National Health Service Corp Scholarship

[smme]

I was wondering if anyone who has a scholarship would be willing to answer some questions via email. Anyone else who knows a lot about NHSC would be helpful too.

Please email [email protected]

Thanks!!

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[matopet2]

I am an older non traditional student and know alot about thevarious programs.you have to besur you want primary care and no fellowships until after training. you have to do FP,IM,PEDS, PSYCH, or OB/GYN. You get all you tuition paid and roughly 15000 a year(that is taxable). Got to the NHSC web site. You choose where to do your pay back so in Chicago right now there are 3 openings. You would call the clinic negotiate salary (min of I believe 32 hrs a week in the clinic) NHSC has specific dates for interviews etc. I f you wanted Fellowship training you would do that after residency and after you served 4 years in the NHSC. Also, They use a pschological multiple choice test to screen applicants. Pick either urban or Rural (you can tell by the questions). Then they invite you for an interview. You won't know about the scholarship until Fall, so you have to have your loans lined up. Most MI do not get the Scholarship. Older students tend to be the ones that get the 1st year scholarships. Also, if you are from Chicago check out the state program. I am into CCOM and 2 MD schools. My wife and I are originally from Chiacgo so maybe I will see you in August at CCOM. Good LUcK! Also have you volunteered at any free clinics?

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[matopet2]

Typing w/ a 5 month old is difficult sorry about the typos.

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[DCD]

I may be able to help you with some info regarding NHSC. I am currently a second year student at PCOM and I am on a 4 year NHSC scholarship. I would not consider myself a non-traditional student, I did recieve a masters after college but started med school the following summer.
The applications should be ready by the end of January and are usually due by the end of March. You must be accepted into a school in order to apply. You will then hear whether you recieved an interview sometime in the beginning of summer (they are not real great about correspondence). The interviews are standardized across the country so you are read questions from a piece of paper, which is odd. The questions are mostly about where and how you grew up as well as your life experiences and how you dealt with them. They know nothing about you when you get into the interview, not even if you are a med student vs. a midlevel. My best advice is to be completely honest. I was told not to say that I would prefer to be in an urban placement but I did anyway and I got the scholarship.
The scholarship itself pays for your tuition. You also get a lump sum check for "other reasonable costs" each year and a monthly stipend which is around $1000 this year. They will also pay for you to attend one NHSC conference a year which are alot of fun. The biggest issue right now is that we are currently taxed on our entire scholarship not just our monthly stipend (like the military kids). The taxes come out of our monthly stipend though so you end up with only about $350 each month. There is a bill in congress right now to change that which has bipartisan support but who knows when it will go through.
Once you complete your training (residency) you owe as many years as the NHSC paid for in either Peds, IMed, FP, or OB/GYN. You can do a dual residency as long as both specialities are primary care. For example, you could do a IMED/PEDS residency but not PEDS/ER. Before you apply make sure you know you want to do primary care. You are screwed if you change your mind halfway through school. It is your responsibility to find a job and negotiate your own contract in a designated clinic or hospital and then if you do not it is possible that you would be placed by the government. There are about 3000 applications every year for about 300 scholarships. This includes med students, PAs, NPs and other midlevels.
I hope I answered some of your questions. I have had nothing but positive experiences thus far. Good Luck

 

[drewdo]

Does anyone know about this? Can you do a combined primary care/non-primary care residency as a NHSC scholar? What's the difference in time committment for a combined residency anyway?

 

[R. Dale Jackson]

I bailed on the NHSC because of this reason and went with the Army National Guard. Up until recently, I was told by the NHSC that you could do a FP/EM or IM/EM residency. That has been my goal from the beginning.... It was even in my personal statement. However, I was recently informed on the phone by the NHSC that as of this year it is only FP, IM, PEDS, OB/GYN and PSYCH. If you want to do a dual residency, they will only approve FP/IM, IM/PEDS, etc. Just to make sure, I would call them and ask for yourself.

If you are interested in making a service commitment, but choose not to go with the NHSC or active duty military, look into your state Army/Air National Guard. The residency restrictions are much less confining and the benefits are good. If you are already in medical school and about to start a residency, check into the Reserves. The big difference between the programs in that the Reserves does not have a program for medical students; you must have graduated already. The National Guard, however, will pay you some benefits while in school, as well as the STRAP and loan repayment during your residency. All you end up owing is about 8 years of Guard/Reserve time, which is one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. In addition, you of course have to be willing to go on temporary active duty during times of state and/or national emergency.

 

[muonwhiz]

I'm interested in the NHSC scholarships, but am going to do my first year with loans or whatever I can get. I want to learn more about them and may apply to have the 2-4 years paid for in this manner. When would I need to have the paperwork in for next year? I've also heard that there far more medical applicants than there are scholarships. True?

 

[R. Dale Jackson]

You need to call them and get on their mailing list in December 2001,if you want to apply for your MSII-IV years. Applications are due in March and they start interviewing around April-May. You normally will not find out if you were awarded a scholarship until around September. They normally award about 300-350 scholarships from 1500 applications.

By the way, there is a provision in the current budget bill that will finally make all awards tax-free. Moreover, there are other provisions that if they pass will increase the funding for more Community Health Centers and more scholarships...all of these were proposals in President Bush?s budget, which he sent to congress a few weeks ago.

In addition, I do not know if you are aware, but they also have a loan repayment program that you can apply for after you finish medical school.

For more information go here: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/nhsc/

 

[jean]

I have an interview for the scholarship in a few days. I searched old topics and found that applicants were awarded the scholarship in August. It seems they do have an alternate list for the program as well.

I heard about 5000 apply, 800-1000 are interviewed and there are somewhere between 300-400 scholarships.

 

[prolixless]

A question for those of you who interviewed for the nhsc scholarship: How much do we need to dress up for this interview? The same as when we interviewed for med school?

 

[Popoy]

proxiless, I'm not sure about everyone else, but I do plan to dress up as I have in my medical school interview.

My interview is on May 15 in SF.... ANYONE else interview there?

Does anyone else have thoughts on this.... I don't want to be over dress, but I also like to dress to impress. Besides, first impressions a lasting one.

For those of you folks interviewing in Boston this May 7th, please let others know how your interview went.... We'd all appreciate it. Attire, questions, number of interviewers, etc.... Thanx in advance. Good luck

 

[jean]

I'm interviewing this Friday in Chicago. Has anyone gone to their interview yet? I'm curious to hear about it...

 

[Popoy]

jean,

I would like to tell you what happened to my interview, but I haven't yet. I will have my interview soon enough after yours. Is it okay, if you can share your experience about the NHSC scholarship for others such as myself who will have their interviews after you?

For those of you reading this, keep this topic in mind if you plan to interview after me. I will share my experience about my interview and post it asap.

Anyone out there care to share their experience, I know there was an interview on May 7th in Boston.... Anyone?

Later, P

 

[Popoy]

I'm bringing this topic up top because I know there are people out there who have done their interviews.... Care to share? Please!!!!

Thanx in advance

 

[nmehta]

I have had my interview, and it is nothing different from a medical school interview. They ask about your background such as interests, goals, family, areas of residence. Then they ask about some personal questions (challenges, leadership). Just be prepared that they are not going to engage in conversation, but rather read questions to you and write down the responses. They are very friendly, (they being two people at once). The interview lasted one hour.

Hope this helps.

Neel

 

[Popoy]

Thanks nmehta!!! Can you share specific questions that they had asked you?

So, the interview was that stiff huh? I have my interview this coming tuesday.... I'll post any questions I do remember for others to take note of....

Anyone else out there that can share specific questions for moi? thanks in advance....

 

[Popoy]

I have two days and counting!!!

Bringing this up on the forum.... Thanx

 

[jean]

I agree with the previous post, the interview was not at all different from a medical school interview. Questions on how you deal with certain situations and leadership/teamwork questions were also asked. One of my interviewers asked me specific questions about research I've done after the interview. At that point they were no longer taking notes on my responses.

The interviewers cannot answer any questions about the scholarship. Questions should be directed to the regional office or representative at your interview site.

Good luck!

 

[Popoy]

Thank you jean....

Anyone else out there who got interviewed already? Please share your views of the interview proceedings....

Was it a panel of interviewers? Panel interviewees?

 

[Popoy]

Tomorrow's my interview.... clock is ticking and I'm not really sure how to prepare.... Oh well....

I'll post some of the questions that will pop up in my interview and hopefully that would help others....

 

[Popoy]

I guess its kinda hard to remember most of the questions they ask me....

There were things on family, my personal background, the neighborhood I grew up in, leadership roles, team building, what I forsee myself in the future....

Here's some of the questions I got and I could remember in no particular order:
1. Tell us about yourself, the place you grew up in.
2. Tell us the neighborhood you grew up in.
3. Where there experience in your life in which you took a leadership role and can you please elaborate on that experience.
4. Please list your paid and non-paid employment post-secondary. (I felt as if I should have given them a resume!!!)
5. Where there times when you had to make a moral judgement and please elaborate on that?
6. The last question they ask me was: What qualities do you possess that would make you a good candidate for the scholarship?
7. How where you able to handle group dynamics? Any examples?
8. How would you open communication between groups?
9. From working in a group dynamics, what did you most importantly learned?

There were more....
They had about 20 questions and mini questions under those question in order for them to pry more into the your life/experiences.

We were at a hotel room, so the set up was a small round table with two interviewers with a pen and packet of question in hand.

They read me the format of the interview and in the end gave me a video and information packet to view in my leisure time.

Down in the lobby area, they had a representative from the NHSC.... more specifically, he was from the Public Health Corp.... He answered my questions. He was very helpful. The interviewers are not able to answer any question for you because they are not directly affiliated with NHSC, they are hired to interview.... sort-of-like a double-blind interview.

Okay, that's as much information as I can remember early morning....

For those of you that are still interviewing for the NHSC and have any questions just post up and it may jostle some of my memory and I may be able to help you out.... Later