Nepali Nurse and doctors in The USA

According to the Non‑Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Americas (doctors + nurses + allied health) estimates: there are over 2,500 doctors and over 5,500 nurses of Nepali origin working in the Americas (U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Central & South America). That would put the total Nepali-origin health workforce in the Americas at “over 15,000” when including paramedics, lab techs, pharmacists, public-health professionals.
From a Nepali media article: The Nepal Medical Council (NMC) reports many Nepali doctors are migrating abroad. For instance: in 2023, 843 doctors took certification to go to the U.S., and in 2022 about 496 to the U.S.
A study of graduates of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in Nepal found: of 710 doctors from early batches, 256 (≈36 %) were working abroad; for the last two batches studied the overseas share was 53.5 %.
Regarding nurses: More than one-third of the 115,900 nurses registered with the Nepal Nursing Council (NNC) had sought documents to practice overseas. About half of those migrant nurses went to the U.S., followed by Australia and Dubai.
There are also reports of discrimination and licensing issues: For example, an article reports that hundreds of Nepali doctors who took the U.S. medical licensing exam (USMLE) had their scores invalidated, and that about 1,500 Nepali doctors are already working in the U.S. (per that source).

Contributions & impact

The Nepali-origin health workforce in the U.S. and Americas is significant: they not only deliver care in host countries, but also connect back to Nepal. For example, the America Nepal Medical Association (ANMA) supports Nepali physicians in the U.S., fosters research and collaboration.
A concrete example: In Baltimore, Maryland, a primary care clinic operated by Nepali-speaking doctors and healthcare professionals was opened to serve the Nepali community (and Nepali-speakers) because of language and cultural barriers in accessing healthcare.
Another angle: Nepali doctors in the U.S. also support Nepal by tele-conferences, knowledge transfer, volunteering and facilitating health projects back home. For example, the case of Dr Binod Khadka and the ANMF collaboration.

Brain drain / shortage at home: Nepal is facing a shortage of doctors and nurses in its health system, partly because many leave for better opportunities abroad. For example, fewer than ~15,000 physicians are actively engaged in the country’s health system though many are registered.
Licensing & credential issues abroad: The USMLE invalidation case raised concerns about fairness, credibility, and how Nepali physicians are perceived.
Language & integration barriers: Even when Nepali health workers are present in U.S., barriers such as English proficiency can affect access and quality of care for Nepali-speaking patients. For example, the Baltimore clinic was set up to address Nepali-language service gaps.
Uneven data / visibility: There is no comprehensive, up-to-date database specifically documenting how many Nepali doctors and nurses are working in the U.S. (with full breakdowns by state, specialty, years). Many figures are estimates or from community/association sources.
Effect on Nepal’s health system: As more health professionals leave, Nepal’s rural and marginal areas especially suffer from fewer specialists, greater workload, and weaker training infrastructure.

Putting the above pieces together, here’s a supported summary of what seems to be true:

The number of Nepali-origin doctors practicing (or present) in the U.S./Americas is at least in the thousands (2,500+ doctors estimated), and similarly for nurses (5,500+ in Americas region) when including allied health professionals.
Their presence is meaningful: they serve both the American health system (especially where immigrant physicians are needed) and their own Nepalese diaspora communities (via culturally/linguistically tailored services).
Many Nepali health workers go abroad for better training, better pay, better working conditions; this trend has increased over recent years.
Their migration has both positive and negative implications: positive for individual professionals, for U.S. and Nepali-diaspora service; but negative for Nepal’s health system shortages and for “brain-loss”.
Community/association networks (e.g., ANMA, NRNA health committees) are active in strengthening links, sharing expertise, and even creating clinics for Nepali-speaking patients in U.S.