Utah retains rheumatologist for 16 years through J-1 visa waiver program

Dr. Gopi Penmetsa came to Utah on a J-1 Visa, and chose to stay after seeing the shortages in his field. 

Dr. Penmetsa grew up and studied medicine in India, but had a goal to pursue training outside his home country. This brought him to the University of Utah on a J-1 Visa to complete his residency and fellowship in rheumatology. During this time, Dr. Penmetsa fell in love with Utah and chose to apply for a Conrad State 30/J-1 Visa Waiver. This waiver would allow him to stay in the US after the end of his fellowship.

“My family has lived in Utah for 16 years and we are in love with the state,” says Dr. Penmetsa. “It is a great place to raise a family and it provides my family with a good work-life balance.”

Dr. Penmetsa has since moved to his current role as an Associate Professor at the University of Utah. He treats patients from all over the Mountain West. In one case, a patient traveled over 8 hours to see Dr. Penmetsa about arthritis symptoms in his spine. Close to losing his job due to his condition, quick access to care was needed. Since seeing Dr. Penmetsa, his condition has improved. The patient has been able to return to his normal life and work.

“In 2014, when I finished my training, the wait time for new patients to see a rheumatologist was close to 4-5 months. Since I started practicing, we have been able to decrease wait times and provide prompt care,” says Dr. Penmetsa. “There is still a delay in getting care from specialists in Utah due to lack of providers. But, the J-1 waiver program has allowed me to provide better access to rheumatology treatment in Utah.”

The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health runs Utah’s J-1 visa waiver program. A J-1 visa is a temporary visitor visa that allows medical students born outside the U. S. to take part in graduate medical education programs in the United States. After residency or medical school, they are required to live in their home country for at least 2 years before returning to practice in the US. The J-1 visa program allows states to waive the 2-year requirement to return to their home country, in exchange for 3 years of service to underserved patients. Read more of Utah’s J-1 success stories.