A followup to a 1980 General Accounting Office (GAO) report was undertaken to evaluate public and private activities that addressed problems created by U.S. citizens studying medicine abroad and returning to the United States to practice medicine. The 1980 report made suggestions to ensure that U.S. foreign medical graduates received education and training comparable to that provided by U.S. schools. The followup study involved interviewing medical licensing authorities in four states that were visited in developing the 1980 report: California, Florida, New Jersey, and New York. Meetings were also held with members of seven private organizations that are responsible for testing and certifying the foreign medical graduates. Officials at the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and Veterans' Administration were interviewed. In addition, two conferences were convened to discuss issues and possible solutions to problems arising from foreign medical graduates. GAO found that none of its 1980 report recommendations had been implemented. Although private agencies took some initiatives (e.g., obtaining information about foreign medical schools for state licensing boards), GAO suggests two alternative courses of legislative action that could promote a more coordinated approach to address problems. These suggestions concerned accrediting foreign medical schools, and reviewing credentials of foreign graduates. (SW)