Conrad 30 Program Extended

On 10/8/2008, President Bush signed into law an extension of the Conrad 30 program. The program permits an "interested" state department of public health or its equivalent to request up to 30 waivers for J-1 foreign physicians each year directly to US Information Agency. This federal program waives the 2-year foreign residence
requirement for foreign physicians and is generally designed to promote the delivery of critically needed medical services to people in the United States lacking adequate access to physician care. The law also allows raised from 5 to 10 the number of physicians who practice medicine outside of a HPSA/MUA but whose patients are primarily located in HPSAs and MUAs, whom can be sponsored by each state.

Sadly, this law is set to expire again on March 6, 2009.