AMOpportunities, the Chicago-based startup that manages clinical training for schools, hospitals, and students globally, today accepted the President’s “E” Award for Exports given to companies who have made a significant impact on increasing U.S. exports. To win, organizations must have seen export growth every year for the past four years, as AMOpportunities has done. Companies are nominated through the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the Department’s International Trade Administration.

Launched in 2013, the company has seen exponential growth year over year both in revenue and employees—in the past five years, the company has gone from five employees to 31. While originally launching as a B2C company, AMO has shifted its focus to a B2B approach, which means connecting global medical schools and U.S. hospitals to provide medical students with on-the-job clinical training in the U.S. healthcare system. Current partners include institutions such as the University of Miami, UChicago Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Florida International University, and UI Health. These partnerships ensure even further growth for the company.

“This is an incredible honor and accomplishment for AMO,” says Kyle Swinsky, CEO, AMOpportunities. “As a company that connects international medical students and graduates with clinical training in the U.S., we were severely affected when international travel was shut down due to Covid-19. The fact that we were able to see growth during a pandemic is a tremendous feat.”

AMO’s growth in the shadow of the pandemic can be attributed in large part to AMO’s virtual rotations. Launched in May 2020, these telehealth-based training rotations allow trainees to receive practical, didactic training in the U.S. healthcare system from the safety of their home.

“This well-deserved award is the highest honor given to U.S. exporters. AMOpportunities has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in her congratulatory letter to AMO. “The “E” Awards Committee was very impressed with AMOpportunities’ rapid development of virtual product offerings and expansion of services to students despite pandemic-imposed travel restrictions.”

U.S. rotations are vital for foreign medical trainees who seek to become U.S. physicians. And the U.S. needs these foreign-trained doctors—the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that the U.S. will face a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033.

AMOpportunities connects global medical schools with hospitals across the U.S., providing these institutions with funding, enhancing their resident pipeline, and diversifying their institution’s workforce to meet a diverse patient population. In turn, students and trainees get the experience they need to enter the U.S. healthcare system and become U.S. physicians.  

To enhance its growth and bring even more foreign medical trainees to the U.S., AMOpportunities will continue its work in partnering with medical schools and U.S. hospitals. The company will further its work with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Illinois Commercial Service to increase U.S. exports.

The “E” Award was established in 1961 by Executive Order from President Kennedy. Kyle Swinsky, CEO, accepted the award from U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves on Nov. 5.