Author Response: Immigrant Neurologists in the United States: The Path of Most Resistance

  • Abhimanyu Mahajan, Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
  • Zachary London, James W Albers Collegiate Professor of Neurology and Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Andrew M. Southerland, Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor and Associate Professor of Neurology and Public Health Services, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
  • Jaffar Khan, Professor and Vice Chair for Education, Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
  • Erica A. Schuyler, Associate Professor of Neurology, Hartford HealthCare/ University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT
Submitted May 05, 2021

We thank the authors for their interest in our study.1 In addition to their impact on clinical care, immigration complexities do negatively impact the physician-scientist pipeline, as the authors so rightly mention. Another aspect to consider would be the eligibility criteria of permanent residency for career development awards (K awards) by the NIH. This precludes those on a visa from applying for it.

Moreover, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is actively seeking to diversify the physician-scientist program and increase participation from underrepresented groups. Precluding immigrant neurologists from the research career development pipeline seems counterintuitive to this priority.

Disclosure

The authors report no relevant disclosures. Contact journal@neurology.org for full disclosures.  

Reference

  1. Mahajan A, London Z, Southerland AM, Khan J, Schuyler E; Graduate Education Subcommittee and Education Committee of the American Academy of Neurology. Immigrant Neurologists in the United States: The Path of Most Resistance [published online ahead of print, 2020 Nov 16]. Neurology. 2020;10.1212/WNL.0000000000011196.

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