[New medical demography : challenges for international medical graduates]

« International Medical Graduates » (IMGs) are medical doctors practicing abroad, in a country where they have not studied. Their number is increasing at the global level as well as in Switzerland. In this article we describe the challenges faced by IMGs : difficulties related to issues in communication, differences in medical education, variations in clinical practice and difficulties in dealing with specific categories of patients because of local societal values. These challenges demand a process of professional and cultural transition from these foreign medical doctors who constitute a real asset for the host countries. Indeed, they participate in solving the problem of medical shortage and bring to their host country their rich professional experience and recognized clinical skills.