NBC29: Spanberger, UVA hope keeping foreign-born doctors could relieve shortage

NBC29, JACOB PHILLIPS

Support is growing for federal legislation that would allow foreign-born medical graduates to stay in the United States after they finish residency.

Under current law, those residents have to return to their home countries for two years after finishing graduate medical education before applying for a new visa or green card.

Virginia Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, UVA Health and the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System have backed a bill that would do away with that two-year requirement, with the aim of keeping more American-trained doctors in the U.S.

Under the proposed law, foreign medical school graduates could get a visa to stay in the US following their residency if they practice in a medically underserved community for at least three years.

“These docs are coming from foreign countries, training in our system. They are perfectly qualified to work here, and they should work here, and we should allow them to work there,” said osteopathic physician Dr. Rebecca Downey.

However, it doesn’t totally solve the problem, Downey said. There remains a need for American-born doctors.

While Downey says the legislation would not likely impact her directly at Charlottesville Direct Primary Care, it could help address a major shortage in Virginia.

“We have an incredible lack of primary care, and there’s many reasons for that, and I completely support this bill,” Downey said. “At the same time, there’s other reasons and other things we can do to fix this problem.”

She says there needs to be more incentives for people looking to get in the medical field.

“We need more doctors in this country, and there’s lots of great people, smart people, who get rejected from medical school just because it’s a numbers game,” Dr. Downey said.

Backed by Virginia 7th District Rep. Spanberger and a bipartisan group of supporters, the proposed legislation could change that.

“Instead of turning away talented, American-trained physicians, we should look for a solution to the problem. And that’s why we need to allow foreign medical students to remain in the United States following their medical residency as long as they practice for at least three years in a medically underserved community,” Rep. Spanberger said.

UVA Health spokesperson Eric Swenson said the legislation coincides with the university’s goal to produce well-trained medical professionals.

“A big part of what we do is really not only providing patient care for folks around central Virginia, across Virginia and beyond,” Swenson said, “but also training that next generation of healthcare providers.”