The Medical Association of the State of Alabama on Monday thanked the Trump Administration for prioritizing the visa applications for incoming International Medical Graduates to help ensure physicians can start their residency training in Alabama and serve patients beginning in July. The association said they support “this important action by the U.S. State Department.”
“Many of Alabama’s communities rely on International Medical Graduates to provide essential healthcare services,” said Dr. Bill Admire, vice president and chief medical officer at Mobile Infirmary and vice president of the Board of the Medical Association. “These physicians are ready and willing to serve where they’re needed most, and we’re grateful to see the administration act to remove a major roadblock.”
This action came after the U.S. State Department had temporarily paused visa interviews for all J-1 applicants—an interruption that would have left many of Alabama’s residency programs without the physicians they recruited, the association shared. IMGs make up a substantial portion of Alabama’s physician workforce, nearly 22 percent nationwide, particularly in primary care and rural areas where provider shortages are most severe.
According to diplomatic guidance from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. embassies and consulates have been instructed to resume visa interview scheduling and specifically prioritize J-1 applicants pursuing medical residency training.
The Medical Association said they will continue to work on long-term solutions to Alabama’s physician shortage. “This includes successful efforts to pass the Physician Workforce Act in 2023, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee and Sen. April Weaver. The Act creates new pathways for physicians to train and practice in underserved areas. Additionally, the state allocated $2 million from opioid settlement funds to support psychiatric residencies focused on substance use treatment and $2.4 million to the Primary Care Physician Residency Program with the Cahaba Clinic,” the association said.
The Medical Association again thanked “federal and state leaders who are working to address the healthcare workforce challenges facing Alabama.”
