We're hearing a lot about STEM professionals and why we need to smooth the path to their getting green cards. But for some reason, the STEM bills introduced to date leave out physicians despite compelling evidence that we face a critical shortage of doctors in this country that will take years - perhaps decades - to solve. International medical graduates trained in the US are helping to ease this problem. But our immigration laws are not working and a lot of frustrated physicians are finding they end up having to leave the country after their US taxpayer-subsidized training is over.
Stuart Anderson writes in Forbes about the problem and why Congress needs to act soon.
At this rate we will seriously face shortage of skills including doctors in the next decade...
http://news.yahoo.com/us-students-far-first-math-182447591.html
We really need more skilled immigrants, not less...this is a disaster!
Posted by: George Chell | December 12, 2012 at 05:57 AM
Until someone dies due to an overworked nurse or doctor, and a huge lawsuit ensues, congress will not expand the number of doctors. Many of my doctors friends became permanent residents through changing their field to health economics or health policy. After getting their GCs some wrote ECFMG and got back into the field.
There is another field where visas are hard to get. People with MBAs. Why are executives who are so gung ho about STEM but dont include MBAs. Because they want to protect the high level jobs to their incompetent selves. How else can they make millions while running a business to the ground, eg. wonder bread..and of course airlines such as United.
Posted by: George Chell | December 10, 2012 at 06:18 AM
Haha....does it reallly matter? They have been talking about STEM workers for ages. ~12 years in this country including graduate student status in a STEM field from a good research school. Yet to become a permanent resident. When there is more talk than action, the end effect is nothing!
Posted by: Just a thought! | December 08, 2012 at 09:03 PM