NHSC application

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sherman1

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Has anyone recived the application for the National Health Service Corp yet ? I was told they would be sent out in January

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Be resigned to the fact that anything the NHSC does takes a bit of time! The NHSC is led by some very fine people and the scholarship is an ubelievable gift, but like any other government organization, you can't always get a lot done when you pay people GS3 salaries. I got my application from my financial aid office at my school a week before the deadline, and still had plenty of time to fill it out. There is no advantage to getting it done earlier except for the added months of anticipation. Bottom line is that you won't know until probably May whether you are getting an interview, and then you won't know until nearly September whether you received the scholarship. Good luck and ask me any questions you might have.

Matt, NHSC Scholar, MS2
 
it's government so they are a bit on the slow side...the application is super easy and shouldn't take long to do. All fill-in-the-bubble...kinda weird questions...you'll see what i mean.
 
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Hey JHUG,

Sorry I didn't get to meet you in Baltimore. FYI, It looks like the NHSC is getting more organized if you check their website. I saw where they are actually having a seminar like the one we went to but instead for residents getting ready to look for work. It looks like they are going to bring in all those state agencies again to recruit them to come to their sites, so a one stop shopping sort of thing. My feeling is that if we find things we think need changed to make the system work better for us, we should not hesitate to tell them. I was very impressed by Dr. Weaver the director, but I thought the nurse lady that gave the keynote speech was a bit too comfortable sitting at her table instead of standing. It was sort of strange. Hey, do we get to go that conference again or was it a one time thing? I still have not got my reimbursement from that travel agency either...slow like everything else. And don't forget to let your school know that they are supposed to put the COMLEX PE fee including a travel amount and lodging amount on your "extra expenses" for 4th year so you can save about 2K bucks. NHSC says they are paying it now under that umbrella of funds. Hope all is well at AZCOM.

Matt
 
I actually called them about two weeks ago about this issue. They said that there was a printing error and that the applications would be delayed by about three or four weeks, which I took to mean that we will recieve them some time in feb. Hope this helps.
 
Originally posted by MDmiracle
I actually called them about two weeks ago about this issue. They said that there was a printing error and that the applications would be delayed by about three or four weeks, which I took to mean that we will recieve them some time in feb. Hope this helps.

Is the deadline still the end of March for the applications ?
 
I asked this same question and the guy I talked to didn't know if they were going to change it, but as of the time I called they hadn't moved it. However, he said that he thought that they would move it after they sent out apps.
 
I was told the application went out on Jan. 26th.
 
Does anyone know how it is determined that you are from a disadvantaged background for this scholarship??
 
Ok guys, here is the real scoop regarding the application. There are a few things that will basically win you an interview, and likely win you the scholarship if you interview well. In fact, there are 2 things that basically force the NHSC to give you a scholarship if you meet all the other criteria (like interview well). One of these things is if you have received a scholarship for federally disadvantaged students. These people know who they are and you can ask your financial aid advisor if you are unsure. Next, if you are from a disadvantaged background, meeting the criteria that the NHSC goes by. You will have to read the application to understand this. I actually provided my financial aid counsellor with documentation of my large inner-city family upbringing, and proof of financial aid I had received in the past. It was complicated though because I am a second career guy, and I already overcame my disadvantaged status a few years ago with hard work on my own. So they wrote me a letter attesting to the fact that I had come from a disadvantaged background and had at one time been eligible for "disadvantaged" student loans. And lastly, if you have ever volunteered or worked in a situation that provided care for underserved, you also stand out from the pack. So hopefully this has helped you some. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions.
 
Would you even suggest applying since I have never received a scholarship for federally disadvantaged students nor am I from a disadvantaged background
 
Absolutely!! Most of these scholarships do not go to these types of people because 1) there aren't that many of these people in medical school, and 2) they don't all apply! So if you multiply the odds of both of these events occuring, my guess is only 5% fit that criteria. It only means that these 5% were able to get the scholarship easily. I went to the conference of new scholars in Baltimore this year and there were very few people that seemed to fit that criteria. One side note...the cheaper your school is the more likely chance you will get the scholarship. No one at NHSC will ever admit it, and I can't proove it or substantiate my theory, but if they have 2 candidates on equal ground and one goes to a school with 30K tuition vs the other school with 15K tuition, what would you guess is going to happen?? But overall I think the process is very fair and it is an awesome option if you know you want to do primary care. Remember, you can't exactly change your mind!
 
thanks for the advice--wish me luck! I am filling out the application now.
 
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I received the NHSC application in the mail yesterday and will fill it out this weekend. By the way, I live in San Diego so at least a few others I know have received it who live in California. Good luck everyone.

:idea:
 
Just want to clarify one aspect of NHSC
So after graduation when you work at an underserved area as part of yr service commitment do you get paid? and if so what's the ballpark?
 
Most of the sites pay the average salary for your specialty, or you can simply refuse to take the job. The sites need you and since there are always more sites than doc, the pay tends to be on the average to keep them competitive. Yes of course you get paid!
 
legally they cannot pay you less than they would any other doc...so once you plug in the numbers....they pay school, fees, equipment, monthly stipend for 4 yrs (of however long you get the scholarship) plus the income after you graduate....in all that adds up to an impressive sum:)
but you have to be sure primary care is your thing and that you don't mind living/working anywhere in the us
 
To add to Jhug's statement: First of all, the job that you take upon graduating from residency to fulfill your payback has no affilliation with the governmental entity that gives you the scholarship. These are communities that have applied to get their HPSA score calculated to see if they warrant being a place where NHSC will be willing to allow a scholar to serve. When you graduate, you take a look at the list of places and interview like any other job. The only limitation to your salary is the fact that these communities often cannot afford to pay the average salary, which is the reason that they have been without a doctor for so long. I actually called around to about 10 positions that were on the list when I got the scholarship and most FP positions were offering between 105-125K to start. There really is nothing official in writing that states you will not have to accept a position that pays less than certain amount, but my guess is that fair market demand will always ensure that these positions pay somewhere close to average. So don't sweat it, because once you stay your 3-4 years and show them how valuable you are, your productivity should help you to get annual increases should you choose to stay after your obligation. And that is truly what this program is about.....trying to get a doctor to stay forever!!
 
pactodoc....what did they say when you called? i've been tempted to talk to a few to ask questions but didn't know what they would say...
 
Does anyone know if there is a way to get in contact with doctors currently working in the NHSC placements following residency? I would like to get insight from their perspective to figure out if the program is right for me. Thanks.
 
I second the last request.
thanks,
 
just some notes
1) worse then dealing with the government, the nhsc bids out almost all the scholar stuff so you are not dealing with the government, but the lowest cost providers to the government.
2) the nhsc won't disclose scholars so good luck finding them (you can always call an IHS facility though and find them). It is good they protect confidentiality, but there should be a message board on their site. There used to be, but they took it down because it was filled with complaints. You can see a copy though, and get other information at http://nhscscholar.com . I am not being negitive, just a realist. The program really is great for some people, not so good for others.
 
Originally posted by racecity1
just some notes
1) worse then dealing with the government, the nhsc bids out almost all the scholar stuff so you are not dealing with the government, but the lowest cost providers to the government.
2) the nhsc won't disclose scholars so good luck finding them (you can always call an IHS facility though and find them). It is good they protect confidentiality, but there should be a message board on their site. There used to be, but they took it down because it was filled with complaints. You can see a copy though, and get other information at http://nhscscholar.com . I am not being negitive, just a realist. The program really is great for some people, not so good for others.

I looked at the message board on nhscscholar.com and it had a lot of negative stuff but I noticed that this message board is from 1998-99 ....Has the NHSC resolved a lot of these problems that scholars complained about 5 years ago ??
 
Yes, they have resolved almost all of them. They are quite squared away now. The problem mostly exists now for NP's and PA's who have trouble finding sites. Physicians will never have that problem.
 
Originally posted by PACtoDOC
Yes, they have resolved almost all of them. They are quite squared away now. The problem mostly exists now for NP's and PA's who have trouble finding sites. Physicians will never have that problem.

Is it still fairly easy to find placement as an IM physician or are most of the sites for FP ?
 
FP to IM is about 5 to 1 in site choice.
 
note from the webmaster of nhscscholar.com , if anyone has specific information about the process for MD's, good or bad, I would love to include that on the site. You can email me @ [email protected]
Some notes-
-yes the official NHSC message board posted on the site is 5 years old (and the website clearly says this). The point is that the NHSC Removed the board from its site with the promise of a better one and it never came back (supposedly because it was just complaints). I would like to see them return it, otherwise scholars have no way of communicating. Ask yourself why the NHSC does everything it can to inhibit communication among scholars or potential scholars.
- off the record, and a personal opinion, I would stand by the NHSC being just as messed up as it was 5 years ago. Of course remember the NHSC doesn't do much. METRiX Technologies, Inc, pretending to be the NHSC does just about everything. they have the 2.8 milliion dollar 'matching and monitoring' contract.
-A quick check of the opportunities list shows 325 Physician scholar opportunities. Sounds like a lot. The NHSCscholar website just shows you how to read it though. Do you really think that Morton Comp Health in Tulsa needs 9 Physicians? There sure are a lot of sites with mulitple lisitings. A lot of sites also show up as having been on the list for 19 weeks. They reset the list 19 weeks ago so they might really be stale (which usually means inaccurate).
-Good luck if you want or get the scholarships, they can be great deals for the right person. Just make sure you are the right person.
 
Here is the straight scoop on the NHSC for physicians. I have called multiple sites on the list just to check that they are legit and to see how much they pay as of now. Every place I have called was actively desperate for a physician. The bottom line is that if you accept this scholarship as a medical student, you have a 99% chance of going to the site you choose to go to. Of all the FP residents that entered payback last cycle, a total of ONE had to be placed because they failed to get themselves hired by the deadline. Even after resident graduation last year, there were still tons of positions. Now granted, you may have to be a bit flexible if you wish to go to a particular geographic locale, but that is a small price to pay for having someone pay 200K of your loans for you. I cannot speak for the NP's or PA's, but I can tell you that at the NHSC conference in Baltimore this year, they broke us up into different groups and we talked with former scholars who are still working in their respective payback sites 20 years later plus some. They gave us some great insight into the program. I don't think you need to worry about what we as medical students get ourselves into, but you should focus more on fixing the problems associated with the NP payback. Don't try and create mass hysteria for medical students because you have had a bad experience. As an NP, your education doesn't cost 2-3 hundred thousand, so maybe the scholarship is not right for you. But this scholarship for medical students is the best thing if you don't want to have to have a huge loan burden like that, and it is certainly less restrictive than the military program with equal benefits!!!!! Maybe the NP process is more problematic because the priority is to get physicians to these areas first and formost. I get my money every month, and I pay no tuition for medical school. I get an extra check for 3K or so every year as an added perk. For that, I will go to Tundra, Alaska. You will not have a problem finding a payback site as a physician. Nothing in life is free, and nothing comes without sacrifice.
 
PactoDoc, I am glad you are happy with the program to date. I hope it works out for you, for anyone else that gets it, and for the underserved who need your services. Maybe after you have actually tried to find a place should you speak like you know 'the facts'. Basing your knowledge on the NHSC conference and a couple of calls to clinics is hardly 'the facts'. I am sure the former scholars the NHSC brought to the clinic were a good representation of the experience. Do you think they would bring the ones with bad experiences? Telling others they have a 99% chance of going where they want.... do you really believe that? Were they serving a special kind of kool-aid at the conference? At least be realistic. Besides, you were sitting in a conference with the NHSC and they were bidding out the 'matching and monitoring' for the next year to the lowest bidder. It certainly might be a better company that got it, could be worse. The point is you don't know.... and I don't know either.

One last thing, please know who you are writing. I clearly identified myself as the webmaster of that site. You wrote back like I was the scholar, and I was not. I am collecting information about all the disciplines to improve the program. Maybe once you have done something other then take their money, you might even have some usefull information to add to the site.
 
Hey Racecity,

Maybe you should know who you are talking to. Your condescending attitude and negativity aren't going to help any future scholars, but instead you will scare them off. In case you forgot, this web forum is called STUDENT DOCTOR.net, not FNP.net. Your pervasive negativity is inherent throughout your profession, which is probably why NP's are having such a hard time in NHSC. The NHSC is an organization that puts the vast majority of its resources into recruiting physicians. Please don't act like you have some astonishingly superb experience with NHSC just because you have had to deal with a bit of perceived hardship through the process. I am well familiar with the NHSC because many of my friends in PA school years ago are scholars. And no, none of them had experiences like yours, so perhaps it is an NP thing. After all, I didn't want to bring it up, but from my experience as medic in the military and on the floors as a PA, it is always the nurses who are either the hardest workers or the loudest crybabies. No one is discounting the poor experience you had with the NHSC, but don't come over to our forum and get pissed when someone actually supports the program and has positive things to say about it. I am glad you located a good payback site and I do think your website has many good qualities. I just don't think your situation is representative for the physician side of the house. I specifically spoke with the FP coordinator and she informed me that they placed one physician out of 170 this last cycle. She also informed me that even after the 170 placements, there were still equally as many vacancies. Maybe there are more physician vacancies because there are more physicians needed than NP's. I can't answer that, but I can tell you the facts from the physician side of the house.
 
Originally posted by PACtoDOC
Here is the straight scoop on the NHSC for physicians. I have called multiple sites on the list just to check that they are legit and to see how much they pay as of now. Every place I have called was actively desperate for a physician. The bottom line is that if you accept this scholarship as a medical student, you have a 99% chance of going to the site you choose to go to. Of all the FP residents that entered payback last cycle, a total of ONE had to be placed because they failed to get themselves hired by the deadline. Even after resident graduation last year, there were still tons of positions.


Is this true for someone who does IM ?Or do some of the IM physicians end up getting assigned to a less than desirous locale
(i.e. prison)
I am debating whether to do IM or FP.....
 
PACtoDoc, it appears you have some issues, I see you previously posted this here in the PA forum.

"Holy triple sow cow!! I went incognito over to the allnurses.com web forums and hung out in the NP forum for awhile. You want to talk about a group of people who hate the world, most especially doctors and PA's!!! Go check it out in a stealth way. I was the guy posting as PA-C, DO, and read what I wrote. I wasn't even being rude, but I got banned from posting further responses."

I have said it twice, now for a 3rd time, so you might get it, I am the webmaster of that site, not the scholar and not a NP, so why pick a np/doc fight with me? I don't really care.

I am sure some underserved clinic will be happy to have you on their staff and in their community. Good luck
 
Webmaster, shwebmaster, I don't care. You failed to listen to my comments with an open ear. You turned them around to suit your opinion. And if you want to start that debate, I do have a big problem with NP's. My guess is that you are hiding behind the webmaster title when you are probably the spouse of the NP. So no bias there huh? Why would your whole damn site be about the NP issues if you were not interested in that aspect of it?

Hey Sherman,
Can't tell you for sure, but there are far fewer IM spots than FP slots if you peruse the board. But I have been told unequivically from the highest source that you will never be forced to go to a prison if you wish not to. For physicians there are always other options, but for midlevels it seems that many end up going there because there are not a lot of better options available. Obviously in a governmental system like this, they are going to send the midlevels to places where they know a physician will not go. That is the primary reason for the scholarship. Yes, you will be limited by the number of IM slots, but you will also have a lot less competition. My personal feeling is that I would not have done this scholarship if I were interested in IM. I wanted the most options available to me, and FP is where that is.
 
-Good luck if you want or get the scholarships, they can be great deals for the right person. Just make sure you are the right person.

this says it all....really, it seems there is a huge disparity between the np/pa/physician programs. Physicians (this is 100% from personal experience) have it much easier as far as being able to pick and choose where they go than some of the others. I believe, and pactodoc can verify this for me, but i think they told us that 8% work in prisons (by choice....why i have NO idea:))
and 92% do medicine. It seems (to me) that peds has the least amount of spots, then IM, and FP has the most (which really makes sense when we think about what this scholarship is all about) Because there are less peds patients in a rural area, you can almost count on those sites being urban, FP is more rural in nature, IM seems to be a mix of the two (i talk about peds, FP, and IM only because there is NO WAY i want to do ob/gyn or pysch)
I understand both sides of the board/contact scholars debate.....on one side i think it would be really helpful, on the other hand, as a first year med student i get asked all sorts of stuff and could see it getting really old 10 years from now....especially when so much could change in that much time.

I can totally agree with PtoD, i LOVE not seeing a single bill from this school (tuition is 32K and change/ year) and the stipend is paying my rent/food. I'll end school with zero debt. Every dime i make as a resident/doc will go to my family (except for taxes) 30 years from now classmates will just be paying off 200K (only now it's more like 350-400K) in school loans. BUT, i don't mind the idea of doing FP or peds in pago pago, american samoa, or gunnison, utah (for 4 years:))

like the quote above, it is a great way to fund an education, just do all you can to make sure you are the right person for the NHSC.
 
Originally posted by jhug
this says it all....really, it seems there is a huge disparity between the np/pa/physician programs. Physicians (this is 100% from personal experience) have it much easier as far as being able to pick and choose where they go than some of the others. I believe, and pactodoc can verify this for me, but i think they told us that 8% work in prisons (by choice....why i have NO idea:))
and 92% do medicine. It seems (to me) that peds has the least amount of spots, then IM, and FP has the most (which really makes sense when we think about what this scholarship is all about) Because there are less peds patients in a rural area, you can almost count on those sites being urban, FP is more rural in nature, IM seems to be a mix of the two (i talk about peds, FP, and IM only because there is NO WAY i want to do ob/gyn or pysch)
I understand both sides of the board/contact scholars debate.....on one side i think it would be really helpful, on the other hand, as a first year med student i get asked all sorts of stuff and could see it getting really old 10 years from now....especially when so much could change in that much time.

I can totally agree with PtoD, i LOVE not seeing a single bill from this school (tuition is 32K and change/ year) and the stipend is paying my rent/food. I'll end school with zero debt. Every dime i make as a resident/doc will go to my family (except for taxes) 30 years from now classmates will just be paying off 200K (only now it's more like 350-400K) in school loans. BUT, i don't mind the idea of doing FP or peds in pago pago, american samoa, or gunnison, utah (for 4 years:))

like the quote above, it is a great way to fund an education, just do all you can to make sure you are the right person for the NHSC.

Thanks for the info....I am really excited about potentially getting a scholarship. With the exception of working in a prison I would go ANYWHERE( Alaska, Pago Pago, North Dakota , Indian reservation etc..and do FP or IM
I think it would be a great experience and a chance to do good for the less fortunate and be a great way to stay out of debt
Is it true that as a DO student you are more likely to get the scholarship ? I am starting at UHS-COM in August
 
With the exception of working in a prison I would go ANYWHERE( Alaska, Pago Pago, North Dakota , Indian reservation etc..

this is a great attitude, one i hope comes out in the application/interview....
i wouldn't say that you are MORE likely to get it as a DO but i think, again PtoD could maybe help me out on this, i remember them saying in baltimore that well more than 50% on the scholarship are DO's (which again makes sense with the DO's stressing primary care)
 
You do not have any advantage over an MD student, at least officially. But I can tell you that the % of DO students in NHSC seems to be greater than the % of students in the general medical school population. The scholarship probably attracts DO students at a greater rate because DO's are drawn to primary care in larger numbers than MD's. My feeling though is that they look at the price of school and then try to get the best deal for the goverment!! So cheap schools in my opinion probably have a better chance of having their students get accepted!
 
Wow, Matt.
You really helped me a lot last year with all of your posts and advice. I'm sorry that you had to get so nasty about nurses and NPs on this forum. Many future NPs, such as myself, frequent this site for information about the NHSC because it is one of the best sites around. I know several NPs who received the scholarship last year who are very happy with the NHSC so far. We are all going into the health field and will be working side by side one day. Can't we try to be positive? P.S. I love my doctor!! Jenn
 
Hey Jenn,

I honestly have nothing against solitary NP's by any means, but I have a huge problem with the philosophy and politics behind them. It borders on unethical to say that NP's are licensed by their own board (nurses) to practice "advanced nursing" when in reality it is practicing medicine. There is no difference in the treatment offered by NP's, PA's, DO's, or MD's. There may be slightly different philosophical differences but the end result 90% of the time in all cases is medication, education, and follow up (plus manip on occassion if you are a DO). I hate that NP's try to distance themselves from doctors and act like their training is somehow superior to other midlevels in a way that makes them worthy of autonomy. No one other than a physician is trained to be autonomous. The best NP's are the ones that realize this and work side by side with a physician. But the leaders of your profession who strive to be independent threaten to make all of you adversaries to physicians. I would hate to see this because I think NP's have a very valuable role as physician extenders.
 
Hello-
I am in the process of applying for the NHSC. Currently, I am completing the scantron form. My understanding is that I will then be screened and potentially invited to interview. Will there be a point in this process where I need to submit a personal statement, letters of recommendation, extracurrics, a CV, or any material of that sort? Thanks.
 
Zinj,

Not a chance! They do not want any of that stuff, and they ask you to not send it. They only rank you on the way your scantron is graded, and on the way you answer the questions related to your own background and service. They don't really care about your grades, your MCAT, your LOR's or anything else. They are looking for exactly what the scrantron can evaluate. You should hear by late April to early May about an interview. Then they grant the scholarships around the 1st of September. Good luck.
 
If you get an interview is every one on the same level now? What I mean is: Is the interview now the deciding factor?

More to the point: is the scantron the first hoop and the interview the second hoop?
 
I believe so. I suppose if two people have equal interview scores yet one has a better scantron score, it would not be even. But for the most part, if you get an interview, and nail it, you are in. Good luck.

Matt
 
MD and DO students are looked at equally. But there does seem to be a larger % of DO students on the scholarship than in the population of medical students. I think it is because more DO students by %age know that they want to do primary care. But ottherwise there is no real advantage to being a DO.
 
What do they mean when they ask for a copy of your school/ program curriculum? Do they want the school to send it or for you to get it off the web? Any help will do.
 
the school should do everything for you (at least my school does) each year your school should send financial info (what they require, what it costs, tuition) and curriculum info to the nhsc...even if they don't have a scholar at the time. i would be sure to check with your school though.
 
In regards to Jennifer V's Post on 3/6:
____________________________
Wow, Matt.
You really helped me a lot last year with all of your posts and advice. I'm sorry that you had to get so nasty about nurses and NPs on this forum. Many future NPs, such as myself, frequent this site for information about the NHSC because it is one of the best sites around. I know several NPs who received the scholarship last year who are very happy with the NHSC so far. We are all going into the health field and will be working side by side one day. Can't we try to be positive? P.S. I love my doctor!! Jenn

____________________________

Jenn-

Thank you for your positive post. I am also an NP student and a current NHSC scholar who found this site useful during the application process. I've been quite impressed with the NHSC thus far and recommend the program to other NP (and PA and MD and DO) students.

On a side note, as future providers we are all in this together; in the end it is all about our patients, not about our own personal agendas. Our respective fields may differ in their philosophical underpinnings, but infighting only detracts from our shared goal of promoting health.
 
Does anyone know if you are less likely to get a scholarship if you are only applying for 2 yrs of scholarship money?
Besides that, I do go to an expensive MD school, and have worked in A FEW underserved communities. I'm just hoping I can get an interview! A friend of mine claimed it would be really hard for me to get a scholarship because I only have 2 years left of school, and don't come from a disadvantaged backgtound. Nor am I a minority. I made it pretty clear on the application that I want to be a FP doc in a rural area.
 
You should actually have a better chance of getting the scholarship because the minimum payback is 3 years anyway. You can take 2 years of money but I am under the impression that you have to pay 3 years for that 2 years of money.
 
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