Psychotherapy Training for IMGs: Attending to the “How to” and “What to” Teach

Abstract

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) make up a significant portion of the United States and Canadian workforce, and are well represented in psychiatry residency training programs. A review of the literature indicates that before entering residency training, many IMGs have minimal exposure to the behavioral sciences and poor communication skills-training; significant issues for learning psychotherapy. Given the lack of clear direction in the literature, this article presents empirically-informed guidelines relevant to the training of International Medical Graduates in psychotherapy.