By Jeffrey Chankowsky MD, FRCP(C)
Director, Adult Medical Imaging
McGill University Health Center
Associate Chair
Diagnostic Radiology (McGill)
On June 22, 2020, the United States government signed a proclamation placing restrictions on non-immigrant work visas. At first, it was unclear whether medical professionals were exempt from these restrictions and whether it applied to Canadian citizens. 48 hours later the government clarified these points and confirmed that medical professionals and their spouses are exempt from the new restrictions as well as all Canadian citizens, no matter what their profession.
This would imply that residents wishing to pursue fellowship opportunities are permitted to enter the US and radiologists seeking employment in the US should have no major issues with immigration when crossing the border.
There is, however, an issue with fellowships that are not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which are not “housed” in the same building as their ACGME accredited residency programs. This was the origin of the cancelled fellowships at some American Universities for Canadian PGY5s. According to the letter sent to the trainees, the ACGME can no longer support J-1 visas for non-accredited fellowship programs that are not housed in the same institutions as their residency programs. This is an important issue to monitor going forward as PGY4s, who are starting fellowship in the US in the summer of 2021, might be subject to similar restrictions. The Canadian Heads of Academic Radiology (CHAR) will continue to work with the CAR to keep residents aware of the situation and future developments.
There are still several Canadian fellowship opportunities available. We encourage you to visit car.ca and login to the CAR member portal to access information on these positions.