In 2024, Intealth® expanded its Well-being Grant Opportunity to support five J-1 physician-led projects focused on the well-being of foreign national physicians in U.S. graduate medical education (GME). Now, at the end of its second year, the grant program continues to highlight the leadership and innovation of international medical graduates (IMGs) in shaping more supportive and inclusive training environments.
With the 2024 award period now complete, we’re proud to highlight the activities carried out by each project team during their grant period. Grantees presented their initiatives to the Intealth Board of Trustees in April 2025 and took part in IMG Well-being Day 2025. Each team will also author an entry on Intealth’s Journeys in Medicine blog to reflect on their experience. Below, learn more about the 2024 winning projects and how each team worked to support physician well-being at their training institution.
Pictured left to right: German Corrales, MD; Lekha Karthikeyan, MD; Diana Carolina Largo Luna, MD; Alexandre Maalouf, MD (representing Dr. Desiree D’Souza and the IMG Taskforce project at Children’s National); Frans Serpa, MD
2024 Winning Projects
Empowering IMGs: Fostering Support, Leadership, and Inclusion in Family Medicine
Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR
Project Lead: Dr. German Corrales
Institutional Mentor: Dr. Lauren Gibson-Oliver
This initiative established an IMG Champion role within the residency program and created a tailored orientation guidebook and educational video to support IMGs. A dedicated IMG retreat offered a space for community-building, peer support, and reflective storytelling. These efforts strengthened cross-cultural understanding and contributed to new institutional initiatives, including an “IMG Welcome Track” for incoming interns. They also led to increased participation by visa-holding residents in leadership electives, wellness initiatives, and peer mentorship programs.
“Our initial plans evolved significantly thanks to resident feedback,” said Dr. Corrales. “Framing our activities as leadership-building rather than deficit-based helped encourage participation. This grant validated the importance of our unique experiences and gave us a platform to turn ideas into impact.”
The IMG Taskforce: A Comprehensive Support System at Children’s National and Beyond
Institution: Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Project Lead: Dr. Desiree D’Souza
Institutional Mentor: Dr. Aisha Barber
Building on an existing foundation, this project expanded the scope and structure of the Children’s National IMG Taskforce to better support IMGs through a multi-pronged approach: community building, onboarding, scholarship, and dedicated well-being programming. The team launched intern welcome events, a resident “buddy” system, speed mentoring sessions, and faculty-led processing discussions. A new academic arm was also created to explore scholarship and quality improvement efforts related to IMG support.
“This experience reinforced the importance of community and mentorship in medical training,” said Dr. D’Souza. “Our team is committed to furthering efforts to create wellness opportunities and sharing our model with other institutions to enhance IMG support and appreciation nationwide.”
Funding the Future of Female Leadership at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital
Institution: Henry Ford Health/Henry Ford Jackson Hospital in Jackson, MI
Project Lead: Dr. Lekha Karthikeyan
Institutional Mentor: Dr. Kristina Sturgill
This project launched the institution’s first leadership curriculum designed to reduce barriers to professional growth for foreign national female physicians. The initiative featured structured mentorship pairings, cultural exchange events, and the development of an eight-module curriculum to promote wellness and inclusive leadership. Through storytelling dinners, wellness webinars, and faculty-led workshops, the team built a platform for underrepresented residents to lead, connect, and advocate within their training environment.
“Foreign-trained physicians need more than career support—they need cultural fluency, mentorship, and an invitation to lead,” said Dr. Karthikeyan. “By inviting them to shape the curriculum, we moved from talking about inclusion to practicing it.”
The Wellness Initiative for Supporting Health for Foreign Medical Graduates in Pediatrics
Institution: Rutgers Health/Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ
Project Lead: Dr. Diana Carolina Largo Luna
Institutional Mentor: Dr. Kristin Pyne
This initiative, known as WISH, introduced a comprehensive wellness curriculum tailored to IMG pediatric residents. Monthly themed events, workshops on topics like impostor syndrome and grief, and cohort-specific retreats were all offered as protected time away from clinical responsibilities. By year’s end, the initiative had contributed to a stronger peer support network and a sustained culture of wellness within the program.
“Focusing on impostor syndrome, grief, sleep wellness, and leadership empowered residents with coping strategies that support long-term well-being,” said Dr. Largo Luna. “Our last survey showed nearly all residents now perceive a strong culture of wellness.”
IMG Connect: Integrating Mentorship for Guided Transition into the U.S. Healthcare System
Institution: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX
Project Lead: Dr. Frans Serpa
Institutional Mentor: Dr. Salahuddin Kazi
This project launched a formal mentorship network for IMGs across multiple specialties and training levels, paired residents and faculty based on shared backgrounds, and hosted two wellness-focused events. The team also produced a handbook covering clinical workflows, wellness, and cultural adaptation that was distributed to mentors, mentees, and incoming residents.
“Many participants were surprised and delighted to meet colleagues from their home countries,” said Dr. Serpa. “They valued the mentorship and said the handbook should be required reading for new residents. This project created a sense of community and a legacy I’m proud to leave behind.”
Each year, Intealth uses this grant opportunity to support the well-being of IMGs while strengthening clinical and cultural exchange. To learn more, including past project archives, Journeys in Medicine entries, and updates on the next application cycle, visit the Well-being Grant Opportunity page.
Intealth will begin accepting applications for the 2025 Well-being Grant Opportunity in early August 2025.
Categories: ECFMG, IMGs in U.S., Wellness