next decade.

Sounds great, right? More chances of getting into a US medical school!

Well, no so fast.

The idea behind opening these new schools was to preempt the impending doctor shortage, but, as Greene points out, the new medical school openings will not solve the scarcity because there are no plans to increase the number of residency spots. In fact, in fourteen years, the number of teaching hospital residency spots for which Medicare pays a share (about thirty percent) has not increased. With Medicare cuts in the works, it’s unlikely residency positions will expand or that hospitals will have extra funds for unsupported spots.

Unfortunately, this means more competition for residency spots for everyone, especially International Medical Graduates. (The domestic graduates will likely be prioritized by residency directors.) And it means no solution to the doctor shortage. Unless funding for training programs increases, which seems unlikely, future doctors should expect a bottleneck at the post-graduate level. Bad news for doctors and the American medical system.

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An Effort to Rid NY Hospitals of Caribbean IMGs

This NYT piece on the push to rid New York hospitals of Caribbean medical students is worth a read. I think it’s unlikely that Caribbean schools will be forced out of New York hospitals, as the financial incentive to keep the schools’ funding is way too strong. It’s worth considering, however, the fate and reputation of Caribbean schools.

It’s interesting to note, too, that New York schools that have relied on their prestige to secure rotation slots may now be worried that they can’t compete with the millions of dollars that Caribbean schools are spending to do the same.

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IMG Study

Here’s an interesting article regarding a study published in Health Affairs that supports foreign-born IMGs’ clinical work.

Interestingly, the research results also demonstrate concern over US-citizen IMGs’ capabilities. It’s worth a read.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

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