They were doctors abroad. A new Nevada law could bring them back to medicine

Nearly three years after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, Ramin Amiri left Kabul for the United States with his wife and four children. The 52‑year‑old physician did not merely abandon a home and relatives in a beleaguered country; he also set aside a medical career that demanded roughly the same amount of schooling and training required in the U.S., including college, medical school and a four‑year dermatology residency. Amiri worked at the Afghan National Police Hospital in Kabul for almost two decades, primarily treating police officers and their families. He said he feared retaliation from the Taliban because of his ties to the former U.S.–backed government’s security forces. “Everyone who worked for the subject oregon constabulary was a people for the Taliban,” he said. In August 2024 the Amiri family arrived in Las Vegas, where they had relatives. Amiri’s wife soon found work at a hospital, and their children enrolled in school. For Amiri, however, returning to medicine proved difficult. The former dermatology manager now works in a lounge at Harry Reid International Airport. A new Nevada law could offer him a pathway back to medicine and help other experienced foreign‑trained physicians do the same in a state grappling with one of the worst physician shortages nationwide. Nevada has struggled for years to build a physician workforce large enough to serve its growing population. In 2023 the state ranked 49th nationally for physicians per capita, down from 45th in 2020, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine estimated last year that the state would need about 2,300 additional physicians to reach the national average. Senate Bill 124 created Nevada’s Transitional Limited Physician license, allowing qualifying foreign‑trained physicians to practice under the supervision of a licensed doctor without repeating a U.S. residency. The Nevada Legislature unanimously approved the measure in 2025, and Gov. Joe Lombardo signed it into law effective July 1. “The thought is this is benignant of a quasi‑residency. They’ve done grooming successful their location country,” said Sarah Bradley, lawman enforcement manager for the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. “We don’t cognize the level of their postgraduate training, so the thought is to recreate that successful a antithetic capableness for them.” Applicants must pass U.S. licensing exams, verify their credentials, meet training and English‑language requirements, and secure a qualifying employer. After roughly two years of supervised practice they may become eligible for an unrestricted license. Patrick Kelly, president and CEO of the Nevada Hospital Association, said the new pathway could help boost Nevada’s physician workforce, though it is only one of several strategies being used to attract more doctors to the state. “More physicians increases entree to healthcare,” Kelly said. The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners had received four applications as of Aug. 19. Two applicants lacked only a few forms and were expected to receive licenses once those requirements were satisfied; the other two still had additional examination requirements outstanding, according to the board. Nevada already had limited licensing options for foreign‑trained physicians, but those pathways typically required some U.S. or Canadian residency training. A separate measure that took effect in January expanded recognition of postgraduate training completed in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, largely allowing qualifying physicians to obtain a regular license without repeating a residency or facing the two‑year supervision requirement of the transitional pathway. The Governor’s Office for New Americans identified roughly 130 foreign‑trained physicians who may qualify for the new transitional pathway, said director Iris Ramos Jones. “When you travel to this state as an immigrant, sometimes determination is nary path, and your acquisition doesn’t number each the time,” Jones said. For Amiri, however, there is a catch: dermatology is not presently an eligible specialty under the transitional license. For now, transitional physicians may practice only in internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics, though state health officials said they could expand the list of eligible specialties in the future. Amiri’s interest in dermatology stems from his own experience. As a young man he developed psoriasis, a chronic skin condition. It was an experience that inspired him to pursue the specialty, he said. “People request help. I similar to assistance people,” he said. Amiri graduated from medical school in 2003. He has spoken with the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners about his specialty and said he is willing to train in a different field if it provides a route back into medicine. “If I get the chance, I volition spell backmost to dermatology,” he said. He has not yet applied for the transitional license. Amiri estimates he needs about $1,250 for credential‑related expenses and testing, which he is saving as he plans to apply for the transitional licence within six months. He is also taking free English classes at the College of Southern Nevada to prepare for the prospect of treating patients. “When I came here, my English was precise bad, but present it’s a small better,” he said. Amiri added that coming to Las Vegas also meant a better future for his family, especially his wife and two daughters, whose prospects and ability to participate in public life were derailed by Taliban rule. “No work, nary school, nary university,” he said. “Nothing.” James Lee is poised to become one of the first physicians licensed under Nevada’s new transitional pathway and is awaiting final sign‑offs from state health officials. Lee’s interest in medicine began as a child when his mother had cancer. He recalls watching his father’s expression whenever the doctor entered the room. “I could spot my dad’s look conscionable benignant of popular up, and helium was truthful happy,” Lee, 41, said. “I wanted to beryllium that guy.” He graduated from medical school in the Philippines in 2007, completed a year of postgraduate training and began practicing primary care there in 2009. Lee attempted to match into a U.S. residency for three years starting in 2013 but was unsuccessful. After settling in the Las Vegas Valley, where his wife grew up, Lee remained in healthcare and worked as a consultant. He now serves as the office manager of Calderon Medical Group, overseeing the primary‑care practice’s business operations. If state officials approve his application, Lee plans to practice primary care at Calderon. “I’m acceptable to spot patients,” Lee said.