• Tiffany I Leung, Ewelina Biskup, and Dawn DeWitt.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center and Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands t.leung@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
• Rural Remote Health. 2020 Sep 1; 20 (3): 6027.

ContextPhysicians who migrate globally face a daunting series of time-consuming, labor- and resource-intensive procedures to prove their clinical competency before being allowed to practice medicine in a new country.IssuesIn this commentary, we describe licensing barriers faced by physician-migrants based on the authors' experiences, and reflect also on rapidly implemented measures to address COVID-19 pandemic related workforce shortages. We offer recommendations for potential reductions in bureaucratic regulatory barriers that prohibit mobilization of international medical graduate talent.Lessons LearnedLicensing boards and authorities should strive for standardized, competency-based basic professional recognition. Professional medical societies are well-positioned to guide such competency-based recognition as a more organized, international collaborative effort across specialties. The COVID-19 pandemic facilitated cross-state and international licensing in some regions, highlighting a key opportunity: streamlining professional recognition requirements is achievable.

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