Bill helps alleviate doctor shortage

Nationally, the health care system is facing a code blue. By 2030, there will be a shortage of more than 120,000 physicians, and Wisconsin will face a shortage of 2,263 physicians by 2030 due to the lack of physician training infrastructure and the rising health care needs of our growing and aging population.

Thanks to the leadership of Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan and Sen. Corey Tomczyk, as well as other legislators, AB 954 provides tangible solutions to address this physician shortage.

Under current law, a doctor licensed abroad can only practice in Wisconsin if he or she is willing to come to the United States or Canada and complete a residency — years of training most internationally licensed doctors already have. To make matters worse, those residency slots are so limited that many current graduates of U.S.-based medical schools fail to match as well.

Rather than wait for the federal government to add more training slots, the Wisconsin government, a bipartisan group of legislators, and the governor partnered to open a pathway for internationally licensed doctors to begin practicing in Wisconsin right away.

The bill outlines the specific requirements for international physicians to be granted provisional licensure to practice medicine in Wisconsin. Opening the door for internationally trained physicians to practice medicine in Wisconsin is crucial to alleviating the physician shortage and tackling rural health disparities. With many rural areas facing a scarcity of health care professionals, allowing these skilled international physicians to contribute their expertise can enhance access to medical care in underserved regions.

Read the full piece at The Cap Times »