NHSC Scholarship conference call concerns

[235750]

Did anyone else participate in the March 11th informational telephone conference? I've created a new thread because I was left feeling unsettled after that conference call.

First of all, the NHSC people who were running the show seemed very disorganized. This is in line with criticisms posted here by current/former NHSC scholars. They acted as though they were not prepared at all, especially during the start of the call. This made me feel a little concerned...I would potentially be trusting them with my career in the years to come. Did anyone get the same impression?

From hearing the answers to several peoples' questions, I take it that they seem really against giving incoming first-year medical students the scholarship. The one guy made a big deal about incoming 1st years being X% more likely to change their speciality. So I wanted to ask: does anyone know if incoming first years have been selected before in the past? I feel like there are/have been people who owed four years. I just want to know if it's even worth my time to apply.

Lastly, for those people who were/are NHSC scholars and married: how has the NHSC been in accommodating you and your spouse? I've seen a few postings about the NHSC being not very accommodating for couples. One person asked in the beginning about couples joining and they seemed very much against it. I understand that their main concern is to place people in areas that have the most need, but it seems like the best way to increase retention is to have places where couples can practice together, at least in some close proximity. Anyway, I would like to know if people have had success with both people being employed by the NHSC, like maybe one of you was a scholar and the other did the loan repayment program, etc.

I know that the NHSC has a great mission, and I really do want to be a part of it, but I am worried that the unorganized/unfriendly couple aspects will make it impossible for me to apply. Please share your thoughts, and thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Bleurberry]

Did anyone else participate in the March 11th informational telephone conference? I've created a new thread because I was left feeling unsettled after that conference call.

First of all, the NHSC people who were running the show seemed very disorganized. This is in line with criticisms posted here by current/former NHSC scholars. They acted as though they were not prepared at all, especially during the start of the call. This made me feel a little concerned...I would potentially be trusting them with my career in the years to come. Did anyone get the same impression?

From hearing the answers to several peoples' questions, I take it that they seem really against giving incoming first-year medical students the scholarship. The one guy made a big deal about incoming 1st years being X% more likely to change their speciality. So I wanted to ask: does anyone know if incoming first years have been selected before in the past? I feel like there are/have been people who owed four years. I just want to know if it's even worth my time to apply.

Lastly, for those people who were/are NHSC scholars and married: how has the NHSC been in accommodating you and your spouse? I've seen a few postings about the NHSC being not very accommodating for couples. One person asked in the beginning about couples joining and they seemed very much against it. I understand that their main concern is to place people in areas that have the most need, but it seems like the best way to increase retention is to have places where couples can practice together, at least in some close proximity. Anyway, I would like to know if people have had success with both people being employed by the NHSC, like maybe one of you was a scholar and the other did the loan repayment program, etc.

I know that the NHSC has a great mission, and I really do want to be a part of it, but I am worried that the unorganized/unfriendly couple aspects will make it impossible for me to apply. Please share your thoughts, and thank you!

Well, I gotta say, I don't blame the fine people at the NHSC to discourage 1st years, after some of the posts I've read in this thread!
Students are so volitile, they love the idea of this or that until they're exposed to something completely new, and then they can't live without doing that thing now, and it's gotta cause a beaurocratic nightmare on their end of things with moms and dads threatening to sue and the government maintaining a hard line pointing to the contact.
LOL!!

Also, if you're going to work for a governmental agency, get used to the idea of it being disorganized and not altogether user-friendly. In fact if you're already spooked, I say stay away, because you ain't seen nothing yet.

 

[235750]

Well, I gotta say, I don't blame the fine people at the NHSC to discourage 1st years, after some of the posts I've read in this thread!
Students are so volitile, they love the idea of this or that until they're exposed to something completely new, and then they can't live without doing that thing now, and it's gotta cause a beaurocratic nightmare on their end of things with moms and dads threatening to sue and the government maintaining a hard line pointing to the contact.
LOL!!

Also, if you're going to work for a governmental agency, get used to the idea of it being disorganized and not altogether user-friendly. In fact if you're already spooked, I say stay away, because you ain't seen nothing yet.

You are right, there is always risk predicting what speciality you'll be in, especially for an incoming first year. But I have 10+ years of experience working in hospitals. I know I want primary care. They seemed not open to consider my background.

Obviously there is a risk involved that I might change my mind. But in medical school you don't really get a real feel for all branches of medicine until you do your rotations starting in the 3rd year, and really you need to go up to year 4 to be sure. So, if they wanted to have a risk free program, then why not only offer loan repayment programs to BE/BC PCPs? If I changed my mind they'd get my tuition back times 3, so it's not a lot of financial risk to them either.

I've worked for the government as a contractor over the years, and I like it. Sure there are a lot of things that involve bureaucracy as you say, but I like to think of it as a system of checks and balances. That's why I had to submit new bids constantly. It's an imperfect system to be sure, but I had wanted to be a part of it to improve on it. Now I"ll just do normal loans just like everyone else

good luck to everyone who is applying this April

 

[BabyKangaroo]

I didn't feel like they were disorganized, just irritated. However, I did notice differences in answers I received during the conference call and answers I received from their website via the online Q and A service. Which to believe. And as far as changing your interests in medical school, I am sure that the NHSC people nail that heinous repercussion of payback times 3 b/c it is unfathomable that anyone would dare opt out of prim. care with that kind of debt incurred, unless they won the lottery or their dad is Bill Gates. I am curious to see how many people actually don't go through with the commitment only to be a slave to the government for most of the rest of their lives Anyways, I have some questions if someone can answer them for me.

The sheets that say "sample" at the end of the App. info. bulletin can, or cannot be used? I couldn't find any other forms otherwise.

D.O./MPH is my goal. On the phone they said, "sure, we won't pay for the MPH if it is extra $ though." On the website they emailed back, "No. Scholarships are not awarded to dual degree participants."

Any comments? I guess I can wait for the MPH question and just say that I will only go D.O. and if I hear otherwise pick up the MPH (if I get the scholarship.) Good luck to all applying.

 

[Rooney]

My opinion was that they were disorganized but at the same time people asked questions that could easily be found online.

The information I received from schools during my interviews was that unless you are positive on your discipline do not opt for this type of funding since the payback is so steep. (A few of the schools did have first and second year students in the NHSC scholarship program)

With a bigger picture in mind, it makes sense that paying it back would be considerably high since they are depending on the number of students coming out of residency to be placed in locations. If people bail, the communities will not be getting docs, hospitals may look at the credibility of the program and may not participate, and inevitably the program could fail.

While they discourage the whole couples thing, I think it is more because they can not guarantee anything, like if a hospital can only afford one more on staff. However, working with other gov't programs, when a position opened up, spouses that applied were often given first look.

While the information online was different than what the people said on the conference call I am sticking with what is on paper because while you heard it and I heard it does not mean they will uphold it or that they passed on the info to the company that is organizing all of our applications. The contact that is signed is what I go by.

Finally, while things may seem unorganized, make things organized on your part (it will be nice to know something is). So for example when filling out the app., you have to submit two different things online, print them, and then fill out other paperwork that is essentially the same thing (with gov't there is always ppwk). Also, keep asking questions or look in your area for someone that is part of the NHSC, I know that has been a help.

Sorry this is so long

Good Luck and don't let yourself get overwhelmed!

 

[235750]

D.O./MPH is my goal. On the phone they said, "sure, we won't pay for the MPH if it is extra $ though." On the website they emailed back, "No. Scholarships are not awarded to dual degree participants."

Rooney and BabyKangaroo, you are both right, people did ask a lot of stupid questions, but at the same time they did give different answers than what the FAQs and documentation say online. So really, I'm glad they asked those things! Like the dual degree question for example, the guy who asked about the MD/MPH degree at the beginning of the call. So to me, giving contradicting answers is the definition of 'unorganized'.

Rooney, I understand what you're saying about the couples thing. I understand they have to do what's right for the clinics. I just don't think they should be as inflexible as they are, ie at least try to make arrangements for married people. I emailed them and said we'd live or work anywhere in the world as long as my spouse could come with me. I'd work in Guam, prisions, prisions in guam etc. I just can't believe that the NHSC is just for singles!

Anyway, I won't trust people like this with my career. Also, thanks to keh314 for PMing me to help me out with the couples info

 

[BabyKangaroo]

You don't have to trust them with your career, nor would you if you got a scholarship and accepted it. It may be harder pressing against the goads of the federal health system, but it isn't even close to impossible to be in charge of what you learn, how you treat your patients, and the experience you get out of it via your attitude on the whole thing.

 

[235750]

You don't have to trust them with your career, nor would you if you got a scholarship and accepted it. It may be harder pressing against the goads of the federal health system, but it isn't even close to impossible to be in charge of what you learn, how you treat your patients, and the experience you get out of it via your attitude on the whole thing.

Make no mistake, the NHSC will own you for that four year payback period. They will determine how you work and where you work, and from the answers they gave on that phone conference, they offer no support for your family. That's wonderful that you have a positive attitude, but a chipy demeanor won't make things better when I tell my financee we have to live apart for four years because she can't get a job where I move to.

If their FAQ sessions on the phone give different answers then their FAQs posted online, that's a really good indication that they are unorganized and might botch things (ie your job) on occasion. I would really think hard about this. I want to serve the underserved, but not at the expense of my family or my career.

If they move my family to Guam I will need help with job placement for my wife to be. The military offers support so don't tell me the federal government can't do it.

You are right that a positive attitude changes everything. Ultimately though I will be sad if my partner doesn't have a job because she will be unhappy.

If you're a single person and don't mind the disorganized nature of the NHSC, then go for it! I sounds like it is an organization with a great mission, but in need of better leadership, and I appluad you for applying. Just be prepared for more contradicting answers and little to no support from them.

 

[BabyKangaroo]

And the banks (or government the way things are going) will own you while you are paying off your debt, albeit in a different way. They cannot determine how I work, and regarding location, I think the NHSC makes it very clear that they could determine where you work. They mention it like 10 times in the application. If someone misses that, well, that's their fault.

I guess this is a personal situation for you Still. I know going into it the NHSC is only a shoe size covering a narrow range. It just happens to fit me. And you cannot base an entire organization that has been around for 35 years off of one pone call experience. You may be correct in assuming your views b/c it is the nat'l govt and they cannot seem to run anything successfully, but other than that you or I have not really experienced what the NHSC is really like (maybe you have? I don't know you). It has its positives and minuses, just like everything, even the medical schools you and I will be attending this year, no matter how wonderful they seem. And I agree that may be extremely hard on a newly married couple. I made the same decision to skip out on the military scholarship just b/c of deployment (I am not engaged or married, but it delays the whole process even more if I am in the middle of a desert ) Best of luck to you.

 

[smq123]

And you cannot base an entire organization that has been around for 35 years off of one pone call experience. You may be correct in assuming your views b/c it is the nat'l govt and they cannot seem to run anything successfully, but other than that you or I have not really experienced what the NHSC is really like (maybe you have? I don't know you).

You're right that you shouldn't base your opinion of an entire organization off of one phone call....but it's been a frequently repeated assessment of the NHSC on SDN.

I would say that "disorganized" is one of the top adjectives that I would use to describe the NHSC. A mistake was made in my ORC this year - it took 3 months to get an answer as to why it was incorrect. It took 8 months to get the correct amount refunded back to me. Part of the reason why it took so long was that I had to go through my school's financial aid office, but 8 months is still far too long.

I had an urgent question that needed to be answered ASAP. It took 2 days for them to return my frantic voice mails in which I specifically said that it was an "emergency," and I needed them to call me back NOW. I still have not had a definitive answer to my question.

One of the leading complaints on SDN among NHSC scholars is how disorganized they are. The person that you talk to on the phone invariably never has the answer, and has to "bump" the question to someone else who they think will know....and then it takes several days for that other person to call you back. It's a slow, inefficient organization that requires a lot of patience and persistence on YOUR part to get things done.

And the banks (or government the way things are going) will own you while you are paying off your debt, albeit in a different way. They cannot determine how I work, and regarding location, I think the NHSC makes it very clear that they could determine where you work. They mention it like 10 times in the application. If someone misses that, well, that's their fault.

I don't think that your analogy is quite the same. While the bank that holds your loan determines your finances to a large extent, they don't "own" you. There is enormous flexibility if you choose not to take the scholarship. You can choose to take a year off of residency if needed (to do extra research, etc.) - something that you cannot do as a scholar. You can switch specialties, something that is strongly discouraged as a scholar. Location is just one of the many things that the NHSC controls.

 

[235750]

And you cannot base an entire organization that has been around for 35 years off of one pone call experience.

I have called the NHSC many times to get the answers to basic questions and I get a different response almost every time. It sounds like smq had/is having some problems with their disorganization too.

BabyKangaroo, your question ("can I do an MPH in medical school?") was a good one, and it is very simple. It is clearly answered by the website (a big 'no'), BUT every time I talk to the NHSC they change their minds and give me another story. 'You can defer for a year', said the conference call, 'nope it would break your contract, you can't do it' said the NHSC rep I talked to a day later, and more recently when I called them directly, 'what is an MPH?'

How can you possibily join an organization so disfunctional? You're right, there are pros and cons to everything in life, but not getting a straight answer to the basics...that's just ridiculous

And the banks (or government the way things are going) will own you while you are paying off your debt, albeit in a different way.

I don't think that your analogy is quite the same. While the bank that holds your loan determines your finances to a large extent, they don't "own" you. There is enormous flexibility if you choose not to take the scholarship. You can choose to take a year off of residency if needed (to do extra research, etc.) - something that you cannot do as a scholar.

took the words out of my mouth.

I made the same decision to skip out on the military scholarship just b/c of deployment

At least the military recruiters are consistent in their answers and will help your spouse with job placement.

Kangaroo, I wish you the best, you seem like good chap with honourable intentions. Good luck my friend

 

[rightfooted]

They promised a transcript of the conference calls would be made available online, but they have not done that. Has anybody found it?

 

[MedStudent2013]

Hi Everyone,

I've been trying to paste my 5th essay into the NHSC pdf. but for some reason they all work except #5. Did anyone else have this problem? Or would someone happen to have the link to the pdf. (in the case that my version is the problem). Thanks so much!

 

[pugha15]

I had the same problem w/ question 5 and ended up copy-and-pasting the application format into a word doc and then inputting my answer.

I have heard mixed opinions about the NHSC as well and am hoping for the best. It seems to be a program with great intentions, it just has the unfortunate mix of the chaos of a government organization and the additional chaos of working with the underserved. Regardless, it fits with my professional goals and financial needs, so I'll keep an optimistic attitude about it.

Best of luck to all applicants!

 

[235750]

They promised a transcript of the conference calls would be made available online, but they have not done that. Has anybody found it?

They said a recording was going to be put up the next day, but I don't see anything on their website, and it's a month after

Good luck to all of you applying

 

[MedStudent2013]

I had the same problem w/ question 5 and ended up copy-and-pasting the application format into a word doc and then inputting my answer.

I have heard mixed opinions about the NHSC as well and am hoping for the best. It seems to be a program with great intentions, it just has the unfortunate mix of the chaos of a government organization and the additional chaos of working with the underserved. Regardless, it fits with my professional goals and financial needs, so I'll keep an optimistic attitude about it.

Best of luck to all applicants!

Thanks Pugha15-- that's what I ended up doing as well.