Alternate Licensure Partners and a National Standards Vision

09/18/2026

Key Takeaways

Upwardly Global supports ITPs who are not yet ECFMG certified, with guidance and coaching toward the alternate licensure pathway.
World Education Services (WES) is a credential-evaluation leader that has researched and advocated for alternate licensure, including investing in states like Idaho.
Global Talent (Idaho) has long connected refugee and internationally trained physicians to mentors, resources and opportunities.
Whitetulip Health Foundation held a first joint workshop introducing the pathway to its physician network.
WeAreDocs is in early discussions to form an organization that sets standards, quality and governance for alternate licensure pathways across nearly 30 states.
Physicians already placed will receive a survey. Several employers joined the network after a physician used the outreach cover letter.

Dear Colleagues,

Today we want to talk about the people and organizations building this alongside us, what we are hearing from physicians already in the pathway, and where we believe this is all ultimately headed.

The Organizations Building This Alongside Us.

We have spoken often about WeAreDocs as a movement rather than just a platform. And movements are not built by one organization alone. We want to take a moment to introduce you to some of the remarkable organizations that are working alongside us to support ITPs and expand this pathway.

Upwardly Global is one of the most respected nonprofit organizations in the country focused on dismantling employment barriers for work authorized immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals. Founded in 1999, they were the first organization of their kind in the United States and have since supported tens of thousands of internationally trained professionals in restarting careers that match their education and experience. We are particularly excited about our partnership with Upwardly Global for those of you who are not yet ECFMG certified. If you are still working through that process, Upwardly Global will guide you, coach you, and help you build the foundation you need before the alternate licensure pathway becomes fully accessible to you. You do not have to navigate that process alone. They are here for exactly this and we trust them completely.

World Education Services (WES) is a globally recognized leader in international credential evaluation and workforce integration. WES has been at the forefront of research and advocacy around alternate licensure pathways for ITPs and has invested directly in states like Idaho to support implementation. Their credibility in this space is unmatched and their alignment with our mission gives WeAreDocs access to research, networks, and policy conversations that strengthen everything we do.

Global Talent is a remarkable organization based in Idaho that has been on the ground working with refugee and internationally trained physicians long before this pathway received national attention. Idaho ranks among the lowest states in the country for physicians per capita and Global Talent has been connecting internationally trained physicians to mentors, resources, and opportunities in that state for years. Their work is a living example of what is possible when you combine community commitment with a willingness to do the unglamorous work of implementation. We are proud to be building alongside them.

Whitetulip Health Foundation is a nonprofit organization that connects healthcare professionals who want to give back to society, creating a platform for collaboration, mutual support, and community health impact both locally and abroad. We recently held our first joint workshop with Whitetulip alongside Dr. Servet Tatli and Dr. Lutfullah Baskoy to introduce the alternate licensure pathway to their organization and the physicians within their network. The energy in that room was exactly what this movement needs more of and we look forward to continuing to grow that relationship.

Together, these organizations represent a coalition of mission driven groups all pulling in the same direction. WeAreDocs does not operate in isolation. We are part of something larger and so are you.

We Want to Hear From You.

To those of you who are already placed and working through this pathway, please look out for a survey that we will be sending out to you directly.

We want to hear from you. How are things going? What is working well? What has been harder than expected? What do you wish you had known going in? What could we have done better to prepare you?

This pathway is new for everyone involved. It is a learning curve for physicians and for employers alike. And the only way we can build it better is if we hear directly from the people living it every day.

Your feedback will not only help us support you more effectively right now. It will shape how we onboard, prepare, and support every ITP who comes after you. You have the unique opportunity to make this pathway better for an entire generation of physicians who are still waiting for their chance.

We are grateful for your trust in being part of something this new. And we want to make sure you feel supported every step of the way.

If you have anything you want to share before the survey arrives, please do not hesitate to reach out directly. We are always listening.

A Vision for What This Becomes.

We want to share something with you that has been taking shape behind the scenes and that we believe represents one of the most important steps this movement can take.

We are in early discussions about forming a formal organization specifically dedicated to building standards, ensuring quality, and establishing governance for these pathways across the country.

Right now there are nearly 30 states with some form of alternate licensure pathway. Each one is slightly different. Each one has its own rules, its own timelines, its own supervision requirements. That variation creates confusion for physicians, for employers, and for the states themselves.

What this movement needs, and what we intend to help build, is a recognized and authoritative body that can provide standardization and centralization across all of these pathways. An organization that sets the bar for what a high quality supervised practice program looks like. One that ensures patient safety, physician support, and employer accountability are held to a consistent standard regardless of which state you are in. One that lays the foundational governance that gives this pathway legitimacy, durability, and national recognition.

This is the difference between a pathway that exists and a pathway that endures.

We know this will take time. We know it will take collaboration with medical boards, state legislatures, healthcare organizations, and physician communities. But this is the kind of foundational work that creates permanent and lasting change. And WeAreDocs intends to be at the center of building it.

Keep Going. It Is Working.

To those of you who are using the outreach cover letter to introduce this pathway to organizations in your community, we want you to hear this clearly.

It is working.

It may not land on the first attempt or the fifth. But persistence across this community creates curiosity. Curiosity becomes questions. Questions become conversations with us. And conversations become open doors.

Multiple employers have joined our network specifically because a physician reached out to them using that letter. You are making a difference even when it does not feel like it.

Keep going.

And one more small ask. Go to our LinkedIn page at WeAreDocs, find one of our physician testimonials, and repost it on your own LinkedIn page today. No caption required. Just a repost. One repost from every person reading this could put this pathway in front of tens of thousands of people who have never heard of it.

Please do that today.

Your patience is not going unnoticed. The work being done right now at the state level, the organizational level, and the community level is building something that will outlast all of us and serve physicians and patients for generations.

You are a physician. Internationally trained. Undeniably capable. And this community is behind you every step of the way.

Accept your invitation or create your personal pathway portal today and take the next step in your journey:

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