NHSC Scholarship Selection Questions

[mzarrowsmith]

Howdy,

Couldn't find answers to these elsewhere. The application guide gives numbers for the most recent 3 cycles. Applications have skyrocketed while scholarships have not. Like good bureaucrats, they break it down into objective "funding priority groups." My question is, do they end up filling all of the spots from the first one or two groups? The last one basically is a catch-all, but it seems that there would be hundreds of applicants in the first two, thereby rendering any non-disadvantaged applicants moot.

Also, does the Disadvantaged Background group (#2) refer to high school and college or medical school loans only?

Finally, how important is academic performance? I assume they're mostly interested in trying to identify people who might just stick around after their obligation, and this person probably is not sitting on a 4.0/40S type of application.

I am referencing page 8 of this document: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/downloads/spapplicationguide.pdf

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[rachelg]

I am neither a minority nor a disadvanted individual, and I was able to successfully get the scholarship. I had strong MCAT and only a moderately strong GPA. I do have a lot of volunteer, shadowing and work experience, including work at a Medicaid HMO -- I believe that this was a strength for my application. It really has always been my goal to work in a federally qualified health center and to support causes like medicaid expansion, CHIP, and universal access health care.

Basically, if your goals are aligned with the NHSC then you definitely have a shot. Message me if you want any advice!