NHSC Doubling Number of Opportunities for Service, Loan Repayment

New and even seasoned family physicians who are interested in working in a medically underserved area in exchange for reducing or eliminating their medical education loans are urged to apply to the National Health Service Corps, or NHSC.

After an infusion of $200 million as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the NHSC is doubling its field strength, adding as many as 4,000 new members this year.

The NHSC recruits family physicians and other primary care professionals who have completed their training and are licensed to practice. Those accepted into the full-time program start with an initial tax-free award of $50,000 for two years of service at a corps-approved site in a federally designated health professional shortage area.

After the initial commitment, physicians may be able to extend their service to receive additional loan repayments totaling as much as $145,000 during a five-year period.

NHSC clinicians provide primary care services at a variety of sites, including federally supported health centers, rural health clinics, Indian Health Service clinics, public health department clinics, hospital-affiliated primary care practices, managed care networks, prisons, and U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement sites.

The NHSC loan repayment program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Applications for full-time service are being accepted through July 29.