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At Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, the atmosphere is tense as patients crowd the corridors, waiting urgently for medical assistance. The hospital is overwhelmed, with more patients being admitted than available beds. Much of the care provided within these critical walls is from foreign doctors on J-1 visas, who make up the majority of the hospital’s residents.
Doctor Conrad Fisher oversees a residency program that, along with similar programs in marginalized communities across the country, faces a persistent challenge in filling open positions with U.S. medical graduates. This drives them to recruit skilled doctors from overseas to support their needs. Fisher expresses a stark concern, stating that many outside the medical education field fail to grasp how heavily reliant these facilities are on international doctors.
Recently, the Trump administration lifted a pause on J-1 visa interviews, now allowing enhanced social media screening. However, this pause had created a precarious situation for residency programs, leading to feelings of urgency, panic, and frustration among medical staff. Currently, Fisher notes that at least two doctors admitted to the program face barriers in entering the U.S., coming from a list of 19 countries that are either entirely or partially banned from entry. The White House justifies the ban, citing national security issues and deficiencies in the screening process.
Fisher hopes for exemptions for these residents, but concerns grow as deadlines approach. The urgency to care for patients outweighs the wait for international doctors. If the situation persists, Fisher anticipates needing to hire less qualified individuals, ultimately impacting the quality of care provided.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan doctor Gabriel Pena has matched to a three-year family medicine residency in Chino, California, but is struggling to secure an appointment due to his country’s restrictions. Despite these hurdles, Pena remains committed to his goals of learning from U.S. practices to return to Venezuela and assist those in need.
At Brookdale, many foreign residents share their anxiety regarding their status in the U.S. and the looming uncertainties. They express a collective belief that their hospitals are overlooked in policymaking decisions. As they seek help from authorities, they emphasize their commitment to providing quality care to American patients.
Doctor Fisher echoes these sentiments, expressing worry over this year’s pool of applicants and the implications of the current policies on his residency program and its long-term future.
