From what I've gathered on the forums, about 2000 people apply for the National Health Services Corps (NHSC) Scholarship each year (app due March 26, 2004), about 1000 get interviews (in May & June), and about 300 or so get scholarships (they don't find out until around September, AFTER you've already chosen a school, which choice can be made/changed no later than July 1). According to page 12 of the newsletter in "spring2001.pdf" (last file, I think) in
this directory, 40% of NHSC Scholars serve in urban sites, and the rest rural. It is pretty rare to see something "suburban" as one of their severely underserved sites. That page also shows that only about half the scholarships go to doctors (MDs and DOs; doesn't matter), while the rest go to other health professionals. That means only 150 or so MD/DO Scholars are chosen each year.
That page in that newsletter also shows that about half the Scholars are white (and about 1/4 Hispanic and 1/4 African American). Since you're Hispanic (according to your mdapplicants.com profile), you'll get extra points, since they consider you more likely to serve Hispanics. (I think all of the underserved urban sites [and lots of the rural ones too] serve populations that are largely composed of URMs.) You also get more points if you come from a disadvantaged background. Another thing that helps you demonstrate your likelihood of committing your career to underserved areas (they are looking for lifers here) is to go to a med school with a strong primary care focus/curriculum (like COMP or any other DO school and some MD schools). I think they also kinda like cheaper ("in-state") schools' tuition more than expensive (private) schools'.
The NHSC website has a
searchable database of the jobs currently open to NHSC Scholars or LRP (Loan Repayment Program) participants. You can get an idea of what kind of sites are available if you
search for FP positions for NHSC Scholars only (Health Professional Shortage Area score of 14+). There you see there are only three positions are currently available in CA, in the cities of Lake Isabella (outside of Bakersfield by the Sequoia National Forest), Calexico (down by Mexicali) and Corning (in NoCal on I-5 b/w Sacramento and Oregon). Of course, though, that is just the current list - it changes constantly depending on communities' needs.
Once you start the scholarship, you don't need to apply anymore for the following years. You can get the NHSC Scholarship for 2, 3 or 4 years, and then you owe that number of years at one of their sites after your primary-care residency (FP, IM, Peds, OB/GYN or Psych). I am set on primary care (most likely FP) for underserved areas (most likely rural), so I am currently applying and seriously hoping for the 4-year NHSC scholarship. If you think you might like to specialize, you would be locking yourself into something you might not like, though.
So anyway, good luck to you Slick and everyone else!
Peace,
Lincoln
