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your thoughts on NHSC? positive and negative?


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I am planning to apply for the NHSC scholarship and decided to do a search on their website today for open PA positions and was surprised to find only 2 in my state and both were only part-time. I know the general idea is that if you cannot find a position in your state, then you should move, but I guess my blind assumption is that there would be a need in my state, especially in urban low-income locations. 

 

Are there any current or past scholars out there that can shed some light on their experiences? In both the job search and in the clinic itself? I am pretty aware of the positive aspects, but what about the negative?

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if you don't find a site, the contract you sign says they can place you in the site of greatest need of their choosing. that means prisons, Appalachia, or Alaska.

most folks find a site. you have 6 months to do so I think.

that being said, it is an awesome way to pay off your loans and I would encourage you to pursue it. several of my classmates did and ended up with great jobs with the public health service that they still hold to this day.

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I was an NHSC scholar and finished my two year "pay back" service in August. I, like 70% of scholars, have remained at my job site even though my "service" is up. It is a wonderful program that allows you to go through school stress free and debt free and to actually enjoy the full benefit of PA salary without paying back huge loans.

 

The "job list" on the NHSC website is only one source of possible jobs so don't feel limited by it. My job wasn't on the list at all. There are several ways to find other possible sites: 1. contact your state's "primary care officer", 2. do a google search for "Federally Qualified Health Centers" and include your state name, 3. when looking at the job list, be sure to also look at the listings for nurse practitioners. The sites have a limit as to how many jobs they can post so they often choose NP or PA but would actually be open to either.

 

As far as the NHSC sending you somewhere, this is a possibility but not a threat. They give you ample time (at least six months as EMED mentioned) to find a job on your own. Throughout the process you will have a consultant help you. If you just can't find a job, they will line up some interviews for you and you may be obligated to take a job outside of your home state.

 

If you are passionate about the underserved and are willing to help where needed, even if it means leaving home, then this is the right thing for you!

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Woodsters, thank you so much for your invaluable input. It's really nice to hear some good advice and a realistic view on the program from someone who has done it. Thanks for taking the time to post...it really meant a lot to me. Answered a lot of my questions!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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There are no guarantees with the loan repayment. My understanding is that you must first graduate, pass the PANCE and get a job at a qualified site. There are more applicants than there are awards to be given so you are taking a risk if you accept a job just for the hope that loan repayment will be received. Also, depending on your timeline, you might work for several months before the application opens and those months are not counted retroactively. In other words, the clock on your payback doesn't start ticking until you've been given the award.

 

So, again, if it's your passion, go for it with the realization that you might be in the position for a while before you receive an award (if ever). And you can apply year after year hoping to get one.

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No, if you get the scholarship it is good for two years. They pay your tuition, give you a monthly stipend and a lump sum for "other reasonable costs" which they calculate. Awards are made in September/October and is retroactive to July. The first money is distributed to your bank account in November and is quite a "chunk" because it is back pay on stipend (to July) as well as the "other reasonable costs". Things might have changed since I received my award so you might get better advice from someone who has more recently gone through the process.

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10% of those who apply for the NHSC scholarship are awarded. For the loan repayment program, the last time I saw stats (late 2012), it was that there are double the number of people applying for repayment as there is funding. The higher the score of your clinic (in the 20s instead of the teens) the more likely you are to be accepted to the loan repayment program.

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Hello everyone!

Thank you for the posts, they have been tremendously helpful!

I am also applying for the NHCS scholarship program.. Before I knew about the program I knew I wanted to work in primary care (family medicine) in underserved communities.. A couple of weeks ago I found out about this program and it seems great !! I really hope I get it but it seems so competitive :-/

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The year I applied there were only 80 awards. The following year there were 300. So, the number changes based on the budget, etc. Med, DO, ARNP, PA and dental students are all competing for the same scholarships. I have never see a break down of how many from each category of students get awards. Good luck!

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The year I applied there were only 80 awards. The following year there were 300. So, the number changes based on the budget, etc. Med, DO, ARNP, PA and dental students are all competing for the same scholarships. I have never see a break down of how many from each category of students get awards. Good luck!

 

Another wrinkle is that NPs can also qualify for the "Nurse Corps Scholarship" (this is just for RNs and NPs), so they are able to apply to both that and the NHSC and be considered 'twice', in a way. Both programs are pretty much identical. However, if an NP student gets one of the awards then they have to cancel their application with the other program.

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How strict are they in the hours you work. The information I read on the NHSC website says you must for 40 hour weeks with 8-hour days, no more than 10-hour days. I would much rather work 10 or 12 hours days and get my hours done in fewer days a week. Do you know if they allow exceptions depending on the schedule of the site you work at?

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Hello all,

 

I'm planning to apply this year and I was wondering about the choice of sites. I know there is an emphasis on rural need, but I'm very much interested in inner-city underserved/minority populations. 

 

Can anyone comment on the availability of such jobs through the NHSC scholarship? If so, which urban areas seemed to have the greatest need? I've been looking at their jobs website, but was hoping to get insight from someone who has been through the process.

 

Thanks!

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  • 1 month later...

There are many inner city sites, ralinina. With the NHSC, underserved does not only apply to rural sites. If you are even thinking of applying for the scholarship, you should employ the online job search tool to see where some of the current sites are. I am 18 months into my two-year commitment and I work in a small city, population over 250,000. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

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  • 10 months later...

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