Global Physician Scholar (GPS) Program

GPS Program

ACP's Global Physician Scholar (GPS) Program provides opportunities for early*/mid-career physicians from outside the United States and Canada to gain expertise in a focused area relating to the prevention, diagnosis, and/or management of a clinical problem in internal medicine and the subspecialties. 

*ACP defines an Early Career Physician as a physician Fellow or Member of ACP who is within sixteen years of graduating medical school, who is not a  Student Member, transitional Medical Graduate, or Resident/Fellow Member of ACP.

Candidates must be early and mid-career internal medicine physicians/subspecialists of internal medicine and must be ACP Members or Fellows in good standing. Post-graduate trainees (PGY 3-5) in their final year of training before obtaining a medical license for independent practice are also eligible for the Global Physician Scholar Program.

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The Global Physician Scholar Program is accepting candidates from March 31, 2025 to June 17, 2025.

Program Goals

  • Allow early and mid-career internal medicine physician members to participate in short-term experiences provided by senior faculty in academic medical institutions in the United States and Canada.
  • Allow scholars to participate in ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting (complimentary registration and expenses included in stipend) to benefit from education courses, professional development, and knowledge sharing.
  • Enable scholars to acquire updated knowledge and skills to improve the delivery of care in their country through an independent project to be completed post-programming. 

Timeline

  • March 31, 2025: Call for applications  
  • June 17, 2025: Application deadline  
  • October 2025: Applicants notified  
  • February, April or May 2026: Suggested period of experience
  • April 16 - 18, 2026: Attendance at Internal Medicine Meeting 2026 in San Fransisco, California 

What to Expect as a Global Physician Scholar

  • Scholars will acquire knowledge, experience, and skills that they can apply, utilize, and disseminate to colleagues upon return to their home country.
  • Faculty mentors at host sites will engage scholars in individual/group clinical and educational experiences and facilitate the design of an independent project to be implemented in each recipient’s country upon their return. No direct patient care will be offered. 
    • Permitted Activities: Attend educational sessions such as lectures, case conferences, workshops, and grand rounds. Observe educational activities taking place in the community, clinical, or research setting.
    • Prohibited Activities: Scholars may not interact with patients individually. Scholars may not treat or examine patients in any way, write in/on charts or EHR, provide medical care, surgical care, or give medical advice to patients.
  • Scholars will select one area of study in a particular area of competency they wish to acquire or improve on during their experience. Each scholar must complete a written report and design an independent project during the experience for implementation in their home country.  
  • Experiences should last about four weeks with the supervision of a mentor/host.  
  • Up to $8,000 will be awarded to each scholar. These funds are for travel and living expenses, as well as hotel accommodation at the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting. Advanced funding will be sent to each awardee shortly after they are selected. A final balance of the award will be paid upon receipt of the final report and documentation of all expenses.
  • A final report is required to be submitted to ACP within one month of GPS completion. 

Note: For scholars requiring a visa to the United States or Canada, ACP can provide a supporting invitation letter for use in the visa application, but is unable to facilitate additional assistance with the visa application process.

2025-26 Scholars

Christéla Dieudonné, MDDr. Christéla Dieudonné is an early-career internal medicine physician at Bienfaisance Hospital in Pignon, Haiti, where she actively participates in the practical training of medical students in clinical internships. Dr. Dieudonné obtained a medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the State University of Haiti and recently completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Mirebalais. She holds membership at the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). Dr. Dieudonné’s main area of interest is cardiology, with a particular focus on cardiomyopathy in women, where she currently leads a research project on peripartum cardiomyopathy at Sainte Thérèse Hospital in Hinche.

Dr. Dieudonné’s GPS participation aims to strengthen her ability to design an improved plan for the medical and psychological care of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Additionally, she hopes to establish a structured, multidisciplinary follow-up system to enhance recovery outcomes for this condition.

Ian Huang, MDDr. Ian Huang is an internal medicine physician and lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia. His clinical and academic interests center on palliative medicine, with a focus on expanding access to high-quality care and improving patient well-being through effective symptom management and holistic, multidisciplinary approaches.

Recognizing the growing need for comprehensive palliative services in Indonesia, Dr. Huang has been leading the development of an integrated, hospital-based palliative care program at Siloam Hospitals Lippo Village. This pilot initiative aims to establish a structured model that ensures continuity of care from hospital to home and serves as a potential example for broader implementation across the country. As an ACP Global Physician Scholar, Dr. Huang seeks to deepen his understanding of multidisciplinary palliative care systems and apply these insights to further advance patient-centered, integrated palliative care in Indonesia.

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, MBBS, FACP Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam is a mid-career physician, academic, and national health guideline contributor. He serves as Professor of Medicine and Subject Coordinator for Phase 4 MBBS at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Dhaka. As an editorial board member of the “National Guideline for Clinical Management of Dengue, 5th Edition, 2025” and the “Pocket Guideline for Dengue Clinical Case Management, 2022” he has significantly influenced national dengue management strategies.

His GPS project will focus on using POCUS to improve the care of critically ill patients in Bangladesh. POCUS is increasingly vital in Bangladesh, where resource limitations and high patient loads demand rapid, low-cost diagnostic tools. Upon returning to Bangladesh, Dr. Rafiq will integrate POCUS into his clinical practice to enable timely, accurate bedside decisions in emergency, dengue, and critical care settings.

Edgar José García Martínez, MDDr. Edgar José García Martínez is an internal medicine physician in training, graduated with honors from the Dr. Witremundo Torrealba School of Medicine at the University of Carabobo, Venezuela. He is currently a final-year Internal Medicine resident and Chief Resident at Hospital Vargas de Caracas – Central University of Venezuela. He holds a Diploma in Clinical Research and serves as Chief Resident of the ACP Venezuela Chapter, as well as an active member of the ACP Young Internists Committee.

His clinical and research interests focus on cardiovascular, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases, with a special emphasis on the early detection of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis and innovative strategies for cardiovascular prevention. He has been a speaker at multiple national and international conferences and has received several awards, including the “Dr. Henrique Benaim Pinto” Award for National Resident of the Year 2025, granted by the Venezuelan Society of Internal Medicine (SVMI). As an ACP Global Physician Scholar, Dr. García Martínez will focusing on the development of diagnostic protocols in rheumatology.

Aichurok Omurzakova, MDDr. Aichurok Omurzakova works as a consultant physician at a medical center ERKIN in Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan. She provides care for patients with a wide range of internal medicine conditions and also participates in educational and training programs for physicians.

Dr. Omurzakova’s professional passion lies in the diagnosis/treatment of arterial hypertension with the prevention of cardiovascular complications. In addition, she is interested in improving patient awareness, promoting preventive medicine, and enhancing clinical training for young specialists. Through participation in ACP’s Global Physician Scholar Program, Dr. Omurzakova will deepen her knowledge of modern and innovative hypertension management approaches used in leading medical institutions in the United States. She will apply this experience to improve hypertension care and strengthen preventive cardiology practices in Kyrgyzstan.

Additional Information

Eligibility

  • Candidates must be able to obtain a visa within 30 days of experience.
  • Candidates must be internal medicine physicians/subspecialists of internal medicine and must be ACP Members or Fellows in good standing. Post-graduate trainees, in their final year of training before obtaining a medical license for independent practice, are eligible for the Global Physician Scholar Program.
  • Candidates must reside primarily in a country outside of the U.S. and Canada.
  • Candidates must be fluent in English, both written and verbal.
  • Candidates must have consent from their local hospital or institution to take a leave of absence for one month, including attendance at the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting.
  • Past Scholars may not apply.
  • Recipients must obtain short-term health insurance coverage during their stay in the United States or Canada. The premium is considered an eligible expense under this program, subject to the maximum reimbursable amount.

Required Application Material

  • Current curriculum vitae (CV). See a sample CV.  
  • Description of focus and proposed work plan during GPS period and how the knowledge gained will be used back in the home country.  
  • Letter of recommendation from the Dean of Medical School/Chief Resident of Medicine/Program Director. Letter should focus on the strengths of the applicant, need in their home country, efficacy of the post-GPS independent project, and importance of selection as a GPS awardee. See tips on soliciting letters of recommendation.
  • Letter of recommendation from the ACP Governor or an ACP Member, FACP, MACP from their country of residence. Letter should focus on the strengths of the applicant, need in their home country, efficacy of the post GPS independent project, and importance of selection.
  • Letter of recommendation from a physician with whom the candidate has worked in their home country. Letter should focus on the strengths of the applicant, need in their home country, efficacy of the post-GPS independent project, and importance of selection.
  • Identical letters of recommendation and those signed by the same people will automatically disqualify the candidate.

* ACP encourages letters to be submitted in the letter writer’s primary language. ACP will engage translation services as required.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications undergo three rounds of review by ACP Staff and Global Engagement Committee Members based on the following criteria:

  • Has the candidate sought out professional development opportunities?
  • Has the candidate articulated their specific educational goals?
  • Is the proposed topic of study relevant to the need in the candidate's home country?
  • Has the applicant specified how the knowledge/training gained from GPS will benefit/improve the practice of Internal Medicine in their home country?
  • Is the independent project feasible for implementation?
  • Do the letters of recommendation speak to the need for improved Internal Medicine practice and delivery in their home country?
  • Is it likely that the candidate will complete their goals in the four-week experience?

Host Information

Potential hosts can expect to:

  • Provide a four-week schedule for their Scholar to expand their clinical knowledge (inclusive of, but not limited to, multiple department visits, instrumentation and technology utilization, grand rounds, scientific meetings, research, or practice conducted). No direct patient care may be offered.
  • Effectively communicate to the Scholar their role and responsibilities of the program.
  • Assure the Scholar adheres to the requirements of the program.
  • Assist with the design of an independent project to be implemented in the Scholar’s country upon their return.
  • Submit a report post-GPS to evaluate the program
  • 2004 to 2023 GPS Hosts

Global Physician Scholar Host Interest Form

Past GPS (Formerly IFEP) Awardees

Learn More

For more information please contact Dana Acord, Program Coordinator at dacord@acponline.org.