The Role of Professional Societies in Regulating Entry of Skilled Migrants: The American Medical Association

This chapter offers an important analysis of how professional societies, in this case the American Medical Association, can effectively condition and restrict inflows, virtually acting as gatekeepers. It shows that when skilled immigrants are involved, professional societies find it possible not merely to lobby for restrictions but also, in some cases, to apply prior restraint by manipulating professional qualification procedures. Physicians trained in non-U.S. medical schools, who seek to come to the United States to practice medicine, are known as international medical graduates (IMGs). The discussion examines the factors that affect the number of IMGs who enter the United States, focusing on the role of the U.S. medical profession in regulating the size of that population.