Public Views on State Licensure of Internationally Trained Surgeons Without US Residency

Findings of this study suggest that the US public generally supports licensure laws for internationally trained surgeons but with important caveats, including geographic restriction of practice, strong preferences for disclosure of training background, ethical concern over brain drain, and reluctance to receive care personally from an internationally trained surgeon. Policymakers need to balance workforce expansion with safeguards for patient safety, transparency, and global equity. These findings provide an important baseline for future research as internationally trained surgeons begin entering US surgical practice.