1286 



period 1967-70 had been 11 percent, as compared with only 3 percent 

 of all exchange visitors. "We consider the 11% rate high but not 

 alarming," he said. However, the foreign residence requirement was 

 relaxed m April 1970, and the "fallout rate," especially among physi- 

 cians, "increased dramatically." In 1972, he said, the United States 

 put into effect a "skills list," specifying skills critical to each country. 

 He hoped that cooperative efforts between the United States and other 

 nations in adhering to the "skills list" requirements would result in a 

 reduction in the number of adjustment cases. In the future, he said, 

 most FMGs would be subject to the 2-year foreign residence require- 

 ment upon completing their training programs. 



Finally, Mr. Reich discussed the problem of accommodating the 

 FMG to the American environment, citing particularly the lack of 

 hospitality and appreciation of Americans for their presence. Reich 

 suggested a 10-point program for rectifying this problem of accom- 

 modation and concluded with a statement on the obligations of Ameri- 

 cans to the FMGs, particularly the fact that "they all are important 

 to us in helping to build the human foundations of the structure of 

 peace." ^*^ 



It is significant for the purposes of this study to note that nothing 

 was said in this speech about the obligations of American institutions 

 to cope with the doctor shortage through the use of American man- 

 power, and about the rights of American premedical students to a 

 reasonable expectation of fulfilling career goals. Nor was there any 

 reference to remedies for the medical brain drain problem at the 

 source where lay the greatest potentiality for difficulties in U.S. for- 

 eign relations. Rather the stress was on administrative measures for 

 control, and on the obligations of Americans to accommodate the 

 FMG to the American social environment. 



EDUCATTONAL INSTITUTIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR 



Educational institutions and professional associations such as the 

 AMA and the AHA (American Hospital Association) are heavy users 

 of foreign professional manpower flowing into this country. Also 

 among the heavy users are the many scientifically and technologically 

 oriented research and development enterprises in the Nation's private 

 sector. 



Data presented in the preceding sections of this study suggest that 

 in varying degrees the brain drain problem has directly and indirectly 

 involved these nongovernmental sectors of American life. In certain 

 areas the involvement is deeper than in others. The medical profession 

 is becoming increasingly dependent upon FMGs to take up the grow- 

 ing slack in its own production of doctors and to meet the demands of 

 the Nation's expanding health care. With the cutback in defense and 

 space related research and development, the demand for scientists and 

 engineers has dropped. The decline is reflected in the most recent NSF 

 data on the inflows of scientists and engineers in the fiscal year 1972. 

 But international student exchange continues on an expanding scale, 



■^"Alan A. Reich, "International Understanding and Foreign Medical Graduates," In 

 Remarks of Robert McClory, Congressional Record, Mar. 12, 1974, pp. E1339-E1341. 



