title: An international survey of medical licensing requirements for immigrating physicians, focusing on communication evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify current entry requirements set by international medical licensing bodies for immigrating physicians, focusing on postgraduate level communication skills, clinical and technical skill assessments.
  
  
  METHODS
  A standardised, author developed survey was administered to a selection of national, state and provincial licensing institutions across 6 continents. Representative institutions were selected from the most populated regions of each continent. Surveys were administered by email and telephone. The information was also searched by website review. Website information alone was used if no response was received by the targeted institution after 2 phone/2 email attempts. Statistical analysis of the non-parametric data was conducted using SPSS (v.21).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven licensing bodies were contacted from 30 countries; verifiable information was available for 29; twenty-six responded to the communication inquiry. Sixty five 65.4% (n=17) surveyed communication skills, 100% involved language proficiency testing; 11.5% tested other forms of communication skills. For clinical and technical skills, 86.2% (n=25) assessed candidates by credential review, 72.4% (n=21) required both credential review and exam and 62.1% (n=18) used country-specific examination. A mentorship period were required by 37.9% (n=11), ranging from 3 months to 1 year. Only 2 countries identified examinations for recertification. No technical/clinical skills nor communication skill evaluation (beyond language proficiency) are routinely assessed at the postgraduate level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  International assessments of migrating physicians are heterogeneous. Communication skills, beyond language proficiency, are not routinely assessed in foreign trained physicians seeking entry. The majority of clinical and technical skills are assessed by credential review only. This study highlights the lack of standardisation of assessment internationally and the need for steps toward a global agreement on training schemes and summative assessment.
authors: Department of Surgery, Tallaght Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Gillis
authors: Department of Surgery, Tallaght Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Weedle
authors: Education Division, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Morris
authors: Department of Surgery, Tallaght Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Ridgway
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003142:Communication; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008007:Licensure, Medical / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008611:Mentors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010820:Physicians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Communication; assessment; international; standardisation