city-sponsored loan payoff

[bkdavis]

I've heard that some rural towns will help to pay for your schooling if you will practice in that area/town. Where do I find information on towns interested in 'sponsoring'?

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[BamaAlum]

This is an excellent question. I am also very interested in a community loan repayment or scholarship program. I was thinking about directly contacting some communities that seem to have a need to see if there would be an interest.

 

[mpp]

Try the <a href="http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nhsc/" target="_blank">National Health Service Corps</a>.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by mpp:
•Try the <a href="http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nhsc/" target="_blank">National Health Service Corps</a>.•••

Just be darn sure you are going into primary care. If you change your mind, you have to pay back 3 times the scholarship/stipend with interest.

 

[BamaAlum]

Thanks for the advice. However, I am more interested in "community contracts" as opposed to the federally funded NHSC program. Sort of the "Northern Exposure" type program.

 

[jhug]

Bama, either way if you change your mind about Family Practice you'll have to pay the community back (and then some!). I would suggest contacting the city/town's health department for direction. If you want, i may still have the email of the lady in charge of this program for the state of Washington.

 

[mpp]

Unfortunately I don't think you'll find many rural communities that can afford to hire you as a physician without federal government support. There maybe some states that do this but I doubt it. Even in the wealthiest state in the union (in Alaska we have no personal state taxes, in fact the state gives each person a check each year, about $2,000 this year) they do not have such a program. However, there are some opportunities for physicians to work in rural Alaska but they are supported by the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Public Health Service, or the National Health Service Corps. At times you'll see posistions advertised by the native corporations in Alaska (if you are not familiar with the Alaska native corporations let me know I'll tell you all about them) but these are just federally funded positions through the native corporations. Most native corporations opted out of IHS clinics to provide health care for Alaska natives but the native corporation clinics are still funded by IHS money.

If you find any programs that are not federally funded, let me know. I would be very interested in researching it further.

 

[Wifty]

This is a site that has links to all states and what programs they have available.

<a href="http://www.aamc.org/about/gsa/stloan/start.htm" target="_blank">http://www.aamc.org/about/gsa/stloan/start.htm</a>

It gives addresses and numbers of who to get in touch with about each program.

Hope this helps somewhat. I know that the programs for my state (WA) can not be applied to until January and they won't even send an application til then.

Rebecca
KCOM Spouse 2006

 

[mpp]

Thanks for that site wifty. I always think I've seen every single page of the AAMC website but there is always something that I miss. It is interesting to see the funding sources on some of the loan repayment programs. In fact, it is interesting that they include that. Grant programs often like to hide the source of the funding.

 

[DO/MBA]

There are ways around the whole primary care thing too. In my home town, our 40hr/wk doc gets paid 125k and gets his loan paid back year for a year. Then, two days a week he travels 25 miles to another town and practices cardiology his true love. He's double boarded in IM and cardio. Pretty good set up.

 

[bkdavis]

mmp & wifty-

thank you so much for your replies. They will help me as well as others! Happy Holidays and good luck in school!

 

[erkin777]

Some states have programs like referred to in the original question. For example, in Oklahoma, there is a program called the Physician Manpower Training Program. This program will either pay you during medical school, residency, or after, to practice primary care in a town of less than 7,500 in Oklahoma. If you elect the program after residency, the community you choose to practice in will kick in half the money. (Assuming that community participates in the program). Primary care here is defined as FP, IM, EM, OB/GYN, and PEDS.

 

[jhug]

This may be a shot in the dark but does anyone know of such programs for physicians who sub-specialize??? i want to do surgery and am looking for all the help i can get!