International Medical Students Research Articles

Improved Understanding of Learning Characteristics among International Students in Post-Baccalaureate Medical Education for Sustainable Development

Ensuring the success of medical students in post-baccalaureate training is crucial for providing sustainable, high-quality healthcare worldwide. However, international medical students encounter unique sustainability challenges that may affect their ability to learn and excel in medical schools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and assess the key attributes of learning styles and attitudes among first- and second-year medical students from a university in Southern Taiwan using the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey (ATTLS). In November 2022, a cross-sectional survey and purposive sampling were used to recruit all 43 international medical students. Factor analysis was employed to identify and simplify complex personality traits associated with learning styles and attitudes. The resulting four-factor solution, which accounted for 70.364% of the total variance, was labeled as follows: Factor 1 “Understanding, Interaction Insights, and Empathy”, Factor 2 “Respect, Trust, and an Objective and Rational Vision of Multicultural Diversity”, Factor 3 “Comment, Debate, and Declare One’s Position”, and Factor 4 “Critical Thinking, Logical and Rational Problem Solving, and Rigorous Inference”. This study highlights the significance of connected knowers, who possess both Factor 1 and Factor 2, in providing holistic empathy and multicultural insight for future pedagogy. The four factors identified in this research can serve as a guide for developing teaching strategies that consider students’ diverse learning preferences and needs. By cultivating connected knowers, this research contributes to the sustainable improvement of pedagogical quality and the reduction of non-intellectual challenges in the classroom.

Abstracts of the 6th Edition International Medical Students’ Congress of Bucharest (IMSCB)

Abstracts of the 6th Edition International Medical Students’ Congress of Bucharest (IMSCB)

Coping Strategies of Failing International Medical Students in Two Chinese Universities: A Qualitative Study

Phenomenon: China hosts a large number of international medical students from low-income countries, and some fail examinations in the early stage of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program. Little is known about how failing international medical students cope to recover their academic performance. It would be beneficial to investigate the coping strategies they use to help them recover their academic performance and progress. Approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 international medical students at two universities in China from September 2020 to January 2021. These students had passed make-up exams or re-sits and progressed academically. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify major themes in the interview data. Findings: After failing initial exams or re-sits, students were found to adopt seven coping strategies to help them pass future examinations and recover their academic performance: (i) increased help-seeking behaviors, (ii) improved learning motivation and attitudes, (iii) improved learning strategies, (iv) improved exam preparation, (v) utilization of library resources, (vi) enhanced time management, and (vii) enhanced English language skills. Of the seven strategies, seeking help from friends, peers, seniors, and teachers was the strategy reported most frequently. Insights: The results of this study provide insights into the coping strategies that international undergraduate medical students adopt to recover from poor academic performance in Chinese universities. Host institutions should recognize the resilience and agency of such students to make positive changes. Furthermore, institutional efforts should be made to develop contextualized intervention plans that stimulate students’ learning motivation and encourage them to adopt self-help strategies by incorporating useful resources (e.g., help from peers, seniors, and teachers). Enrollment should integrate specific English language proficiency criteria, and interviews and entrance exams should be conducted. For some failing students, it may be necessary to provide academic remediation.

Global Neurosurgery Advocacy

The white paper published by the Lancet Commission put forward surgery as a global health priority. In that paper, their findings showed that 5 billion people in the world do not have access to 'safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia services when needed,' and this inequity is more evident in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These deficits are even more profound in surgical subspecialties such as neurosurgery. The paper "Global Neurosurgery: The Unmet Needs," published in 2016, addresses the system-level thinking and programs required to address the needs of neurosurgical care in lower resource settings. Neurosurgeons need to have influence, presence, and leadership role in advocating for the surgical system strengthening worldwide as it is estimated that there are 5 million emergency and essential neurosurgery neurosurgical services currently unmet, especially in LMICs. Thus, in 2019, the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) established the Global Neurosurgery Committee (GNC), an ad hoc committee dedicated to organizing and furthering global neurosurgical efforts. The Committee is co-chaired by Kee B. Park, MD, MPH from the United States, and Abdessamad El Ouahabi, MD from Morocco. The body of the GNC was the Committee of 22 neurosurgeons from 19 countries; the Secretariat Team primarily managed internal GNC operations with support from the later-added Junior Committee, both of which were international medical students and trainees. One of the objectives of this Committee is to promote advocacy efforts for neurosurgical care within universal healthcare coverage. This paper explores the fifth "ADVOCATE" objective, including its significance, the GNC's efforts, and progress toward executing its defining targets.

Medical students’ reflective capacity and its role in their critical thinking disposition

BackgroundDeveloping reflective capacity and critical thinking is one of the prerequisites of education in health professions, especially medicine. This study aimed to determine the reflective capacity of medical students and its role in their critical thinking disposition.MethodsIn this cross-sectional descriptive research, conducted in 2022, a total of 240 medical intern students were selected using the convenient sampling method. Data were collected using a reflective capacity questionnaire and critical thinking disposition questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS20.ResultsThe mean reflective capacity was 4.53 ± 0.50, and mean critical thinking disposition was 127.52 ± 10.85. Among the dimensions of reflection, “active self-appraisal (SA)” and “reflective with others (RO)” had the highest and lowest means, respectively. The dimensions of critical thinking disposition with the highest and lowest means were related to innovation and intellectual maturity, respectively. Reflective capacity and its dimensions were found to have a direct and statistically significant relationship with critical thinking disposition and its dimensions. Regression analysis results showed that reflective capacity accounts for 28% of students’ critical thinking disposition.ConclusionThe relationship between students’ reflective capacity and their critical thinking disposition has rendered reflection as one of the necessary components of medical education. Thus, determining the learning activities by considering the reflection process and models will be very effective in creating and strengthening critical thinking disposition.

Specialty preferences of studying-abroad medical students from low- and middle-income countries

BackgroundThis study explored the specialty preferences of China-educated international medical students (IMSs), who are mainly from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and constitute a potential medical workforce both for their home countries and foreign countries, and the influence of migration intentions on their specialty preferences.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted at 5 universities in China. The questionnaire link was distributed electronically among the IMSs at the 5 universities via emails. The questionnaire enquired IMSs’ demographic information, migration intentions and their specialty preferences. The Chi-square test was applied to determine the influence of the respondent’s gender, intention to practise in the home country and intention to practise in a high-income country on their specialty choices. The Chi-square test was also applied to determine the influence of the respondent’s gender, year of study and country of origin on their preferences for generalist-orientated or non-generalist orientated specialties.ResultsAltogether, 452 IMSs returned their responses, yielding a response rate of 64.1%. Approximately half of the IMSs planned to not return to their home country. The most selected specialty was general surgery and the least selected specialty was physical medicine and rehabilitation. No significant differences were evident in most specialty preferences between those who intended to return home and those who intended to stay abroad. Among the IMSs having intentions of returning to their home country, male students tended to choose a generalist-orientated specialty, while female students tended to choose a non-generalist-orientated specialty.ConclusionChina-educated IMSs could play important roles in the primary care services as well as other shortage specialties both for their home countries or foreign countries. Therefore, it is recommended that governments in these countries plan migration and recruitment policies that cater for these studying-abroad medical students from LMICs, especially in this challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms and the related factors among international medical students in China during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe two most prevalent mental health conditions are anxiety and depression and they often coexist (comorbidity) in an individual aggravating the person’s psychological or medical conditions. College students suffered from anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to numerous studies. The lack of information on the comorbidity of anxiety and depression (CAD) among international medical students, however, makes it difficult to develop effective policies or strategies to support these students.ObjectiveThe present research seeks to investigate the incidence of CAD among international medical students in China and to identify the variables that may be useful in predicting CAD.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted at China Medical University in Shenyang, China, for international medical students during November 2020. A total of 519 international students provided information on their demographics, stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, generalized anxiety disorder assessment (GAD-7), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), simplified coping style questionnaire (SCSQ), perceived stress scale (PSS-10), the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS), revised life orientation test (LOT-R), and resilience scale-14 (RS-14). To investigate the potential predictors of CAD, a chi-square test, a nonparametric test, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were carried out as appropriate.ResultsThe incidence of anxiety, depression, and CAD in the current study was 5.8%, 8.9%, and 22.7%, respectively. The predictors for students having symptoms of anxiety were observed to be the negative coping style (β = 0.662, OR = 1.938, CI:1.07–3.694) and perceived stress (β = 0.167, OR = 1.181, CI:1.076–1.297); the predictors for students having symptoms of depression were observed to be the COVID-19 pandemic-related stress (β = 0.323,OR = 1.382,CI:1.211–1.577), negative coping style (β = 0.693,OR = 2.000, CI:1.21–3.568), and perceived stress (β = 0.135,OR = 1.145,CI:1.050–1.248); whereas the predictors for students with CAD were observed to be staying up late (Yes VS No) (β = 1.028,OR = 2.794,CI:1.227–6.364), current place of residence (Other continents VS China) (β = -1.413, OR = 0.243,CI:0.065–0.910), COVID-19 pandemic-related stress (β = 0.371,OR = 1.450,CI:1.284–1.636), negative coping style (β = 1.092,OR = 2.979,CI:1.706–5.203), and perceived stress (β = 0.339,OR = 1.403,CI:1.289–1.527).ConclusionSingle anxiety and depressive symptoms were moderately prevalent among international medical students in China. However, CAD turned out to be the most prevalent mental health issue due to its relatively higher incidence. Negative coping style and perceived stress were the communal predictors of the three categories, whereas stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to both depression and CAD, and staying up late and in residential places were specific predictors for CAD. Study results suggest that COVID-19 pandemic-related stress was related to students’ CAD and depressive symptoms, and specific intervention measures with stress reduction, proper coping strategy, and a good lifestyle might be useful in improving the international students’ mental health status.

Comparison of Multinational Medical School Students Experiences in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis

Background: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries, and governments around the world have implemented different measures and guidelines for the containment and mitigation of the COVID-19 virus. In addition to implemented policies and initiatives, social media and personal beliefs have affected medical students’ social, emotional, financial, and academic stability and success both domestically and internationally. The objective of this study was to assess medical student's perspectives, attitudes, and insight in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine if differences exist between countries. Methods: This qualitative study, recruited students enrolled in the Global Seminar for Health and Environment elective course in their respective medical schools to complete a weekly, non-graded journaling assignment for 6 weeks. To measure outcomes, open-ended questions within the assignment asked students across four different countries questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic including personal beliefs and knowledge, policies and initiatives within their country, global policies and initiatives, and social media presentations. Thematic analysis was then completed using the QCoder package in R Studio. Results: Both internationally and in the US, COVID-19 has had a large impact on medical students; however, their perspectives are distinct in personal beliefs, policies, and social media. International medical students believed that their country's COVID-19 response contained more restrictions than the global response, with the theme being expressed in 11 of 67 responses (16.4%) compared to 1 of 75 responses (1.3%) of US responses. This was enforced by the US medical students' views that the US had fewer COVID-19 restrictions. US medical students had a higher number of responses with the theme “more restrictions internationally” which was present in 21 of 75 responses (28%). US medical students were more likely to express a decrease in the number of academic opportunities and academic performance. The theme “decrease in academic opportunities and performance” was present in 15 of 75 US responses (20%) compared to 9 of 67 international responses (13.4%). A US response containing this theme was as follows: “I have had to adjust to a new way of doing school, mainly online, as well as coming to terms with the fact that I am not getting to experience many of the social aspects of medical school that I was looking forward to.” The US responses showed less of a mental health impact and expressed stronger negative views on how COVID-19 was handled with 40 of 75 US responses (53.3%) reporting the theme “need better initiatives and policies. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect medical students globally. The current study was limited by responses and student participation each week. Future studies aimed at analyzing specific COVID-19 policies around the world and the extent of the pandemic’s impact on mental health may provide greater insight into medical students' beliefs, attitudes, and well being which have been challenged over the last year. Regardless, it must be acknowledged that the medical school experience has changed for both international and United States medical students and affected them not only academically but mentally, socially, and financially.

Knowledge of Oral Cancer Risk Factors among International Medical and Dental Students at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge of oral cancer risk factors among international dental and medical students at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU). A cross-sectional study was conducted among international medical and dental students at the LSMU in 2018−2019. In total, 253 students participated, for a response rate of 76.2%. An anonymous self-administered English questionnaire, consisting of 18 items, covered background information (gender, faculty and academic study year), and statements about risk factors for oral cancer and attitudes towards the prevention and treatment of oral cancer. The fifteen statements had the following answer options: yes, no and I don’t know. The statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Overall, a good, fair and poor knowledge of oral risk factors was reported by 15.02%, 56.92% and 28.06% of the participants, respectively. The mean score for knowledge of oral cancer risk factors was 10.01 (SD = 2.56), which was defined as fair knowledge. Cronbach’s alpha was found to be 0.78 (a good value). Bartlett’s sphericity test and the KMO index were adequate (χ2 = 677.563, p < 0.001; KMO = 0.788). This study demonstrates a lack of knowledge of oral cancer risk factors among international medical and dental students.

A qualitative exploration of the perspectives of international medical students residing in university hostels amid COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has portentously frightened the existence of life globally. The lockdown approach was adopted as a containment strategy as the disease itself has manifested severe social, economic, and psychiatric implications. This study was conducted to explore the perception and preparedness of international medical students residing in university hostels amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methods: A total of 11 international medical students were selected through the purposive sampling technique and interviewed face-to-face through the semi-structured interview guide. All the interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and then analyzed for thematic content by standard content analysis framework. Results: The 5 major themes were yielded: familiarity with COVID-19, perceptions and attitudes toward COVID-19, preparedness for safety against COVID-19, barriers to lifestyle, and psychological perspectives. Adequate knowledge regarding the overview of COVID-19; preventive approaches such as social distancing, use of masks, gloves, and sanitizers; and compliance with the lockdown measures were reported by the respondents. The pertinent issue raised by the respondents was the disturbance in normal routine due to distortion in social life and isolation. Conclusion: The findings from this study lighten the people’s perspectives that help the government to prepare public health strategies based on population-focused approaches. The present study demonstrates the respondents’ opinion on COVID-19 management through personal hygiene, social distancing, and complying with the lockdown measures. Furthermore, it demands the adoption of timely and evidence-based teaching-learning techniques for students’ engagement which ensures mental health and self-motivation as well.

Problems and Challenges of Medical English Language Education in Kyrgyzstan

The article delves into the challenges international medical students in Kyrgyzstan face, particularly in Englishlanguage-based programs. With a surge in demand for medical education in the country, the article explores the conventional and unconventional factors affecting the experiences of these students. It addresses issues such as the difficulty of adapting to an unfamiliar education system, external factors complicating adaptation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study based on narratives from 250 international medical students, highlights the challenges of transitioning to life in Kyrgyz higher education. It emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive student body organization and fostering inclusivity between international and local students. In conclusion, this article aims to call for reforms and improvements to enhance their educational and personal experiences. It highlights the need for collaboration with experts to ensure a stronger education system and improved student support.

Information competence formation in international medical students: motivation-targetive criterion

Information competence formation in international medical students: motivation-targetive criterion

International aspects in healthcare and medical education: Scientometric trends and knowledge maps before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Literature shows that healthcare and medical education are associated with the countries/institutes' developments, and reviewing the global patterns can shed light on various aspects of this competition. The study aims to investigate the current research aspects on the internationalization of healthcare and medical education and assess its trends worldwide. In this descriptive study, based on documents in Web of Science (n = 609), PubMed (n = 395), and Scopus (n = 6598), scientometric methods and knowledge visualization techniques were applied to evaluate global scientific production and trends from 1900 to 2020. Results were preprocessed in BibExcel (version 2016-02-20) to create a mapping file, and word co-occurrence analysis was applied to evaluate the publications. Scientific maps, authors' networks, and countries'/institutes' contributions were depicted using VOS (Visualization of Similarity) viewer and NetDraw. For trend analysis, highly frequent words were examined at intervals before 2000, 2000-2004, 2005-2009, 2010-2014, and 2015-2019. Altogether, 129 countries and 14536 (co)authors with 7007 affiliations contributed to the production of 6895 documents. Of the 2378 journals, the top 20 journals published 1298 (18.83%) articles. The top 20 authors together contributed to 247 papers (3.58%). High-income countries made up the most prolific nations. Also, institutes from North America, Europe, and Oceania pioneered production and cooperation. Highly co-occurring words were international cooperation, medical education, medical school, curriculum, medical research, and medical students. The countries/institutions' efforts in internationalizing healthcare and medical education are reflected in the publications in the databases of Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Thus, the findings offer evidence-based information about past and present trends and help researchers and policymakers understand their global impact.

ABOUT THE ONLINE COURSE "RUSSIAN LINGVOMED" FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL STUDENTS

Digitalization in a modern university is an opportunity to develop educational technologies in a new way: the Internet comes to the fore with accessible web sites and tools for creativity and development of both a teacher and a foreign student. Websites are publicly accessible media channels that provide unlimited opportunities for users to receive and transmit information. Cyberspace creates a large-scale information exchange, interactive range in which each participant of information can become an active user. In the digital space, a creative teacher can edit and publish his own materials, introducing a huge number of users to his accumulated works. This article is devoted to the problem of a new form of additional Russian language training for international medical students for clinical practice in 3-4 courses with English language of instruction, undergoing course training in Russian to prepare for professional practice in medical institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in which the interaction of a teacher and an international student is carried out at a distance and reflects all the inherent learning process components (goals, content, methods, organizational forms, learning tools) implemented by means of Internet technologies. Key words: digitalization, continuous online learning, Russian as a foreign language, Russian Lingvomed, international medical students, cyberspace.

Comparison of Multinational Medical School Students Experiences in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis

Background: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries, and governments around the world have implemented different measures and guidelines for the containment and mitigation of the COVID-19 virus. In addition to implemented policies and initiatives, social media and personal beliefs have affected medical students’ social, emotional, financial, and academic stability and success both domestically and internationally. Methods: This qualitative study, recruited students enrolled in the Global Seminar for Health and Environment elective course in their respective medical schools to complete a weekly, non-graded journaling assignment for 6 weeks. To measure outcomes, open-ended questions within the assignment asked students across four different countries (United States, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, and Honduras) questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic including personal beliefs and knowledge, policies and initiatives within their country, global policies and initiatives, and social media presentations. Thematic analysis was then completed using the QCoder package in R Studio. Results: A total of 142 assignment submissions were collected and analyzed. International medical students reported more restrictions in their country, a larger mental health impact, and more individuals in their country showing a lack of regard for policies and initiatives. United States medical students were more likely to express a decrease in academic opportunities and academic performance. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect medical students globally. The pandemic has changed the medical school experience for both international and United States medical students and affected them not only academically but mentally, and socially.

Depressive symptoms faced by non-native international medical students in China during COVID-19.

This study examines depressive symptoms faced by non-native international medical students studying in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. The targeted population for this cross-sectional study included non-native medical students studying in Chinese universities. This study used convenience sampling. An online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to international medical students studying in Chinese universities from February 2020 to June 2021. The questionnaire collected demographic data, information regarding struggles faced, and used the CES-D-10 Likert scale to assess both the challenges and depression symptoms, respectively. By analyzing the 1,207 students' responses, the study found that students with poor Chinese language were two times more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms (OR = 2.67; value of p 0.00). Moreover, female students were found more prone (76.35%) than their male counterparts (44.96%). The study found that food adaptability, health issues, accommodation issues, and financial issues were related factors contributing to depressive symptoms among non-native international medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study tried to highlight the factors that resulted in depressive symptoms among non-native international medical students, and the findings may help diplomatic representatives take necessary actions to help their citizens during this difficult time.

International medical students’ acculturation and self-rated health status in Hungary: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundOver the past few decades, the number of international students has increased dramatically. These students have to adjust to unfamiliar social, cultural, and educational environments. The concept of acculturation has been applied in multiple studies on various health outcomes. This study investigated the relationship between acculturation and self-rated health (SRH) among international medical students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among international medical students at the University of Szeged, Hungary between April and October 2021. A total of 326 participants filled out questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics, acculturation, and SRH. The modified Stephenson multigroup acculturation scale (SMAS) was used to assess the acculturation status; the scale defined acculturation as the degree of dominant society immersion (DSI, 12 items) and ethnic society immersion (ESI, 16 items). To measure SRH, participants were asked to rate their current general health and mental health. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and the multiple logistic regression model.Results32.5% of the students reported having poor general and 49.7% poor mental health. We have found that acculturation was associated with SRH in multivariable logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic characteristic. Bidimensional acculturation, such as ESI and DSI significantly influenced SRH as the likelihood of poor general health decreased (OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.31–0.81, P = 0.005), when the ESI was higher, whereas the likelihood of poor mental health decreased (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.35–0.79, P = 0.002) if students had a greater DSI.ConclusionBoth types of immersion can affect the students’ SRH. If the student could integrate better into their own ethnic group, their general health was better, and if they could strongly integrate into the Hungarian society, their mental health was more favorable. Acculturation measures should be promoted by academics and public health professionals in order to better understand their role in the behaviors, health outcomes, and health care use of medical international students. These findings will help professionals shape culturally sensitive prevention and counselling strategies for international student populations.

Transfer of Mental Health Services for Medical Students to Cyberspace during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Service Use and Students' Preferences for Psychological Self-Help Techniques.

The high risk of mental health problems among medical students has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly reduced social contact. The mental health support service of the medical school of one Hungarian university was transferred to the online learning management system and was expanded by self-help materials in three domains: Improving study skills, stress management techniques, and reducing stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to understand the preferences of medical students for psychological self-help techniques by investigating the pattern of access to online self-help materials and the characteristics of the users. Access to the online materials between April 2020 and April 2021 among Hungarian and international medical students was analyzed using the logging data of the system. Of all the students who logged in during the examination period (n = 458), 36.6–40.4% viewed materials to improve study skills and 23–29% viewed stress management materials, of which short-duration audio format techniques were preferred. The access rate of content targeting coping with the mental health effects of COVID-19 was 9.5–24%. Support to improve study skills is significantly more preferred than interventions targeting distress-reduction. The pattern of access can be used for the development of interventions that are of most interest to medical students.

Working at a Cancer Research Laboratory as a Medical Student: Experience of an Indian Student Studying Medicine in Russia

Medical education is incomplete without any experience in medical research. In Russia, many international students study medicine, and some of them indulge in research along with their teachers and supervisors in different fields of medicine. Being one of such students, I narrated my experience of working at a cancer research laboratory in a Russian university and discussed the opportunities and difficulties that an international medical student might face while studying medicine and doing research simultaneously.

Peer Mentorship for International Medical Students in the United States.

To the Editor: International students in U.S. medical schools face unique challenges. After enrolling in medical school, international students must strategically prepare for matching into residency programs that sponsor visas while engaging with meaningful extracurricular opportunities within the restrictions set forth by their student visas. As citizens of Nicaragua and Canada, respectively, who have encountered difficulties when finding answers to questions specific to our international status in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training, we suggest medical schools facilitate peer mentorship initiatives intended for international medical students. An important reason for this difficulty is the low number of enrolled international medical students in the United States. For example, of the 2020–2021 matriculating students to allopathic medical schools in the United States, only 131 out of 22,329 matriculants had a legal residence abroad. 1 In turn, medical schools may be relatively limited in providing nuanced, experience-based career guidance and support to their international students. Navigating the limited and different visa options for postgraduate training—in addition to identifying residency programs that even consider international applicants—can be challenging. This compounds the many challenges medical students face in general, including the uncertainty of matching to a residency program and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on each application cycle, setting up international medical students for a more complex journey in medical education than their U.S. peers. Given the few international U.S. medical graduates, and the limitations in career counseling for this population, there is a need for well-informed mentorship and guidance. Peer mentorship initiatives that connect international medical students with each other remain largely underused by medical schools. Although medical schools often offer peer mentorship programs in which more senior students provide academic advice and support to newer students, this approach is insufficient for international students who require guidance in the context of their specific situation. Instead, medical schools should proactively connect international medical students to each other across class years and, just as importantly, to their international alumni. Individuals who have navigated the many barriers present for international medical students in the United States are more likely to provide focused, experience-based support. Facilitating these relationships early in medical school may result in other benefits, including involvement with scholarship and research activities. Ultimately, international medical students in the United States have left their home countries and families to serve the U.S. people. Medical schools that admit international students should place value in using every possible tool to propel them to a successful career in medicine. Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the deans of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for supporting their medical training in the United States.