Upwardly Global and two of its alumni were recently highlighted in a Chicago Sun Times article titled “New medical license pathway for international doctors could help alleviate Illinois shortage.”
The groundbreaking licensing pathway for international medical graduates (IMGs), which Upwardly Global helped develop with Rep. Theresa Mah, Ph.D. (D-Chicago), took effect earlier this year. This innovative approach eliminates the traditional residency requirement, replacing it with two years of supervised practice under a licensed physician in medically underserved areas or with providers serving underserved populations.
Upwardly Global alum Dr. Filipp Prikolab, who immigrated to Chicago from Moscow in 2019, exemplifies the challenges these professionals face. Despite his qualifications, Dr. Prikolab has been unable to practice medicine in his full capacity due to previous licensing barriers. For the past six years, he has worked as a medical assistant at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
“I want a chance to fully use my skills and my experience,” he says. “I also want to grow my skills and become more proficient in other aspects of medicine.”
He is one of thousands of Illinoisans with an international medical degree. And despite receiving similar training as students at American medical schools and residency programs, the pathway to becoming a licensed doctor for Prikolab and his peers is difficult and can take years.
But that’s all changing thanks to a law that went into effect this year in Illinois to make it easier for people like Prikolab to get their state medical license.
This new legislation marks a turning point for international medical graduates in Illinois, creating an accessible pathway to licensure that recognizes their valuable training and experience.
Ayo Oduwole, an Upwardly Global alumna from Nigeria who recently matched with a residency after a seven-year journey to restart her medical career, emphasized the importance of this change: “Hospitals should really be open to international medical graduates. We are very useful, we know a lot of stuff. … We can help us bridge this gap and fill the shortage. Take a chance on us.”
Under the new law, professionals like Dr. Oduwole could obtain medical licenses much sooner without completing a U.S. residency program.