Dear Mr. Trump,

Sorry for being so formal. I feel I haven’t gotten to the personal level that you and Jules have arrived at, so I hope you’ll forgive me for not referring to you as “Donald.”

As we’re meeting for the first time, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hazim El-Haddad. Why yes, it is a foreign sounding name! I’m actually a Palestinian Muslim immigrant to the United States. I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to make this an awkward letter. You might think I’m planning on addressing the negative statements you’ve made about my fellow Muslim immigrants, but don’t worry – I’m not.  These letters are about advice moving forward, and helping you to be a stellar president for the United States.  So I wanted to focus on an issue that applies to another portion of my background.

Let me summarize my background in the US immigration system:

• 1999:  I arrive in the US on an F-1 student visa

• 2003:  I apply for renewed F-1 visa for medical school

• 2004:  I am granted said visa, delaying medical school by a year

• 2007:  I take time off for research, and apply for a J-1 visa

• 2010:  I graduate from medical school, and apply for an H-1B visa – but I’m not allowed to apply for a green card yet!

• 2013:  I finish residency, but I have to delay Cardiology fellowship until I can get a green card – I work as a hospitalist during this time

• 2014:  Green card is granted, and I begin Cardiology fellowship

• 2019:  I can FINALLY apply for US citizenship!

I’m telling you this not because I want sympathy for the path I took, but rather to explain how inordinately convoluted the visa and immigration system is.  I would think that, as a student going to a US university, medical school, and residency program, that this process would be simpler.  Perhaps I have an overly inflated sense of self worth, but I would think that someone like me would be welcomed as a contributing member of society.  FYI, I’ve paid taxes every year.  It’s actually not that terribly burdensome or difficult, Mr. Trump!

But what I really want to discuss with you today is the J-1 visa program, and your suggested plan to eliminate it as part of your jobs program. I’m not a politician or policy maker, but I think I’ve got a unique perspective that you likely don’t have, and I think you’d benefit from hearing it.

It may sound like a good idea to eliminate the J-1 program and fill the jobs that go to J-1 recipients with people from the “inner cities.” However, there are a lot of jobs throughout our country that are filled specifically through this program, and we don’t have any other way of filling them. Take hospitals, for example. Many hospitals across the country rely heavily on foreign medical graduates (FMGs) to meet patient care needs, and depend on the J-1 program to recruit doctors. I’m not talking about top hospitals in major cities. These hospitals to have their pick of top doctors, and due to the complexity of filing visa paperwork, they tend to avoid FMGs. A lot of hospitals, especially in the states that voted for you, would certainly not be able to fill their training programs or meet the needs of their patients. This includes Veterans Administration hospitals, which often have difficulty filling their positions. The veterans, Mr. Trump, think of the veterans!

“So hire more American medical graduates.” Well, Mr. Trump, there simply aren’t enough.  The whole reason why US hospitals hire foreign physicians is that we simply don’t have enough American doctors to go around.  And even if there we did, remember that the physicians taking these positions are being recruited from the entirety of the globe. These physicians are often the best of the best, and many hospitals wouldn’t’ be able to get physicians of that quality otherwise.

Speaking strictly as a doctor, eliminating the J-1 program would result in a huge physician shortfall, reduced quality of care, and would end up increasing the cost of healthcare as physicians become more scare (supply and demand concepts which you, as a businessman, can understand).

Thank you for your time – I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Hazim

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