NHSC APPLICATION 2015/2016

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sunshine01

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Hi everyone!

I noticed that there's no thread for the current NHSC applicants and those thinking about applying to discuss concerns/ ask questions/ just figure out what's going on- So here it is! Also, congrats to all of you who've received acceptances and interviews!

The application cycle opened on MARCH 10th 2015 (so about a week earlier than it did last year) and will close on MAY 7th, 2015 at 7:30PM ET.

On Thursday March 26th 2015 from 7-9pmET, there will be an NHSC scholarship application conference call. The Dial-in Number is : 1-888-391-6801 Passcode: 8081979 If you're thinking about applying or are already in the process and you have any questions, that will be the best time to get answers from NHSC.Or you can just call to listen in on other people's questions. I did that last year and it was super helpful.

It takes a while to put together all the documents to apply for this scholarship (recommendations, essays etc) so I would recommend starting now if you haven't already.

Here is where you apply:

http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/index.html

Here is more information from the previous year's threads (things to look for, credit checks, etc.)

Medical:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-scholarship-2013.993812/

Dental:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-application-2014-2015.1060051/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-application-process.992915/

Last year, JAWSSS started the application thread and shared a few thoughts on the scholarship. I liked what JAWSSS said and so I'm going to copy and paste it below since I think it'll be useful advice to current applicants.

"1.) I think the NHSC scholarship is the best option out there for paying off dental school if you do not plan on specializing right out of dental school. (You can, however, go for an AEGD, GPR, or Peds. It changes every year).

2.) I LOVE the scholarship and it makes me happy that I can go through dental school without worrying about money. The monthly stipend pays for my apartment, food, travels.

3.) It is NOT difficult to get through dental school on this scholarship. It is a pretty clear and straight forward process. The NHSC does expect you to be organized and get everything done in an orderly fashion, so, there will be days that you are running papers to the admissions office/registrar/financial aid office. Not too much though.

4.) You do have to work for four years (or less depending on how long you request the scholarship for) in an underserved area. Yes, this can include places in the middle of L.A. or N.Y. You will not always be in a farm town in Wisconsin or Alaska. If you get a head start, you will get to serve in a place you really like.

5.) Last year (2013)they offered 22 dental scholarships. (~500 applied, I think? 600? Not sure)."

For 2014, there were about 1800 total applicants (med, dent, PA etc) and 182 total awards were made. I'm not quite sure of the breakdown and how many dental students received the award so if any recipient knows this number, please share below.

If you have any questions you can inbox me or post on this thread since I may not respond as quickly as you may need an answer. Good luck to all you!

- sunshine01 :)

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You received this last year, correct? How long was your CV/what was your GPA? Just curious about how much GPA matters, but also I wanted to see how long the CV of a recipient was, because mine's looking like 1 page right now
 
You received this last year, correct? How long was your CV/what was your GPA? Just curious about how much GPA matters, but also I wanted to see how long the CV of a recipient was, because mine's looking like 1 page right now


Yup I received this last year! My resume was about 2 pages long and I applied with a 3.6 GPA. I'm sure GPA matters a lot but I also think your essays and resume probably weigh more since those help them figure out better who you are and your commitments/passion to service. Hope this response was helpful!
 
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I thought the scholarship app closed on May 7th?
 
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So like when are you supposed to apply for this? I am interested and I plan on applying for dental school this upcoming cycle.
 
So if we went this route, there would be no flexibility to specialize right out of dental school?
 
I'm sorry if this is a misconception but...if you aren't from a disadvantaged background is the chance of getting this scholarship extremely low. Wow out of 500 only 22 was awarded the scholarship.
 
There would be no specializing unless it was one of the ones they approved such a peds I believe. But for everything else nope.
 
So like when are you supposed to apply for this? I am interested and I plan on applying for dental school this upcoming cycle.

You already have to have an acceptance letter in order to apply. App normally opens spring of the year you will matriculate.
 
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You already have to have an acceptance letter in order to apply. App normally opens spring of the year you will matriculate.
I see, thanks. Saved me a lot of stress for this year!
 
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I'm sorry if this is a misconception but...if you aren't from a disadvantaged background is the chance of getting this scholarship extremely low. Wow out of 500 only 22 was awarded the scholarship.

Make of it whatever you wish, but none of the scholars I know came from a disadvantaged background. I did not either.

Ps: I'm currently serving out my commitment, and thus far, the scholarship has been a blessing
 
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Sucks that the results are released after April. I can imagine people being stuck between two schools and this being the deciding factor.
 
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Make of it whatever you wish, but none of the scholars I know came from a disadvantaged background. I did not either.

Ps: I'm currently serving out my commitment, and thus far, the scholarship has been a blessing
Can you expand more on your experience? Did you get to pick how long you wanted the scholarship for? Could you find a job right away? And do stats play a big role when picking applicants? Thanks! :)
 
Can you expand more on your experience? Did you get to pick how long you wanted the scholarship for? Could you find a job right away? And do stats play a big role when picking applicants? Thanks! :)

I was lucky enough to graduate from a 3 years program, so I ran with that. I never considered accepting less. The NHSC generously pays for your interview costs, and I found a position that I consider pretty ideal for me, out of several choices. I had a contract in hand, a month before graduation (assuming successful boards). I know that some people have not had great experiences with the process. In my case, I found things to be relatively easy (you still never forget you have to deal with a large and clunky administration.)
No one knows how they pick scholars. You have to be somewhat competitive (else you wouldn't have made it to dental school), but stats don't seem to be the primary attribute they consider. My best guess is that they like folks who will fit their program: folks who understand the NHSC role as part of the safety net, embrace it, and have a reasonable chance to make it through school.
 
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Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but this scholarship is practically impossible to get given the applicants vs. awards given out. Yeah some might get it, but it's EXTREMELY rare!
 
Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but this scholarship is practically impossible to get given the applicants vs. awards given out. Yeah some might get it, but it's EXTREMELY rare!
So.... are you applying?
 
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Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but this scholarship is practically impossible to get given the applicants vs. awards given out. Yeah some might get it, but it's EXTREMELY rare!
Sneaky Jen! hahahaha jk. I know it's so tough but we gotta at least try.
 
I was lucky enough to graduate from a 3 years program, so I ran with that. I never considered accepting less. The NHSC generously pays for your interview costs, and I found a position that I consider pretty ideal for me, out of several choices. I had a contract in hand, a month before graduation (assuming successful boards). I know that some people have not had great experiences with the process. In my case, I found things to be relatively easy (you still never forget you have to deal with a large and clunky administration.)
No one knows how they pick scholars. You have to be somewhat competitive (else you wouldn't have made it to dental school), but stats don't seem to be the primary attribute they consider. My best guess is that they like folks who will fit their program: folks who understand the NHSC role as part of the safety net, embrace it, and have a reasonable chance to make it through school.

How do you feel about the range of procedures you can do at an outpost? Thats what turned me away from the military originally. Talks of an amalgam line and not being able to do a nice range of procedures like you would do in private practice.
 
How do you feel about the range of procedures you can do at an outpost? Thats what turned me away from the military originally. Talks of an amalgam line and not being able to do a nice range of procedures like you would do in private practice.

I'm interested in this as well!
 
I'm technically allowed to do anything that I want to do. The reality is that you end up being handcuffed by economic considerations: the patient population we serve often cannot afford the fancier procedures. I still do RCTs and crowns, but not nearly as much as in private practice. I's say that most of my time is spent on fillings, EXTs and removables.

Of course, this is dependant of the clinic, and it behooves you to be selective when you go job hunting. I turned down a job offer, for example, because it consisted of seeing Pedo patients only, for fillings and extractions.
 
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I'm technically allowed to do anything that I want to do. The reality is that you end up being handcuffed by economic considerations: the patient population we serve often cannot afford the fancier procedures. I still do RCTs and crowns, but not nearly as much as in private practice. I's say that most of my time is spent on fillings, EXTs and removables.

Of course, this is dependant of the clinic, and it behooves you to be selective when you go job hunting. I turned down a job offer, for examples, because it consisted of seeing Pedo patients only, for fillings and extractions.

Do you think it mattered how early you turned in your application?

I have been waiting on my departments to fill out my paper work and its making me antsy. I have every thing else I need completed.
 
Do you think it mattered how early you turned in your application?

I have been waiting on my departments to fill out my paper work and its making me antsy. I have every thing else I need completed.
I have no idea.
 
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Essays should be limited to 2,500 characters or less in Times New Roman 12 font.
Does anyone know if this limit includes spaces or no? I'm puzzled because AADSAS includes spaces.
 
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^ i am interested in this as well.
Also should we mention our DAT scores somewhere? On the Resume? Or does that not even matter?
 
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DAT doesn't matter, and I'd go ahead and assume it's 2500 including spaces, but not entirely sure on that one
 
The portal says "Essays should be limited to 2,500 characters or less..."

Seems like you should just count characters, like it says. I don't see anything about spaces being included in the count.
 
I was lucky enough to graduate from a 3 years program, so I ran with that. I never considered accepting less. The NHSC generously pays for your interview costs, and I found a position that I consider pretty ideal for me, out of several choices. I had a contract in hand, a month before graduation (assuming successful boards). I know that some people have not had great experiences with the process. In my case, I found things to be relatively easy (you still never forget you have to deal with a large and clunky administration.)
No one knows how they pick scholars. You have to be somewhat competitive (else you wouldn't have made it to dental school), but stats don't seem to be the primary attribute they consider. My best guess is that they like folks who will fit their program: folks who understand the NHSC role as part of the safety net, embrace it, and have a reasonable chance to make it through school.


As I was reading through the Program Guidelines, it seemed like you have to keep reapplying after each year of scholarship? Is this how it worked with you?

There's also some stats on there showing how 190 awards were made in 2014 yet only 7 continued. Anyone know if most people are awarded for only 1 year?
 
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As I was reading through the Program Guidelines, it seemed like you have to keep reapplying after each year of scholarship? Is this how it worked with you?

There's also some stats on there showing how 190 awards were made in 2014 yet only 7 continued. Anyone know if most people are awarded for only 1 year?
I have the same question. Here is how I interpret. If you sign the contract for an amount of years, you don't have to reapply for those years. For example, if you request the contract for four years, you just have to submit the Academic Verification per year. But if you sign for less than four years and decide to apply for more, that's continuation.
Does anyone actually know?
 
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As I was reading through the Program Guidelines, it seemed like you have to keep reapplying after each year of scholarship? Is this how it worked with you?

There's also some stats on there showing how 190 awards were made in 2014 yet only 7 continued. Anyone know if most people are awarded for only 1 year?
When you sign the contract, it's for an agreed to number of years, determined by the amount of support you ask for. You don't have to keep reapplying every year. Like Thangbill said, you just submit an Academic verification showing good academic standing, while in school. Once done, your boss gets bugged twice a year to report that are indeed still working. Continuations do not concern most scholars.
 
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When you sign the contract, it's for an agreed to number of years, determined by the amount of support you ask for. You don't have to keep reapplying every year. Like Thangbill said, you just submit an Academic verification showing good academic standing, while in school. Once done, your boss gets bugged twice a year to report that are indeed still working. Continuations do not concern most scholars.
Thank you so much for the info!
 
When you sign the contract, it's for an agreed to number of years, determined by the amount of support you ask for. You don't have to keep reapplying every year. Like Thangbill said, you just submit an Academic verification showing good academic standing, while in school. Once done, your boss gets bugged twice a year to report that are indeed still working. Continuations do not concern most scholars.

Thanks!
 
Hi folks. I know many of you haven't started school yet. As you make your preparations for D1 and prepare to submit an application for this scholarship, I would invite you to consider long and hard about whether or not you think you might like to specialize following dental school. For those of you who are on the fence or would like to keep your options open, the first couple years of dental school are an incredible opportunity to gain exposure to every dental speciality in addition to primary care. I have several colleagues who were bent on being a GP prior to starting school who then decided to specialize after certain experiences in clinic or the classroom and vice versa.

That being said, the NHSC limits your options for a dental specialty prior to fulfilling your service commitment.. to pedo and public health I believe? So if you're considering ortho, perio, pros, etc., it would have to wait until after completion of your contract. Furthermore, in many cases the first year of school is often less expensive than the following three. My first year was 20k cheaper, for example. I say all this not to speak poorly of the NHSC, as this program offers an extraordinary service to the right individuals, but rather to invite you to perhaps consider the possibility to getting your feet wet in dental school prior to applying. You might find that you absolutely love endo or that full-mouth reconstructions are your niche. You may find that private practice and ownership will present you a better opportunity to succeed following school.. that the amount saved in the early going will be negligible relative to your long-term goals or possibilities. Dentistry is a great profession and the job outlook is extraordinary with so many dentists looking to retire in the next few years. You will pay off your debts. Or, you might find that working with the underserved (trust me, you'll have plenty of exposure to this in clinic) is exactly what strikes your passion and is something you want to pursue, thus the NHSC is right up your alley. Perhaps take advantage of a cheaper first year, and once you become convinced that primary care is what you're after, come back and apply for the scholarship. The conversation came up last week, and remembering how helpful studentdoctor was to me as a pre-dent, I just thought I would hop on and add my two cents.

Good luck to all.
 
Hi folks. I know many of you haven't started school yet. As you make your preparations for D1 and prepare to submit an application for this scholarship, I would invite you to consider long and hard about whether or not you think you might like to specialize following dental school. For those of you who are on the fence or would like to keep your options open, the first couple years of dental school are an incredible opportunity to gain exposure to every dental speciality in addition to primary care. I have several colleagues who were bent on being a GP prior to starting school who then decided to specialize after certain experiences in clinic or the classroom and vice versa.

That being said, the NHSC limits your options for a dental specialty prior to fulfilling your service commitment.. to pedo and public health I believe? So if you're considering ortho, perio, pros, etc., it would have to wait until after completion of your contract. Furthermore, in many cases the first year of school is often less expensive than the following three. My first year was 20k cheaper, for example. I say all this not to speak poorly of the NHSC, as this program offers an extraordinary service to the right individuals, but rather to invite you to perhaps consider the possibility to getting your feet wet in dental school prior to applying. You might find that you absolutely love endo or that full-mouth reconstructions are your niche. You may find that private practice and ownership will present you a better opportunity to succeed following school.. that the amount saved in the early going will be negligible relative to your long-term goals or possibilities. Dentistry is a great profession and the job outlook is extraordinary with so many dentists looking to retire in the next few years. You will pay off your debts. Or, you might find that working with the underserved (trust me, you'll have plenty of exposure to this in clinic) is exactly what strikes your passion and is something you want to pursue, thus the NHSC is right up your alley. Perhaps take advantage of a cheaper first year, and once you become convinced that primary care is what you're after, come back and apply for the scholarship. The conversation came up last week, and remembering how helpful studentdoctor was to me as a pre-dent, I just thought I would hop on and add my two cents.

Good luck to all.

Very good points, although I feel like nuancing them a little bit:

_ In my experience, everyone and their grandmothers lands in dental school with lofty ideals of specializing, before realizing how terribly hard it is, and coming to the realization that GP is pretty darn good too. I'm sure the opposite happens as well but the reality is that most dental students will be GPs.
_Yes, dentistry is a great career, and yes you will be able to pay off your debt... eventually. It's neither a painless, nor a quick process, though (except maybe for the TX schools?)
_the odds of landing the scholarship are low. Passing on application cycles significantly reduces your chances of obtaining any debt relief at all.
 
Passing on application cycles significantly reduces your chances of obtaining any debt relief at all.
Could you elaborate on this? Do you mean that if you decide to apply for the scholarship to fund your D2 year and onwards then your chances of obtaining the NHSCSP are lower?
 
Could you elaborate on this? Do you mean that if you decide to apply for the scholarship to fund your D2 year and onwards then your chances of obtaining the NHSCSP are lower?

No. What I mean is that your odds of successfully making a 3 pointer decrease if you take 2 shots instead of 3, even if you're Steph Curry.
 
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No. What I mean is that your odds of successfully making a 3 pointer decreases if you take 2 shots instead of 3, even if you're Steph Curry.
I was overthinking it, thank you for clarifying.
 
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Please note: NHSC SP will only fund a maximum of 4 years of service. The years you are requesting funding must be full consecutive school years, except for the final year which can be less than a full school year. Additionally, Start and End Dates for each year of your program must be between July 1st and June 30th of that school year...

Just noticed this on the application under degree information. My program is year round and ends after July 1st. Has anyone else had a similar issue with program dates?
 
how did everyone upload the current year tuition and fees? Also, my school only has the 2014-2015 school year tuition and fees posted, should I just use that or wait for their website to update with this years tuition and fees?
 
how did everyone upload the current year tuition and fees? Also, my school only has the 2014-2015 school year tuition and fees posted, should I just use that or wait for their website to update with this years tuition and fees?
A friend of mine contacted the Bureau and asked this question. They said if you don't have the current year available, previous is fine.
How? You need a file ( pdf or word preferably) and go to the Supporting Document page. There you upload just as any other document. Select the bullet point, browse your file, and then upload it.
 
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Just noticed this on the application under degree information. My program is year round and ends after July 1st. Has anyone else had a similar issue with program dates?
Yeah I have the same problem and would also like to know how to fix it
 
how did everyone upload the current year tuition and fees? Also, my school only has the 2014-2015 school year tuition and fees posted, should I just use that or wait for their website to update with this years tuition and fees?
Give them what you have. This is for general info anyway. The exact dollars and cents will be worked out when your school bills the NHSC directly, each quarter. That number varies quite a bit from quarter to quarter.
 
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do you only apply to this if you are accepted in dental school? i will be applying this upcoming cycle so does that mean i can apply for this next year?
 
do you only apply to this if you are accepted in dental school? i will be applying this upcoming cycle so does that mean i can apply for this next year?
Yes you can only apply to this if you've been accepted to or are already in dental school.
 
Yeah I have the same problem and would also like to know how to fix it

I just listed June 30 as the end date for my program. The actual end date was not even eligible for entry because of how the application is set up.

Now I'm having as issue uploading supporting documents. Anyone else having issues today? I uploaded a document last week without any trouble. :smack: Not feeling very tech savvy...
 
Hi everyone!

I noticed that there's no thread for the current NHSC applicants and those thinking about applying to discuss concerns/ ask questions/ just figure out what's going on- So here it is! Also, congrats to all of you who've received acceptances and interviews!

The application cycle opened on MARCH 10th 2015 (so about a week earlier than it did last year) and will close on MAY 7th, 2015 at 7:30PM ET.

On Thursday March 26th 2015 from 7-9pmET, there will be an NHSC scholarship application conference call. The Dial-in Number is : 1-888-391-6801 Passcode: 8081979 If you're thinking about applying or are already in the process and you have any questions, that will be the best time to get answers from NHSC.Or you can just call to listen in on other people's questions. I did that last year and it was super helpful.

It takes a while to put together all the documents to apply for this scholarship (recommendations, essays etc) so I would recommend starting now if you haven't already.

Here is where you apply:

http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/index.html

Here is more information from the previous year's threads (things to look for, credit checks, etc.)

Medical:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-scholarship-2013.993812/

Dental:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-application-2014-2015.1060051/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-application-process.992915/

Last year, JAWSSS started the application thread and shared a few thoughts on the scholarship. I liked what JAWSSS said and so I'm going to copy and paste it below since I think it'll be useful advice to current applicants.

"1.) I think the NHSC scholarship is the best option out there for paying off dental school if you do not plan on specializing right out of dental school. (You can, however, go for an AEGD, GPR, or Peds. It changes every year).

2.) I LOVE the scholarship and it makes me happy that I can go through dental school without worrying about money. The monthly stipend pays for my apartment, food, travels.

3.) It is NOT difficult to get through dental school on this scholarship. It is a pretty clear and straight forward process. The NHSC does expect you to be organized and get everything done in an orderly fashion, so, there will be days that you are running papers to the admissions office/registrar/financial aid office. Not too much though.

4.) You do have to work for four years (or less depending on how long you request the scholarship for) in an underserved area. Yes, this can include places in the middle of L.A. or N.Y. You will not always be in a farm town in Wisconsin or Alaska. If you get a head start, you will get to serve in a place you really like.

5.) Last year (2013)they offered 22 dental scholarships. (~500 applied, I think? 600? Not sure)."

For 2014, there were about 1800 total applicants (med, dent, PA etc) and 182 total awards were made. I'm not quite sure of the breakdown and how many dental students received the award so if any recipient knows this number, please share below.

If you have any questions you can inbox me or post on this thread since I may not respond as quickly as you may need an answer. Good luck to all you!

- sunshine01 :)

Hi! I am applying for the NHSC scholarship this round and am wondering if you knew the earliest date that they start notifying finalists?
 
Hi! I am applying for the NHSC scholarship this round and am wondering if you knew the earliest date that they start notifying finalists?
Hello! Last year, the first group of finalists were notified on July 24 and then everyone's scholarship was finalized first week of September. Before July we didn't hear anything from NHSC. The only sign of activity we saw was that people noticed that their credit scores had been checked. This is the link from last year's application cycle.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nhsc-application-2014-2015.1060051/page-3

Good luck with your application!
 
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