SedRate Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Has anyone who is currently practicing accepted either one of these scholarship opportunities back in PA school? If so, would you mind providing me insight into your experience with either of these organizations? For example, if you accepted the Nat'l Guard, were you deployed? If so, where? How long? If you accepted the NHSC scholarship, did you have to become a Commissioned Officer (as described as a possibility on the NHSC website)? How many areas were you able to choose from? Did you get to practice in your first choice area? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haeriphos Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I am not currently participating in either of these, but I think I can answer your questions anyway. 1. If you accept the Guard scholarship then, based on the current operational tempo, you WILL deploy after graduation at some point. 99% guaranteed. You will be deployed to the area where you're needed (Afghanistan now, who knows in a few years). I believe PA deployments are now 6 months long but that is always subject to change. I think it's 6 months in theater so there's some additional time on each side of that. 2. You seem to be confusing the NHSC (National Health Service Corps) with the USPHS (US Public Health Service). The NHSC Scholarship repayment involves at least two years of full-time service with an NHSC-approved site, some of which are staffed by USPHS officers. If you choose one of these sites then you may have to commission with the USPHS. However, there are also many non-USPHS sites that are available (typically rural and urban community health centers). Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRate Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 Yes, that does help! Thank you for your response. I wasn't quite confusing the two. One of the sections of the NHSC scholarship website said that in order to be eligible, you must be "...eligible to hold an appointment as a Commissioned Officer of the Public Health Service (PHS) or be eligible for a Federal civil service appointment" which I understand to mean that I would possibly have the enlist in the PHS if necessary. The website said that most scholarship recipients were non-Federal employees (~92%) while about 8% were Federal employees, which I believe means that they are Commissioned Officers on the PHS. Whether or not I really am confusing the two is debatable, but I thought I'd ask if any currently practicing PA has taken either route and his/her outlook on his/her choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emfdj Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 You can be a Federal employee and not PHS with the NHSC. I'm a NHSC Loan Repayor (I applied after I finished schooling vs the scholarship that pays a stipend while you're in school). I'm a federal employee working in a penitentiary, but not PHS. I do, however, work with a PA who is both PHS and NHSC. We both got the $50,000 for a two year committment. So you can go either route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRate Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 Thanks for your response! Interesting to hear that you can go either way. I suppose the only difference is that your coworker gets military pay for being PHS? And just to make sure I understand you, did you actually get to choose between PHS and non-PHS, or did it just so happen that you were accepted as non-PHS? Sorry for the lame questions, but I just want to understand what I would potentially be getting myself into. The website sounded as though if they needed you as PHS (for national disasters), you would have to comply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emfdj Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I applied solely to NHSC. I looked into the PHS but found I don't qualify due to age. My PHS coworker has a similar pay scale to me, with slightly different benefits, but not enough to choose one over the other. Sorry I don't have any more information about pHS for you. With the NHSC, as a Scholar you have to choose sites with high scores (did you see the scores on the NHSC Job Oportunities site?). If you can't find one, they will assign you where you are needed. As a NHSC Loan Repayor, I am not limited to the highest scoring sites. But then I take my chances that they will run out of money before I get my loan repayment--they start at the highest scoring sites and go downward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRate Posted January 1, 2011 Author Share Posted January 1, 2011 It is a little concerning that they may run out of money, but I suppose it's a chance you have to take in order to get help with repaying your loans; kind of like the lottery. How does your NHSC job compare to other primary care positions within your area? Have you run into any difficulties because of your loan repayment agreement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eventide Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Also, you may have already seen this, but NHSC loan repayment has just increased to 60K over 2 years from 50K. Indian Health Service is another great loan repayment opportunity, but only pay around 40K over 2 years. I am also going through all the pros and cons of this huge decision. Be sure to read other discussions on this site and others about loan repayment sites and what the work is like. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emfdj Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I looked at the Indian Health Service too. The money isn't as good and most of the positions are VERY remote. Some with the SP miles away which I wouldn't have been comfortable with as a new grad. I've had some bad luck finding a decent placed that qualifies for NHSC--there's a reason some sites have trouble attracting and keeping providers. But that's not to say every site treats providers poorly. Just be careful in the site you choose (just as you should be for any job you're considering). You'll have better luck if you're flexible with where you want to practice. All sites should be offering competitive salaries and benefits. Right now, NHSC has plenty of money, but there are no guarantees for future years. One good thing is that once you're accepted as a Scholar, they have to provide a place for you. And as a Loan Repayor already under contract, I'll be considered for any extensions beyond my two years prior to new Loan Repayors, so my chances of getting money are high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Please forgive my ignorance but I'm curious....If a person gets a NHSC loan repayment ie: the 60K for 2 years...is that a cash payment to you personally or do they request your loan receipts and pay them directly? I am wondering if I pay for incidentals for school on my Visa, will there be a way to get money available through the NHSC to pay off that credit card at the end of PA school? I live, and hope to work, in a rural/underserved area and have found NHSC listings that include my local area. Thanks Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SedRate Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Thanks, Eventide, for your insight and suggestions. I'll be sure to search for other NHSC discussions. I also plan on contacting a customer service rep for NHSC when the time comes. And thanks to you, emfdj, for your continued insight. The only problem with me and the scholarship option is that I'm not sure if I want to specialize in primary care. As of right now, I love primary care and plan to practice it, but who's to say that I won't fall in love with another specialty while in school. I could just do primary care to fulfill my duties, but if my heart is set in another specialty, I don't want to spend the years after graduation in a specialty I don't want to ultimately stay in. Just some more PA school stuff I need to think about :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emfdj Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Sed: I would recommend not applying as a NHSC Scholar if you aren't sure if you want to do Primary Care. You can wait until closer to graduatation and apply to be a NHSC Loan Repayor at that time, if you decide on Primary Care, Peds or Ob. That way you don't have the committment if you want to go into something else. Just Steve: NHSC only pays your unpaid student loans--not credit cards, not loans you have consolidated with anything else or anybody else, or have paid already. If you're going to work in a rural/underserved area anyway, I would suggest you borrow all your expenses as student loans, i.e. Stafford, Grad Plus, whatever. You have to prove you have these loans to the NHSC. Once you've worked 3 months or so, they deposit the $60,000 into your bank account. You decide when and how you're going to pay the loans. You have to prove you put the money towards your loans when/if you apply for additional years. I figure I'll be working for 4 years to pay off all my loans since I borrowed all my tuition and living expenses for my 3 year PA program and knew I was going to apply for NHSC loan repayment. I'll decide once I repay my loans whether I'll stay with Family Practice or go into something else. It's been a great experience working with the underserved and I'm likely to stay with it even after my loans are paid. Something to think about--the $60,000 ($50,000 in the past) is non-taxable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Just Steve: NHSC only pays your unpaid student loans--not credit cards, not loans you have consolidated with anything else or anybody else, or have paid already. If you're going to work in a rural/underserved area anyway, I would suggest you borrow all your expenses as student loans, i.e. Stafford, Grad Plus, whatever. You have to prove you have these loans to the NHSC. Once you've worked 3 months or so, they deposit the $60,000 into your bank account. You decide when and how you're going to pay the loans. You have to prove you put the money towards your loans when/if you apply for additional years. I figure I'll be working for 4 years to pay off all my loans since I borrowed all my tuition and living expenses for my 3 year PA program and knew I was going to apply for NHSC loan repayment. I'll decide once I repay my loans whether I'll stay with Family Practice or go into something else. It's been a great experience working with the underserved and I'm likely to stay with it even after my loans are paid. Something to think about--the $60,000 ($50,000 in the past) is non-taxable! Thanks for the feedback. Is it safe to assume that if my loans are less than 60,000 then the money deposited will be equal to the monies I owe on the loan, no extra. Or does the NHSC expect people to use the honor system and give back what we don't use? I ask as I have submitted my application for a federal grant that was extended to Medex and that could lower my overhead by quite a bit if I am awarded this grant. I am also under the impression that I stand a very good chance of doing my clinical rotations within easy commuting distance of my wife and kids aka: basically less than a 30 mile radius. This too hopefully will keep down my overhead if it all works out. The excitement of acceptance is starting to blur into the reality of how to pay for it. I appreciate the feedback. I have no previous experience with paying for a college education via loans/grants/scholarships. Uncle Sam spotted me some cash back in the day with the GI bill, then Visa floated the rest. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emfdj Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The NHSC will only give you the amount of your loans, if you owe less than $60,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elisor Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Does anyone know, what qualifies a clinic to be part of these NHSC program? My boss was intersted in applying so that her PA's could have some tuition reimbursement. It does serve undeserved community, 75%cash patients, medical or state program insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emfdj Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 The practice has to be in a Health Professional Shortage Area, use a discount fee schedule and accept Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance. They also have to have sound fiscal management and be able to pay for a clinician. Go to http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/communities/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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