Profiles in Happiness: Which Physicians Enjoy Life Most?

Carol Peckham

March 22, 2012

How Many US MDs Came From Other Countries?

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the United States attracts more foreign physicians every year than the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia -- the next most popular destinations for migrating doctors -- combined.^[17] In the Medscape survey, 20% of the physicians who responded came to the United States as adults, which is slightly lower than the 26.3% rate reported by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI)^[18] in 2007. Although the Medscape survey did not address country of origin, according to the MPI report, Asia is the origin of the greatest proportion of foreign-born physicians -- around 22% -- followed by Europe/Canada/Oceania at about 16%. Africa contributes about 12% and Latin America 6%. The New York Times article pointed out the strain this can cause on underdeveloped nations, citing as an example that the number of Ghanaian physicians practicing in the United States in 2006 was about 20% of the number of physicians working in Ghana itself.

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Cite this: Carol Peckham. Profiles in Happiness: Which Physicians Enjoy Life Most? - Medscape - Mar 22, 2012.

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