May 12, 2026
Dear IMG Colleagues,
A lot has happened since we last wrote. And we want to make sure you hear it directly from us.
The Honest State of the Pathway.
There are now 29 states with enacted or proposed alternate licensure pathways for internationally trained physicians. That number is growing and it represents real momentum.
But momentum and implementation are two different things. Most of these states are still working through the gap between passing a law and actually putting it into practice. Opposing forces remain. Licensing boards are moving slowly. And the regulatory machinery in many states is still catching up to what legislators intended.
We are not telling you this to discourage you. We are telling you because you deserve honesty, not just headlines.
What we can also tell you is that WeAreDocs is not waiting. We are in the rooms where these decisions are being made, working directly with medical boards and stakeholders to push implementation forward. That work is less visible than a press release. But it is the work that actually moves things.
We Placed the First IMG Alternate Pathway Physician in Illinois.
This is a milestone we are genuinely proud of.
WeAreDocs placed the first IMG physician through the alternate licensure pathway near Chicago, Illinois. We are learning from every step of that process and feeding real world experience directly back to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. We are helping them understand what works, what does not, and where the process needs to move faster.
We have been very respectful in our feedback. And very clear that speed matters. We are hopeful they are listening. We plan to follow up until they are.
Franklin Medical Center: The First in Louisiana. The First in the Nation for IMG Specialty Physicians.
We are proud to announce that WeAreDocs is now working with Franklin Medical Center in Louisiana, which will become the first hospital system in the state, and the first in the nation, to utilize IMG specialty physicians through the alternate licensure pathway.
Louisiana has a pathway on the books. Franklin Medical Center is ready to implement it. And WeAreDocs is building the compliance framework and supervision structure to make it a model that other Louisiana organizations, and organizations across the country, can follow.
One organization at a time. One state at a time. This is how history gets made.
We Are Going to Miami This Weekend.
Dr. Mohamed Khalif and I will be attending The IMG Event in Miami, hosted by Project IMG, on May 15 and 16. WeAreDocs is proud to be a sponsor of this event, which brings together hundreds of physicians, advocates, and healthcare leaders from across the world.
I will be participating as a panel expert, sharing my personal pathway to becoming a surgeon in the United States. It is a story I do not often tell publicly and I am looking forward to sharing it with this community.
We will also have the opportunity to meet personally with two individuals who are among the most important voices in this space right now.
Mike Zimmer is a Senior Policy Consultant at World Education Services (WES), former Cabinet Director to Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan, and former Director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). He brings rare insight into how government licensing systems actually work from the inside and how to move them. His presence at this event reflects how seriously the policy world is beginning to take this pathway.
Jonathan Wolfson is a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center, where he focuses on healthcare workforce policy at the intersection of labor, healthcare, and occupational licensing reform. He has authored landmark research on using internationally trained physicians to address the U.S. physician shortage and has directly influenced legislation across multiple states. He is one of the most credible national voices this movement has.
Getting time with both of them matters. Not just for WeAreDocs, but for every physician in this community. These are the relationships that shape policy at the highest level.
If you are attending The IMG Event in Miami this weekend, please come find us. We would genuinely love to meet you, hear your story, and connect in person. This community is most powerful when it is not just digital.
This Cannot Happen Without All of Us.
Every milestone we share with you, the first placement in Illinois, the first specialty pathway implementation in the nation at Franklin Medical Center, the policy conversations happening in Miami, started with someone deciding to show up and push forward.
That someone can be you too.
If you know a hospital, clinic, or healthcare organization that is struggling to find physicians, introduce them to this model. You do not need to have all the answers. That is what we are here for. Once you connect with us, we will walk you through everything and give you the tools to carry this conversation into your community.
Follow us on LinkedIn at WeAreDocs to stay updated as new positions and pathway developments emerge. And if you know a colleague who needs to hear this, forward this email to them today.
The pathway is being built in real time. The opposition is real. The progress is real. And the need is urgent.
You are not watching this from the outside. You are part of it.
You are a doctor. And this movement needs you.
Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your trust. We will keep showing up for you.
As part of our commitment to reaching every one of you faster, we are launching group information sessions so you can get your questions answered, hear directly from us, and understand the pathway without waiting weeks for a one on one call. Our administrative assistant Peace will be reaching out with available session times soon. We encourage you to sign up and join us. These sessions are a great way to get connected, meet other physicians on the same journey, and hear the latest updates in real time.
Fill out the form below to stay connected and let us know where you are in your journey:
Sincerely,
Sam Hsieh, MD FACS FACHE
Chief Medical Officer | Co-Founder
Physician Pathway Solutions | WeAreDocs
WeAreDocs.com