Doctors in Cuba Start Over in the US

Within the last six years about six thousand medical professionals have left Cuba. The numbers escalated in 2006, aided by the Department of Homeland Security’s program to welcome to the US, Cuban medical personnel studying or working in a third country under the auspices of the Cuban government. Over two thousand Cubans have escaped to the US under this parole program. While the outflow of its doctors from third countries is hurting Cuba’s national interest American patients reap the benefit Cuba established its international medical mission all over the world and especially in Latin America to serve its interests and gain goodwill. Venezuela, where about thirty thousand of Cuba’s medical personnel are located, provides cheap oil and trade benefits in return. Ironically, most that land in the US are not able to work as doctors once they migrate because of the stringent language, financial and requalification hurdles they have to overcome in order to practice in the US. They settle instead for positions such as nurses and technicians. Some are unable to work within the health profession altogether. In spite of these challenges, migrating Cubans continue to be drawn by the promise of freedom and opportunity in the US. In the process, they inadvertently exacerbate the already steep welfare disparity between the US and Cuba and hurt the Latin countries they abandon. – YaleGlobal