A Comparative Study of Asian FMG and USMG Psychiatrists

Of 367 East Asian and South Asian psychiatrists responding to a 1976 survey, 295 were identified as foreign medical graduates (FMGs) and 72 as U.S. medical graduates. Comparison of the two groups showed that the FMGs were more likely to be trained and employed in state mental hospitals and other nonacademic settings and to treat patients of other minorities. The Asian FMGs were less likely to have specialty board certification, a finding that seems to reflect their incomplete professional development and American acculturation. The authors conclude that Asian FMG psychiatrists shoulder much of the responsibility for treating minority patients in the United States, a job for which they may be ill equipped. Their need for special training in both cultural and professional areas is emphasized.