Document Detail


Retention of J-1 visa waiver program physicians in Washington State's health professional shortage areas.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20354376     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
PURPOSE: To determine whether the Conrad Program, which allows states to recruit 30 foreign-trained physicians per year to work in underserved settings, is meeting its goal of increasing the number of physicians in Washington State's underserved areas. Participating physicians have completed their residency training in, and want to continue residing in, the United States. METHOD: The authors identified all J-1 visa waiver physicians assigned to employers in Washington between 1995 and 2003, tracked them (whenever possible) through public databases to their current locations, and surveyed them about their experiences in, and subsequent to, the program. RESULTS: The authors tracked 141 of 155 physicians (91%). Of those 141, 77 (55%) responded to the survey. These respondents reported that they remained with their J-1 waiver employers a median of 23 (range: 0-120) months longer than their required commitment periods and that they remained in practices serving primarily underserved populations for, on average, 34 (0-120) consecutive months after fulfilling their commitments. After leaving J-1 waiver employers, 35 of 47 physicians (74%) who served in rural areas moved toward more urban areas, and 57% (80/141) still live in the state. Whereas most expressed satisfaction with the program, 29/77 (38%) felt employers should have shown them more respect. CONCLUSIONS: In Washington State, the Conrad Program has increased the number of physicians in underserved areas who frequently stay beyond their obligations. The significant movement away from rural areas for postobligation employment, however, highlights the long-term need to continue state efforts to recruit physicians to these areas.
Authors:
Talia R Kahn; Amy Hagopian; Karin Johnson
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges     Volume:  85     ISSN:  1938-808X     ISO Abbreviation:  Acad Med     Publication Date:  2010 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-03-31     Completed Date:  2010-05-25     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8904605     Medline TA:  Acad Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  614-21     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. kahnt@u.washington.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Emigration and Immigration / legislation & jurisprudence*,  trends
Female
Foreign Medical Graduates / supply & distribution*
Humans
Male
Medically Underserved Area*
Personnel Selection / methods*
Personnel Turnover / statistics & numerical data*
Physicians / supply & distribution*
Questionnaires
Retrospective Studies
Rural Health Services / manpower*
Washington

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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