The purchase of fraudulent medical degrees and credentials and the provision of medical care by unqualified people posing as doctors are the subject of these hearings before the U.S. House of Representatives. Investigations revealed the following findings: U.S. citizens who graduated from foreign medical school have received medical licenses without displaying the same levels of medical knowledge and clinical competence as graduates of U.S. medical schools; most federal and state agencies have relatively lax systems for checking the credentials of foreign medical school graduates; cases of cheating in state licensing exams have been discovered in 11 states; more than 10,000 so-called doctors now in hospitals and private practice have obtained fraudulent foreign medical degrees. Although it is estimated that U.S. medical schools will produce over 16,000 too many doctors by 1990, the federal government is spending more than $40 million in loans to students attending foreign medical schools. Testimony and reports of various organizations and federal agencies are included, along with information on the provisions of the Model Medical Practice Act, which is proposed to remedy the problem of fraudulent medical degrees. Samples of fraudulent degrees and credentials are included. (SW)