A foreign medical school graduate can work in the United States if a special visa status known as a J1 waiver is granted. General practice, family medicine, obstetrics, psychiatry, and out-patient acute care are all J1 waiver jobs. These jobs are typically tied to a required length of service to a medically underserved area or population, or a health professional shortage area, and serve a specific need or caregiver shortage in the US medical community.
Medical students from other countries can complete their residency requirements and gain specialized skills and training in the United States. After completing this advanced study, the foreign medical school graduate usually returns to his or her home country to fulfill a service requirement of a two-year residency there. International medical professionals who apply for a J1 visa waiver from the US government can have their two-year return to their home countries waived.
Though employment in a specialized field of medicine is possible, J1 waiver jobs are typically offered in more general health care fields to areas where health care facilities and professionals are underserved. Meeting the primary care physician needs of a rural community without a resident doctor could be part of a J1 position. Serving as the dental caregiver for several underserved counties, as well as meeting the mental health needs of an urban population, are both common options.
Some J1 waiver jobs are available in understaffed public facilities, which can provide opportunities to learn how to treat a wide range of general care cases. Other J1 waiver assignments could include putting a physician in a situation where his or her foreign language skills could be put to use translating the needs of patients who don’t speak or understand English. Adjusting to a remote or isolated geographic location could be part of a length of service.
Because J1 waiver jobs are distributed across the United States, the types of positions available will be determined the needs of the areas in need of medical personnel. In many cases, the areas with the greatest shortage of health professionals are those with the lowest socioeconomic status.
Those looking for, applying for, and competing for J1 waiver jobs should include information that will help them determine whether a specific assignment is a good fit for them. Employee sponsorship and placement through a J1 waiver is generally competitive, as applicants often express a desire to stay in the United States for an extended period of time.