Abstract
Background: US academic institutions increasingly seek to engage in global health education through bidirectional partnerships. One innovative approach is hosting International Medical Graduates (IMGs) at US-based programs, offering short-term global health learning experiences locally while expanding professional opportunities for IMGs from both high-resource and resource-constrained settings.
Methods: Drawing on over 15 years of collective experience, this paper brings together perspectives from global authors to identify practical strategies for hosting visiting IMGs. The recommendations address the operational, legal, and financial barriers that institutions often face when building such programs.
Recommendations: Key challenges include securing stakeholder engagement, navigating visa limitations, and addressing funding and institutional policy gaps. The authors outline 10 actionable recommendations designed to guide US institutions in building ethical, sustainable, and mutually beneficial IMG-hosting programs.
Conclusion: While prior literature has emphasized the ethical foundations and benefits of global partnerships, this paper offers concrete guidance to support the development of IMG-hosting initiatives. These programs advance the goals of equity, reciprocity, and long-term partnership in global health education.