Facilitating credentialing and engagement of international physician-migrants during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT Physicians who migrate globally face a daunting series of time-consuming, labor- and resource-intensive procedures to prove their clinical competency before being allowed to practice medicine in a new country. ISSUES In this commentary, we describe licensing barriers faced by physician-migrants based on the authors' experiences, and reflect also on rapidly implemented measures to address COVID-19 pandemic related workforce shortages. We offer recommendations for potential reductions in bureaucratic regulatory barriers that prohibit mobilization of international medical graduate talent. LESSONS LEARNED Licensing boards and authorities should strive for standardized, competency-based basic professional recognition. Professional medical societies are well-positioned to guide such competency-based recognition as a more organized, international collaborative effort across specialties. The COVID-19 pandemic facilitated cross-state and international licensing in some regions, highlighting a key opportunity streamlining professional recognition requirements is achievable.