Challenges Faced by J-1 International Medical Graduates (IMGs) During COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic which led to many countries closing their borders to contain the spread of the virus, stay-at-home mandates were announced and governmental entities started working on minimal capacity. Delays in visa processing and renewal is one aspect that was hugely impacted by the pandemic and led to interruption in the training of many international medical graduates (IMGs). In this manuscript, we share our stories and perspective on the challenges faced by IMGs holding J-1 visa during COVID-19 pandemic.

Automated summary

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a global crisis by WHO, leading to border closures, stay-at-home mandates, and reduced government operations. The delays in visa processing and renewal had a significant impact on the training of international medical graduates (IMGs) holding J-1 visas. This manuscript discusses the challenges faced by IMGs during the pandemic.