COLUMBUS – President Donald Trump is expected to issue a revised travel ban Monday and researchers suggest prohibiting travel from Muslim-majority countries could have a negative impact on Ohio’s shortage of medical professionals.
Physicians from all over the world provide medical care in Ohio, and researchers from the Case Western Reserve University Center for Health Disparities say about one in 14 doctors comes from a Muslim-majority nation and that about two percent of those are practicing in rural and under-served areas.
“Proportionally speaking, that’s a lot more Muslim physicians working in rural areas compared to other physicians. So, it’s not that they’re taking away jobs that could be here for other Ohioans; they’re filling a gap that isn’t being met already,” said Jacqueline Dolata, the center’s research manager.
One in ten Ohioans lives in a community with a doctor shortage, Dolata said.
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One national analysis says physicians from outside the U.S. are more likely to practice in rural areas and specialty fields, like internal medicine and psychiatry.
President Trump’s original order barred travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and was blocked by a federal court.
Dolata says the timing of the ban couldn’t be worse as medical schools are now in the process of making their picks for opening residency spots, which is very competitive.
She worries some hospitals might think twice about selecting students from Muslim-majority countries.
“They don’t currently hold a green card or a visa, they’re applying for the work to get here. So, we think that the trickle-down could be really detrimental, especially as these decisions are being made around residency and the future doctors that are going to be here in Ohio,” she said
Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows one in four doctors practicing in the U-S are international medical graduates. In response to the President’s travel ban, the American College of Physicians released a statement that it opposes discrimination, religious tests, refugee bans, and denying entry to people with legal visas.