IMGs: Hematology/Oncology Research Contributions | Fellowships

International Medical Graduates Outpace US Peers in Oncology Research Productivity

A new study reveals that international medical graduates (IMGs) demonstrate significantly higher research output during hematology/oncology fellowships compared to their American-trained counterparts, challenging existing perceptions and highlighting the need to address systemic barriers to their advancement.

Approximately one-third of all practicing oncologists in the United States are international medical graduates, yet structural obstacles continue to hinder their access to competitive fellowships and residencies. Research presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting sheds light on a critical, previously underappreciated aspect of this issue: the robust research contributions of IMGs during their training.

Higher Research Output Across the Board

The retrospective study, led by Arya Mariam Roy, MD, MBBS, examined the research productivity of hematology/oncology fellows between 2021 and 2024. Researchers found that IMGs consistently outperformed American medical graduates across multiple key metrics, including the number of abstracts, Google Scholar articles, total manuscripts, first-author publications, high-impact journal articles, original research, and review articles (all P < .001).

“International medical graduates make vital contributions to academic medicine,” stated Roy,an assistant professor in the Division of Oncology at The Ohio State University college of Medicine in Columbus. “There is a need to address potential structural barriers, which prevent them from practicing at US academic institutions. This study is a stepping stone, and we are doing more research in this area.”

Did you know?– Approximately 25% of all physicians practicing in the US are international medical graduates. Despite strong qualifications, they often face challenges matching into competitive residency and fellowship programs.

Addressing Systemic Barriers to Fellowship Access

The impetus for the study stemmed from a recognized disparity in fellowship matching rates.Despite possessing strong credentials, exam scores, and publication records, IMGs often struggle to secure positions in top-tier US residency and fellowship programs. “Approximately 25% of all practicing physicians in the US are international medical graduates,” explained Roy. “Though, we see that it’s hard for international medical graduates to match into good residency and fellowship programs in the US.”

The research team assessed the academic productivity of 1858 hematology/oncology fellows, identifying 30% as IMGs.While American medical graduates where slightly more likely to hold advanced degrees (12% vs. 8.3% for IMGs), the study definitively demonstrated that IMGs were more prolific researchers during their fellowships, even after accounting for gender and advanced degree status.

pro tip:– Research productivity might potentially be a valuable metric for fellowship programs seeking to recruit more international medical graduates, perhaps enhancing program quality.

Implications for Recruitment and Program Quality

The findings suggest that a focus on research productivity could be a valuable metric for recruiting more IMGs into fellowship programs. “If we identify that international medical graduate hematology/oncology fellows are more productive in terms of their academic publications compared with American medical graduates, we can use this as a metric for recruiting more international medical graduate fellows into fellowship,” Roy noted.

Increased recruitment of IMGs could also enhance the overall quality of hematology/oncology fellowship programs in the US. The study’s authors emphasize that removing structural barriers to IMG participation is crucial, as these physicians are likely to continue their research contributions and benefit both institutions and patients. “At this time, there are so many structural barriers that international medical graduates are facing to practice at US academic medical institutions,” Roy said. “If institutions recruit more international medical graduates into academic hematology/oncology fellowship programs, there is a likelihood that they will stay in these programs and continue their research productivity, which will be useful for the institution and our patients.”

Further research is planned to explore these barriers in greater detail and develop strategies to promote greater inclusivity within academic oncology. This study provides compelling evidence that embracing the talents of international medical graduates is not onyl equitable but also strategically beneficial for the future of cancer research and care.