Practice where you’re needed the most
Loan Repayment
The NHSC continually seeks primary care clinicians dedicated to working with our Nation's underserved. They have created a program to connect these committed individuals with the communities that need them and to support them during their initial time of service.
Fully trained health professionals, who are dedicated to working with the underserved and have qualifying educational loans, are eligible to compete for repayment of those loans if they choose to serve in a community of greatest need. In addition to loan repayment, these clinicians receive a competitive salary, some tax relief benefits, and a chance to have a significant impact on a community.
As an NHSC clinician, you will:
- Serve on an interdisciplinary team—NHSC promotes a team approach to health care. Our primary health care teams comprise interdisciplinary groups of clinicians whose combined skills maximize the team’s ability to meet their patients’ health care needs. Team members vary based on the specific needs of each community.
- Focus on community-based health care—Practicing with a community focus, NHSC clinicians treat the whole patient through health promotion, disease prevention, and continuity of care.
- Receive the support and assistance you need to fulfill your career goal of helping communities in need, including job placement assistance in underserved communities via the online NHSC Opportunities List.
To be eligible for the Loan Repayment Program (LRP), you must be a fully trained:
- Allopathic or osteopathic physician specializing in family medicine, general pediatrics, general internal medicine, general psychiatry, or obstetrics/gynecology
- Primary care nurse practitioner
- Primary care physician assistant
- Certified nurse-midwife
- Dentist
- Dental hygienist
- Mental or behavioral health professional (clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, and psychiatric nurse specialist)
To be eligible, you must also:
- Be free of judgment liens arising from Federal debt
- Have no other existing service commitment
- Serve full time (40 hours a week) in the clinical practice of your profession
- Commit to providing primary care service in a priority health professional shortage area for a minimum of 2 years
- Be a U.S. citizen with a valid, unrestricted license and/or certificate for the State where you plan to practice
Maximum repayment during the required initial 2-year contract is $25,000 each year. You may be eligible to continue your loan repayment beyond 2 years, 1 year at a time, to the extent you have unpaid qualifying educational loans and continue to serve at an eligible site. One-year amendments are awarded for a maximum of $35,000 per year.
Clinicians choose their practice site before applying to the NHSC LRP, allowing maximum flexibility to match the right clinicians with the right communities. However, employment at a site does not guarantee participation in the NHSC LRP.
To request an application, call 1-800-221-9393. All applications must be received by or postmarked on or before March 30, 2007. To find out more information about the LRP, please visit the NHSC Web site at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/y4market.
Scholarship Program
The NHSC offers a competitive scholarship program designed for students committed to providing primary health care in communities of greatest need. Scholarship recipients serve where they are most needed upon completion of their training.
The program offers the following benefits for up to 4 years of education:
- Payment of tuition and fees
- Twelve monthly stipend payments per year of scholarship support
- Payment of other reasonable educational expenses, such as books, supplies, and equipment
Note: NHSC scholarship awards for tuition, fees, and other reasonable expenses are exempt from Federal tax. The stipend portion remains taxable.
To be eligible for the NHSC Scholarship Program, you must be a U.S. citizen enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, in a fully accredited U.S.:
- Allopathic or osteopathic medical school
- Family nurse practitioner program (master's degree in nursing, post-master's or post-baccalaureate certificate)
- Nurse-midwifery program (master's degree in nursing, post-master's or post-baccalaureate certificate)
- Physician assistant program (certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or master's program)
- Dental school
Scholars attending medical school are expected to complete residency programs in one of the following specialties:
- Family medicine
- General pediatrics
- General internal medicine
- Obstetrics/gynecology
- Psychiatry
- Rotating internship (D.O.s only) with a request to complete one of the above specialties
- Dental Scholars may do residencies in general practice or pediatric dentistry.
Directly upon completion of your training, you will choose a practice site in a federally designated health professional shortage area identified as having the greatest need. Period of service is 1 year for each year of support you receive, with a 2-year minimum commitment.
To request an application, call 1-800-221-9393. All applications must be received by the NHSC Scholarship Program, or postmarked on or before March 30, 2007. For more information on the Scholarship Program, please visit the NHSC Web site at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/y4market.
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