AdministratoR, Author at Aga Khan University Alumni Association of North America

J-1 Waiver Programs

September 27, 2012 By AdministratoR

The Other Immigration “Season:” Many State J-1 Waiver Programs Will Begin Accepting Applications on October 1

By: Sarah J. Baker, Esq.

Each year, much is made of the H-1B “season” when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) begins accepting H-1B visa petitions on April 1 for an October 1 employment start date. However, there is another much less publicized, yet important, immigration season that also deserves special mention: the Conrad 30 J-1 waiver program season.

Following the federal fiscal year, on October 1 each year numerous state departments of health begin accepting applications filed on behalf of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) to waive the two-year foreign residence requirement of their J-1 visa status. All FMGs who come to the United States in J-1 status to pursue graduate medical education are subject to this obligation, which requires them to return to their home country for a minimum of two years before applying for certain non-immigrant visas or seeking permanent residence in the United States.

Pursuant to the J-1 waiver program, each fiscal year state health departments and agencies can recommend up to 30 J-1 waivers for foreign physicians who are going to practice medicine in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), mental health HPSAs, Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), or serve Medical Underserved Populations (MUPs) 40 hours per week for a minimum of three years.

Below are some initial practical hints for FMGs to consider when evaluating their Conrad 30 J-1 waiver program options:

Before preparing and filing a waiver application with a state health department or agency, applicants must obtain a case number from the U.S. Department of State. The case number application fee is $215.00.

Not all states begin accepting J-1 waiver applications on October 1. Some states, such as Texas, which began accepting applications on September 5 this year, operate on a different application cycle.
Some states, such as South Carolina, require site approval, pre-authorization, or a slot pre-assignment before a waiver application can be filed on behalf of an FMG.
Many states express a preference for the employment of primary care physicians under their Conrad 30 J-1 programs, and will not allow waiver applications for specialist physicians. For example, California will only consider J-1 waiver applications filed for primary care physicians, which are defined as “internist, family practice, pediatrician, psychiatrist, and OB/GYN.”
Each state can recommend up to 30 waiver applications per application cycle. Some states, such as New Hampshire, will allow applications for physicians whose practice site is not located in a HPSA, mental health HPSA, MUA, or MUP but instead serves patients coming from designated HPSAs, mental health HPSAs, MUAs, or MUP regions. These are commonly known as “flex slots,” and states can grant up to 10 (out of 30) flex slots per application season.
If the state to which you are applying does not accept flex slot applications, check and double-check (or have your attorney verify for you) that the practice site at which you will be working is located in a HPSA, mental health HPSA, MUA, or MUP.
While many states do not, some states, such as Ohio and Texas, charge an application fee to process J-1 waiver applications. Ohio’s application fee is a whopping $3,571.00 and Texas’ is $2,500.00, for example.
Not all states consider J-1 waiver applications on a “first-in-first out” basis. Some states prioritize applications based on the state’s need for particular types of physicians, or based on the merits of each application submitted.
Obtaining a J-1 waiver is just the first step in fulfilling the terms of the waiver application. Employers of FMGs who are granted J-1 waivers will need to obtain an H-1B visa on behalf of the FMG so the physician can fulfill the three-year waiver service period in H-1B status.
H-1B petitions based on Conrad 30 J-1 waivers are exempt from the annual H-1B “cap.”

For additional information and more practical tips on state Conrad 30 J-1 waiver programs, please view: “Practical Guide to Conrad Waivers: Thirty, … Two, One, Gone!”

Please also do not hesitate to contact a Wolfsdorf Immigration Law Group attorney for assistance evaluating your J-1 waiver options.

Featured Alumus: Dr. Saad Shafqat, AKU ’88

September 21, 2012 By AdministratoR

Dr. Saad Shafqat

A member of the inaugural medical college class, Saad Shafqat graduated from AKU in 1988. He obtained a PhD in neuroscience from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and completed his Neurology Residency and Fellowship training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Saad celebrates his AKU experiences for motivating him towards the neurosciences. During the pre-clinical years, neuroanatomy taught by the late Prof. Ahsan Karim, neurophysiology taught by Prof. Neil Davidson, and neuropharmacology taught by Prof. Amin Suria, created a heady mix for Saad that kindled an enduring affinity for the study of the nervous system. In clinical years, this was further cemented by exposure to the debilitating spectrum of neurological illnesses, under the able guidance of neurologists Drs. Aziz Sonawalla and Irfan Altafullah, and neurosurgeon Dr. Rashid Jooma. By the time he graduated from AKU, Saad was convinced that a combination of basic neuroscience postgraduate education and advanced training in clinical neurology was the right path for him.

In late summer of 2000, Saad returned home to Karachi and was appointed Assistant Professor of neurology at AKU. At the time, several friends and classmates questioned his decision to return and cautioned him, but Saad says he has absolutely no regrets. It is generally felt that obligations to one’s aging parents are the prime motivating factor behind repatriation, but Saad sees it differently. He points out that such family obligations are common to everyone; so this alone cannot be enough, and there must be some extra attribute that makes a small minority of US-based AKU graduates relocate back. In a recent article published in the newsletter of the American Academy of Neurology, Saad wrote that he simply felt a “visceral urge” to go back home.

For all its ups and downs, living in Karachi and working at AKU have been very gratifying and rewarding for Saad. In 2008 he was appointed Head of Neurology, and in 2012 he was promoted to Professor. Neurology at AKU has always been one of the Department of Medicine’s busiest and academically vibrant sections. At present, it comprises 6 full-time and 8 part-time Neurologists, many of whom were trained in the US. During his tenure as chief, clinical volumes have seen a steady growth; inpatient mortality has been cut by half; and major extra-mural grants have been secured, including a US$ 500,000 stroke research training program funded by NIH. Saad credits each one of his sectional colleagues for enabling an atmosphere of transparency, collegiality, academic distinction, and clinical excellence, which has made neurology one of the very few clinical specialties at AKU that has not lost faculty to attractive job offers that keeping coming from the Middle East and North America.

A prominent feature of Saad’s activities has been his extra-curricular contributions. He has written on social issues for the lay press, and is a key member of AKU’s Sixth Sense Forum, which organizes lectures, readings and discussions on non-medical topics for the university community. In Pakistan’s favorite pastime of cricket, Saad has become something of a public aficionado, contributing a regular column to Dawn and to the ESPN website Cricinfo, and frequently appearing as a cricket analyst on television. His book “Cutting Edge,” the co-authored life story of Javed Miandad, appeared in 2003 and became a bestseller. He has also penned a fictional medical thriller that has been published in India and is due for release in the coming weeks.

Saad is married to his AKU classmate, Anita Zaidi, who is Professor and Chair of AKU’s Department of Pediatrics and Child Health. They have two children, Zehra (19) and Adil (12). Looking ahead, Saad says he is keen to play a greater role in Alumni Affairs. In particular, he would like to mentor young alumni who are returning from the US and joining faculty ranks at AKU. His key message to younger colleagues, for whom faculty life can sometimes appear to pose byzantine complexities, is not to be discouraged. “All you have to do is stay at the wicket,” he urges in his signature cricket-speak, “and the runs will come.”

The AKUAANA website features an AKU alumnus every quarter. We want profiles to highlight various aspects of alumni careers/lives – academic and research, clinical, private practice, political achievements, social activism, philanthropy etc.

Profiles of other alumni highlighted on the website over the time can be viewed under the “Featured Alumni” category.

In order to nominate someone or self-nominate, email your nomination and information by email to .

Foreign national physicians may apply for permanent licence anywhere in NY State

August 28, 2012 By AdministratoR

Effective August 17, 2012, foreign national physicians may apply for permanent license to practice medicine anywhere in New York State. Physicians are no longer required to work in underserved areas. Those who are currently holding limited licenses will continue under the provisions of that license and will work in the underserved area until they obtain a permanent license.

This change of policy was based on a lawsuit filed by a small group of pharmacists against the New York State Education Department. In Dandamudi v Tisch, the pharmacists, who were all legally authorized to reside and work in the United States argued that New York Education Law § 6805(1)(6)’s requirement that only U.S. Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents (“LPRs”) are eligible to obtain a pharmacist’s license in New York is unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection and Supremacy Clauses of the United States Constitution. The Court of Appeals agreed with the plaintiffs and the District Court’s finding that the New York State law discriminates against those lawfully permitted to reside and work in the U.S. and there are no compelling reasons for the statute’s discrimination based on alienage.

For more information about licensure requirements in the State of New York, check the New York State Education Department website.

The Lost Pearl, a novel by Lara Zuberi, AKU ’00

August 23, 2012 By AdministratoR

Dr. Lara Zuberi

Lara Zuberi, AKU Alumnus from the class of 2000, hit the pause button on her Hematology/Oncology career and published a novel, The Lost Pearl. The novel is about a Pakistani girl narrated in the first person. “It is not autobiographical, but the mixed emotions evoked after leaving one’s home country are.”

The book is available in paperback for $14.36 at Amazon.

The Kindle edition is for $7.99 at Amazon.

For excerpts, reviews, summary and biography, please visit her website at www.larazuberi.com.

Lara will donate 20 % of the royalty to cancer patients in Pakistan.

Message from the author to fellow AKU grads: “Thank you for keeping the love of reading and the spirit of giving alive.”

Sitara-e-Imtiaz

August 20, 2012 By AdministratoR

Dr. Shaista Masood Khan

Dr. Nehal Masood

On the 66^th Independence Day of Pakistan, the President of Pakistan has conferred the most prestigious civil award (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) upon The Aga Khan University’s Prof. Shaista Masood Khan (Dept of Surgery) and Associate Prof. Nehal Masood (Department of Oncology and Department of Medicine) in recognition of their exemplary services in the Health sector for the people of Pakistan. This is indeed an extremely proud moment for the University. Congratulations go out to the proud recipients of this award!

AKUAANA President’s Message to Alumni, August 2012

August 1, 2012 By AdministratoR

Dear Alumni,

Ramadan Mubarak!

I am happy to report that Reunion 2012 was a great success, with the largest attendance to date. There were 170 attendees. We were joined by guests from AKU that included Dr. Farhat Abbas, Dean AKU Medical College Karachi, Mr. Lou Ariano, Registrar AKU, Ms. Carol Ariano, VP Human Resources and Mr. Karim Jan Mohammed, Director Resource Development. Our guests provided the Alumni with updates relating to the medical college, as well as Aga Khan University campuses across the globe.

The theme of the evening was ‘Giving Back’. We had speakers from the i-Care foundation, who detailed their undertaking, and Asad Ansari ’95 introduced the project that his class undertook in association with the Citizen’s Foundation.

The AKUAANA website (which I hope you are exploring now!) was officially introduced. We hope that this will be used as a launching pad for many projects spearheaded by alumni. I invite all of you to actively participate in the development of this project.

The Class of ’92 celebrated its 20^th year, and the Class of ’02 its 10^th year. Congratulations to them on their continuing collective achievements.

Following the reunion dinner, we were able to conduct a very successful business meeting, voting on several issues that will have a bearing on the future direction of AKUAANA. The minutes are posted on the website.

Our goal over the next few months is to try and increase membership and engagement. Please use your networking prowess to encourage people to join up and volunteer for AKUAANA projects. To jump-start communication, we have recently initiated a 6-month period of free access to the Discussion board. Please join up and say what’s on your mind!

For those of you who were able to join the reunion – I hope you enjoyed the gathering. For those who were not able to join, I look forward to seeing you in Orlando in July 2013!

Wishing you a peaceful and blessed Ramadan,

Sincerely,

Sadaf Khan, ‘92
President, AKUAANA

Visa Denial for USMLE exams and Residency Interviews

June 6, 2012 By AdministratoR

We have been informed of an alarming J-1 visa denial trend in India (especially at the US Consulate in Mumbai) for applicants who were previously in the US in B status for USMLE exams and residency interviews. ECFMG has been working on these cases and trying to get them reversed. It is possible that we will start to see similar denials at the US consulates in Pakistan. If you receive such a denial, please inform Irene Anthony at ECFMG – ianthony@ecfmg.org. Please be sure to include:

Copy of DS-160
Passport ID pages
Copy of cancelled B-1/B-2 visa
Copy of DS-2019
Date and place of denial of J-1 visa

Please also note that APPNA’s Advocacy & Legislative Affairs Committee and the Committee for Young Physicians (CYP) has been able to facilitate the J-1 & H-1 visa issues for several young physicians applying from Pakistan. Please feel free to contact the CYP committee at info@cyponline.net

Reconnect with AKU in the USA in June, 2012

June 1, 2012 By AdministratoR

Establishment of Department of Oncology at AKU

May 31, 2012 By AdministratoR

AKU has established a Department of Oncology. This Department will have its own sections, namely, medical, pediatric, hematology, radiation, surgical, diagnostic and experimental/basic sciences oncology. Dr. Mohammad Khurshid is the Founding Chair effective June 1, 2012 for three years.

The Ibn Zuhr Building

The recently set up Department of Oncology is a comprehensive cancer management facility located in the Ibn Zuhr Building. The state-of-the-art facility ensures delivery of radiotherapy with the highest level of precision and quality to cancer patients.

The main objective of the department is to develop first class leading edge cancer services working in close collaboration with the rest of the University. The department has the following sections:

medical oncology
paediatric oncology
haematology oncology
radiation oncology
surgical oncology
diagnostic oncology
experimental/basic sciences oncology

The department also offers fellowship, residency and technical certification programmes.

Reminiscing has its Rewards

May 23, 2012 By AdministratoR

Three decades ago, an internationally competitive faculty was assembled under a dynamic founding dean to bring the Aga Khan University Medical College to life. In time, this effort blossomed into the renowned institution that we are proud to belong to today. As a new generation embraces AKU and its future, we invite you to a conversation with three key founding faculty members of the Medical College – Dr. Camer Vellani, Dr. Mohammad Khurshid, and Dr. Perwaiz Iqbal.

Dr. Saad Shafqat, class of ’98, will moderate and there will be full audience participation.

Dr. Camer Vellani

Dr. Camer Vellani joined AKU in 1979 and is now Distinguished University Professor Emeritus. He has served in a number of key positions, including Chair of Medicine, Associate Dean for Education, and Rector.

Dr. Perwaiz Iqbal

Dr. Perwaiz Iqbal joined AKU in 1983 as the first faculty member in Biochemistry. His teaching abilities are legendary and he has also served as Acting Chair, Biochemistry Department and Interim Chair, BBS Department.

Dr. Mohammad Khurshid

Dr. Mohammad Khurshid joined AKU in 1984 and was the founding Chair of Pathology. He has also served as the University Hospital’s Medical Director and, most recently, Dean of the Medical College.

FAS HASS Collaborative Lecture Series
Open to All

Forum Discussion
AKU Auditorium – Tuesday, May 29, 2012
4:00 – 6:00 PM

Refreshments will be served.

For queries, please write to fas.hass@aku.edu

Sixth Sense Forum Flyer

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