Legislative Support

In 2012, the California Assembly passed, and Governor Jerry Brown signed, legislation enabling UCLA’s IMG Program participants to engage in “hands on” clinical training as part of their course of study. Prior to passage of Assembly Bill 1533, state law prevented IMG trainees from taking part in supervised clinical contact with patients because they weren’t recognized as either “medical students” enrolled in a school of medicine (since they had already graduated from medical school in their own country), nor as medical residents enrolled in residency training.

Under the sponsorship of then-Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (now a member of the California Senate), AB1533 allowed UCLA’s IMG Program participants to engage in clinical training with patients, under appropriate supervision, as part of their pre-residency training at UCLA Health System and its affiliates’ facilities. UCLA IMGs are now able to take part in clinical clerkships that provide fully-supervised hands-on, patient interaction training opportunities as part of a team of attendings, residents, and other UCLA medical students. Such experiences are a critical component of their preparations for the USMLE examinations, future residency training, and development of their medical care skills overall.