This is a rebuttal to the racist, xenophobic and gutless person who sent in an unsigned letter to the editor published in the November 2004 (Volume 68, No. 11) ASA Newsletter, in response to Dr. Bacon’s May 2004 editorial.

It is rather unfortunate that at this day and age of a shrinking world and globalization of mankind, there is still a person (a physician? no less) who is an embodiment of bigotry and hatred. In his letter, this anonymous writer practically charged that all International Medical Graduates in the United States are incompetent. I am sure there are incompetent physicians among IMGs as there are among the American Medical Graduates. There are countless IMGs providing excellent patient care to Americans and who are a credit to this great nation.

When America needed medical manpower in the 60s because of the military draft, the country aggressively recruited IMGs from Asia and other parts of the world. The tens of thousand IMGs admitted to the United States had to pass multiple qualifying examinations, like their own country’s medical board examination, the ECFMG and English proficiency examination, State Board examination, American Board of Certification, and Recertification Exam. Has the quality of medical care in the United States the past 45 years worse off than the period before that? Aren’t the thousands of IMGs who have excelled in the academe, those who are department chairmen in the various medical universities and training hospitals around the country, those who have been serving the medical needs of the Americans, especially in the more remote smaller cities in the United States, not enough proof that the unequalled residency training programs in the United States, which are second to none in the world, had leveled the playing field for the AMGs and IMGs? Proportionately, there are more IMGs in the United States today who are specialists and sub-specialists in the various fields of medicine and surgery, a tribute to the excellent residency training program in this great nation.

To the angry writer of the bitter attack on IMGs who is hiding behind anonymity, please stay with the facts and be fair. Bigotry will not be beneficial to our profession.

Edmundo Manzano, M.D.

Munster, Indiana

March 21, 2005