NHSC Scholarship 2013

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ALSO!

I just confirmed today that when finalists receive the second signature on their contract, then it is official.

The second page of the contract says that everything is in effect when the secretary OR HIS/HER AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE signs the contract.

So, once you see a signature that says "OFAM Approver, HRSA", the wait is over, I guess...

Just have to wait for the final email.
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Just a heads up to those taking out loans now - talk to your school's fin aid director, my school is letting me wait until I hear back from NHSC before I pay them anything & they are holding the interest on my account until the NHSC stuff is finalized. They might be more lenient bc their a private school, and have at least 5 people on the NHSC, but wouldn't hurt to ask..

I'm a finalist btw, and my contract was signed by OFAM couple days back
 
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Today was the deadline for the second group of finalists!!

Hopefully we hear something SOON!

(But, talking to the person at NHSC yesterday, I was told that the time between HRSA signing our contracts and when we get the congratulations "packet" in the mail will be long... She said that they are currently checking with schools fin. aid offices, getting all of our direct deposits down, getting other contracts signed and sending out MORE finalist notifications)
 
Student1331 said:
Just a heads up to those taking out loans now - talk to your school's fin aid director, my school is letting me wait until I hear back from NHSC before I pay them anything & they are holding the interest on my account until the NHSC stuff is finalized. They might be more lenient bc their a private school, and have at least 5 people on the NHSC, but wouldn't hurt to ask..

I'm a finalist btw, and my contract was signed by OFAM couple days back
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Are you a medical student or dental or other? I am a medical student and I have nothing but my signature on the contract.

tthanks
 
JAWSSS said:
Today was the deadline for the second group of finalists!!

Hopefully we hear something SOON!

(But, talking to the person at NHSC yesterday, I was told that the time between HRSA signing our contracts and when we get the congratulations "packet" in the mail will be long... She said that they are currently checking with schools fin. aid offices, getting all of our direct deposits down, getting other contracts signed and sending out MORE finalist notifications)
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Did she really say they would be sending out MORE finalist notifications? Does that mean I should still have hope!? :confused:
 
ss0913 said:
Did she really say they would be sending out MORE finalist notifications? Does that mean I should still have hope!? :confused:
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Thats what she said! :)

Let's hope she meant a lot of notifications.
 
Am I the only first round finalist medical student who has yet to have a signature on the contract??? Is it possible that i still may not end up getting the award??? This is nerve racking esp since my loans have all been processed and I already have my refund.
 
dreamsunlimit said:
Am I the only first round finalist medical student who has yet to have a signature on the contract??? Is it possible that i still may not end up getting the award??? This is nerve racking esp since my loans have all been processed and I already have my refund.
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I wouldn't worry about it! A first round finalist from the dental side just got a signature today, so, it looks like they are starting to get on top of them right now.

ALSO! Last year there were a few people that never saw electronic signatures, but, they still received the congrats email.
 
JAWSSS said:
I wouldn't worry about it! A first round finalist from the dental side just got a signature today, so, it looks like they are starting to get on top of them right now.

ALSO! Last year there were a few people that never saw electronic signatures, but, they still received the congrats email.
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thanks for the info!! that makes me feel better. hahah
 
smq123 said:
That seems to be the general consensus. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who was a finalist but then didn't get the scholarship.
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thanks for clarifying the information about the health center salaries that are associated with NHSc. Are you a participant, If so what did you go into?
 
dreamsunlimit said:
thanks for clarifying the information about the health center salaries that are associated with NHSc. Are you a participant, If so what did you go into?
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I am a family medicine physician. I received the NHSC scholarship for the last 2 years of medical school, and now work at an FQHC in Florida.
 
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dreamsunlimit said:
Am I the only first round finalist medical student who has yet to have a signature on the contract??? Is it possible that i still may not end up getting the award??? This is nerve racking esp since my loans have all been processed and I already have my refund.
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I'm also a first round finalist, MS2, yet to see any signatures anywhere besides my own. I know, it's very unsettling, just hoping for the best! Good luck
 
GatorDoc31 said:
I'm also a first round finalist, MS2, yet to see any signatures anywhere besides my own. I know, it's very unsettling, just hoping for the best! Good luck
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thanks for the pep talk!! it seems like a general agreement if that if you become a finalist you will get the scholarship.. lets hope that materializes haha
 
smq123 said:
I am a family medicine physician. I received the NHSC scholarship for the last 2 years of medical school, and now work at an FQHC in Florida.
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that is really cool!!! I want to go into family medicine as well/. How do you like it? And can you please tell me something about the pay in that field and is it possible to squeeze two jobs? I am not overly obsessed about money but I have a large sum in loans that i need to pay from previous schooling even after getting nhsc scholarship. That really bothers me because i like to be loan free early on. I hate the idea of paying little for a long period of time. Hence I am wondering what the pay is like and if it will increase in the future since i have another 6 years until i become a full doctor. thanks!!
 
dreamsunlimit said:
that is really cool!!! I want to go into family medicine as well/. How do you like it? And can you please tell me something about the pay in that field and is it possible to squeeze two jobs? I am not overly obsessed about money but I have a large sum in loans that i need to pay from previous schooling even after getting nhsc scholarship. That really bothers me because i like to be loan free early on. I hate the idea of paying little for a long period of time. Hence I am wondering what the pay is like and if it will increase in the future since i have another 6 years until i become a full doctor. thanks!!
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I enjoy family medicine, although I admit it's not for everyone. A busy day in clinic can be very quick paced, and it's a wide range of medical conditions to cover . But I personally like it. :)

The pay at an FQHC is on the (very) low end of what you would expect for family medicine. Most family medicine salaries are usually around 150K to 250K; at an FQHC, you can expect to be paid in the low 100Ks (100K, 110K, etc.) It will vary by geography, of course - you will get paid more in a rural location, like Alaska or Idaho, than you would at a community health center in Brooklyn or Baltimore.

I would not encourage you to hold 2 jobs. The NHSC requires all of its scholars to work a minimum of 40 hours a week (and yes, they do ask your job site how many hours they have you scheduled to work), and, in all honesty, I work more than that. I probably work about 50-60 hours a week, doing paperwork, phone calls, etc. If you had a small side business on the weekends, or if you wanted to moonlight on the weekends, that probably wouldn't be so bad.

If you wanted to stay at the community health center, you could also apply for the Loan Repayment Program after you finish your service payback. Some people do that, for the exact reason you mentioned - to pay off undergrad loans as well.
 
smq123 said:
I enjoy family medicine, although I admit it's not for everyone. A busy day in clinic can be very quick paced, and it's a wide range of medical conditions to cover . But I personally like it. :)

The pay at an FQHC is on the (very) low end of what you would expect for family medicine. Most family medicine salaries are usually around 150K to 250K; at an FQHC, you can expect to be paid in the low 100Ks (100K, 110K, etc.) It will vary by geography, of course - you will get paid more in a rural location, like Alaska or Idaho, than you would at a community health center in Brooklyn or Baltimore.

I would not encourage you to hold 2 jobs. The NHSC requires all of its scholars to work a minimum of 40 hours a week (and yes, they do ask your job site how many hours they have you scheduled to work), and, in all honesty, I work more than that. I probably work about 50-60 hours a week, doing paperwork, phone calls, etc. If you had a small side business on the weekends, or if you wanted to moonlight on the weekends, that probably wouldn't be so bad.

If you wanted to stay at the community health center, you could also apply for the Loan Repayment Program after you finish your service payback. Some people do that, for the exact reason you mentioned - to pay off undergrad loans as well.
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Thank you so much for the valuable insight doc!!! So are the FQHC your only options for an NHSC site? Is the place you are working at a rural or urban place? Are there NHSC sites in rural places that pay 150-250k?
 
dreamsunlimit said:
Thank you so much for the valuable insight doc!!! So are the FQHC your only options for an NHSC site? Is the place you are working at a rural or urban place? Are there NHSC sites in rural places that pay 150-250k?
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The FQHC is the most common site; you could certainly also work in a prison or an Indian reservation, if you wanted.

I'm in an urban FQHC. I highly highly highly doubt that even the rural NHSC sites are paying 250K; and I would also be very surprised if any went above the 170K mark. Remember, you're working with a patient population that has no money and frequently no insurance, so these centers are not really raking it in.
 
Has anyone called the NHSC program people lately? What's the latest on sending out more finalist letters??
 
I broke down and called!

They told me that they will continue to give awards until September 30th (I had been told August 31st previously, but I guess that's for nurses). They also said that those who are not awarded will be told at the end of September through October.

It seems so cruel to have people who aren't getting wait so long!!!! Oh well, I guess there's hope for us waiters!
 
According to the nursing forum... someone called and was told that current finalists should here official word "any day now"

They also reconfirmed that if you see the second signature from the "OFAM Approver, HRSA" then you have received the scholarship and everything is being processed right now.

The last few years nurses, MD, PA, and DDS have all heard together so hopefully this stays the same.

Lets hope its by the end of the month!

(post updates :thumbup:)
 
When I called they told me the Nurse Corps is going to hear by the end of this month... and the NHSC people will hear by the end of September. Soooo looooooong!
 
Called the customer service portal people today. #vague #vague #vague
 
JuneBugg said:
Called the customer service portal people today. #vague #vague #vague
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I'm sure the call center people are just as in the dark as we are, so by no means am I trying to sound rude. I just had this preconceived notion in my head that calling them would somehow result in some useful information.

sighhh
 
What did they say? Like I said - they told me to check my spam, and that notifications would be going out throughout September.

Who are MD/DO finalists? And when did you hear? Have there been two rounds of finalists for that crowd?
 
I am a finalist for MD/DO and i got the notification on the 23rd of july and just had my contact eletronically signed by hrsa two days ago. I think they might be in the process of sending out second round letters since i know for a fact not everyone accepted. Just be patient and hopefully some good news will come!! And from what i heard once u are a reapplicant the chances of getting it are even higher. good luck!!!
 
When I initially applied for the nhsc scholarship (MD/DO), I asked for three years of funding. Now if i receive the scholarship does it automatically mean I will be getting the three years of funding or do i have to reapply every year?

thanks
 
dreamsunlimit said:
When I initially applied for the nhsc scholarship (MD/DO), I asked for three years of funding. Now if i receive the scholarship does it automatically mean I will be getting the three years of funding or do i have to reapply every year?

thanks
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You automatically receive three years of funding. No need to reapply. :)
 
Hey guys,

I was just wondering, in case I don't get the scholarship this year, will I have a better chance of getting it next year since I will be a second year student in med school? Also, what aspects of my application do I need to improve on? I am from a rural area, and I am technically a disadvantaged student, but I haven't heard anything this year. Maybe I put something in my application that they really didn't want to hear? Haha I don't know. Hopefully, I'll hear next year cause I really am devoted to family med. thanks guys.
 
rhunley7410 said:
Hey guys,

I was just wondering, in case I don't get the scholarship this year, will I have a better chance of getting it next year since I will be a second year student in med school? Also, what aspects of my application do I need to improve on? I am from a rural area, and I am technically a disadvantaged student, but I haven't heard anything this year. Maybe I put something in my application that they really didn't want to hear? Haha I don't know. Hopefully, I'll hear next year cause I really am devoted to family med. thanks guys.
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From what I've heard, being a re-applicant is a bonus.

Do we know if they have already done two finalist cycles for MD/DO applicants? Or do we only have one MD?DO that's been awarded on the forum?

EDIT: I called again today. They said they're giving awards out until October 31st. I'll try not to call again...otherwise it'll be the end of November! Haha
 
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ReeseC said:
From what I've heard, being a re-applicant is a bonus.

Do we know if they have already done two finalist cycles for MD/DO applicants? Or do we only have one MD?DO that's been awarded on the forum?

EDIT: I called again today. They said they're giving awards out until October 31st. I'll try not to call again...otherwise it'll be the end of November! Haha
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I think I was a second round finalist for DO/MD. Got the notification 8/09 in the evening sometime. Still haven't heard any finalization or have a signature yet. I saw the site is under maintenance again this week and thats when I got my notification, so thats probably good news!:thumbup:
 
Nothing new for me... still "Under Review."

Maybe we'll hear something before the beginning of the long weekend.
 
Anybody get the congrats email??

Two people got it on the dental side (not including me :scared:)

Just waiting for an email, haha!
 
Just got the email on the DO side! Good luck to everybody still waiting! :luck:
 
jordanhoo said:
Just got the email on the DO side! Good luck to everybody still waiting! :luck:
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Congratulations!

Still "Under Review" here, but it's nice to know that it does seem like movement happens around "site maintenance" times.
 
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I did not get the email yet, but my portal changed to a participant
 
Student1331 said:
I did not get the email yet, but my portal changed to a participant
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Did it change recently (after 4pm EST?) or was this the first time you checked?

Edit: NEVERMIND! Mine just updated! WOOOOOOOOO! (just got the email too)
 
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JAWSSS said:
Did it change recently (after 4pm EST?) or was this the first time you checked?

Edit: NEVERMIND! Mine just updated! WOOOOOOOOO! (just got the email too)
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Congrats!!! :thumbup: I did get mine around 4PM. There's definitely a direct connection between site maintenance and applicant status changes for those still waiting and future applicants...
 
jordanhoo said:
Congrats!!! :thumbup: I did get mine around 4PM. There's definitely a direct connection between site maintenance and applicant status changes for those still waiting and future applicants...
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When you go into your portal... Is your status "Contact BCRS" ?

Just wondering if everyone has that.

EDIT... My status now says "In School"
 
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Got the rejection email today - thank goodness I don't have to wait until October! Congrats to those who received it and are still waiting to hear back!
 
Received my congratulatory email this weekend too. Congrats to those who have received and best of luck to those still waiting! :)
 
ReeseC said:
Got the rejection email today - thank goodness I don't have to wait until October! Congrats to those who received it and are still waiting to hear back!
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Me too!! Everything happens for a reason. I'm just glad that I won't feel obligated to compulsively check the NHSC website 10 times a day anymore.

:) Congrats to those that got it!
 
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