Problem: Doctors educated in Latin American countries immigrating to the U.S. frequently must abandon their plans to practice medicine because of the time it takes to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

Solution: Create a program that helps these physicians pass the exam and become eligible for family medicine residency training positions in California, to better serve the community.

I'm originally from Guadalajara City in Mexico. I got my medical degree from the University of Guadalajara. While I was a student I met a woman who was born in the United States. We fell in love and got married and moved to San Diego, California. It was then that I discovered how much time and resources it would take to study for the licensing exam. Because I had a family to take care of, I took a job working as a medical assistant at a community clinic immunizing children. Then I learned about the IMG program. The stipend is now making it possible for me to prepare for the exam and pursue my medical career. It's a phenomenal opportunity. My wife and I are extremely grateful.

To learn how Carlos Ayon is benefiting from the UCLA International Medical Graduates Program, roll over the image above.

That's the idea behind the UCLA International Medical Graduates Program, created in 2005 and housed in UCLA's Department of Family Medicine. The program recruits international medical graduates who are fluent in both English and Spanish and have an understanding of Latin American culture.

A recent combined gift of $100,000 from Molina Healthcare, a Long Beach-based company that specializes in serving low-income Medicaid patients, will provide student stipends and cover educational costs, such as hiring faculty to teach in the program.

In California, 12.2 million Hispanics make up 32 percent of the state's population, but represent only four percent of the state's physicians. According to Dr. Patrick Dowling, chair of UCLA's Department of Family Medicine, "Upon completion of the residency, qualified bilingual immigrant physicians who have participated in the IMG program will be required to serve immigrant patients in underserved communities. In doing so, they will provide basic access to care while overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers."

I was raised in the United States until the age of 13. Then my family moved to Mexico, where I eventually did my medical training. When I returned to the United States, I discovered that my best option was to work as a medical assistant until I could find a way to prepare for the licensing exam. Then I heard about the IMG program. My reaction was, "This is too good to be true!" Now I'm able to focus on reviewing for the medical board exams and not worry about bills. Once I'm done with the IMG program, I'm going to complete a family medicine residency training program and practice in the underserved immigrant community.

To read Marcela Perez' thoughts about the UCLA IMG program, roll over the image above.

By some estimates, there are several thousand Latin American doctors living in the United States but not practicing medicine. Many of them take jobs as medical assistants because they do not have the time or resources needed to prepare for the licensing exam. "They represent a global pipeline of physicians who can address the health care disparities in this country," says Dr. Michelle Anne Bholat, a co-founder of the IMG program. "Our goal is to train qualified family physicians who will impact the community the day they begin their residency training."