I am a National Health Service Corps Scholar and a Physician Assistant (PA)
There are two types of us:
- Those who do loan repayment.
- Those who are part of the scholarship program.
I was one of the lucky ones who had the privilege of being part of the scholarship program. I received a monthly stipend while in PA school to help pay for books, medical supplies, housing, food, etc., and then, as part of my agreement, I was "required" to work in an underserved community for two years.
For me, this was a win-win as I wanted to work in this type of community anyway. The fact that they were going to pay me to do this was just icing on the proverbial cake!
The National Health Service Corps is far more than just a 'way to pay for PA school.' It is a gratifying and rewarding experience!Click To TweetThe Site Match
I was matched with my National Health Service Corps (NHSC) site in 2004.
I won't lie; the search for a practice site was a bit nerve-wracking. At the time of my graduation, I was lucky. The NHSC scores qualifying practice sites with a ranking based on medical need.
In 2004, the need was so great everywhere that they eliminated the requirement that scholars work only in areas with the highest need scores. So, my options were a bit more open, and this may be one reason I am not performing rectal exams at a high-security prison in Nebraska.
I will try to talk about my application, interview, and placement process in upcoming posts.
I applied for the NHSC scholarship twice
As a student at UMDNJ (now Rutgers), we had a three-year program. I applied my first year and unfortunately did not make it to the interview process. The next year, I did and was accepted. This is further proof that the statement: "If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again" should be a law.
Being part of the NHSC for me was a dream come true
FACT: In 2022, 3.1% (vs. 1.9% in 2018) of recently certified PAs indicated they are a National Health Service Corps Scholar or a state or federal loan repayment program participant, which requires practicing in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Area (MUA).
Even before I was in PA school, I had known of the NHSC, and I wanted desperately to be part of an organization whose primary goal was to diminish the gap between those who had great care and those who had great need of care.
Ten years later, I still practice at my original NHSC site in rural California. In many ways, it is my dream job: I have wonderful coworkers, tons of autonomy, and amazing patients.
Four years after my initial placement, we moved away from Greenfield, CA, where the clinic is based, and in order to stay at my current position, I have chosen to commute. With a bit of creative scheduling and a new passion for audiobooks, I have solved the commute "problem," and even after five years on the road, I have learned to value this time in the car.
I finished paying my last college loan 6 years after graduation from PA school. This is something I am proud of. I was saddled with undergraduate debt to the tune of about 20K and some as well from my first year in PA school prior to receiving the NHSC scholarship.
The NHSC, the stipend, and the fact they paid my tuition have freed me from the clutches of student debt. Because of this, I am able to pursue my dreams of providing high-quality health care in an underserved community.
I fear as more students graduate from their respective physician assistant programs saddled with large amounts of student debt, they will be unable to practice the medicine they want and instead seek jobs in specialty practice that pay more money but may not be where their passions truly lie.
If you are on the fence about the NHSC, I would suggest you get off the fence and get with the program 🙂
Interested in other types of loans and PA school repayment options?
Scholarships, Grants, and Loan Repayment Programs for Physician Assistants
It goes without saying that PA school is expensive. PA school is also demanding, which means you will have limited time (if any) to work while attending school. With the average undergraduate education debt prior to PA school at $36,300 and the average anticipated debt load from PA school at $75,000-$124,000, it is important that you.
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Stephen,
The picture being used for UC Davis’ PA Program information is actually UC Berkeley.
Do you have to attend NHSC approved PA schools?
Hi MacKenzie, no, there is no school accreditation for NHSC. You can go to any school, the scholarship is completely separate from the PA program you attend.
Hey Stephen! Inspiring post! I am actually in the same position as you! I currently attend a three-year program as well, and did not find out about my acceptance until after the application cycle for the scholarship was over. I was hoping you could answer a few of my questions. When you received the scholarship your second year, did NHSC go back and pay for the previous year as well? Since Rutgers program was a 3 year, did you still have
“full-time” status credit hours? Like I stated above, my program is a three year program and we take 7-8 credits/semester. Just checking to see if I would be eligible to apply, even though I am not full-time……I take the maximum amount of hours the program allows me to. Could you possible shed some light on this? THANKS!
This is great because my background comes from an underserved community and would like to work in one as my career and give back to the communities I identify with. I don’t want to sound greedy or money hungry, but when applying to these underserved areas, are the salaries lower or less competitive?
It depends on where you work, but I found the salary’s now are very competitive (if not often better) than in more urban populated districts. This certainly wasn’t the case years ago when I was assigned to my NHSC site, but things have really changed for the better for midlevel providers all over the country!
Stephen
Hello! I am almost finished with my application for the NHSC scholarship. My question involves placement if you are accepted into the scholarship program. There are many clinics that rank fairly high on the scale (17-19) in my current area and I have a connection in one specific office. Were you able to apply to the offices you wanted? I had heard that if there are no openings in your area they could send you anywhere but wasn’t sure if you had any guidance to how likely that is. Is it purely based on choosing a clinic above the required score for that year? Or could an office that scores highly still be “off limits”? I know you had a bit of an anomaly the year you were looking but didn’t know if you could lend any advice! Thank you!
Hi Allison,
It is my understanding that as long as the clinic meets the necessary health care need requirements, has a job opening and likes you as an applicant then you will be able to choose this as your practice site. The NHSC has an incentive to place you locally and in a geographical region where you will likely serve beyond the required time, and most people who are near home and family who find a nice work environment will stay beyond the commitment. So you should have no problem. But, NHSC sites come and go so the question will be if the opening and the need level will be the same upon graduation?
Hope that helps, and I wish you the very best of luck!!!
Warmly,
Stephen
Thank you for your help! I have been able to glean a lot of information from your website during my process in applying to/preparing for PA school!
I’m beginning PA school this Fall and am interested in the scholarship and applying when it the application opens in march. You mentioned you would write a follow up on how your placement was chosen. I’ve looked but I couldn’t find it. Did you write that? Or could you share some more on the subject?
Hi Caleb,
You are very right, I never did write a follow-up and I am sorry. Placement is chosen by health care score (based on need) and changes from year to year. When I graduated the minimum score was nine, now it is 14. You can read all about that here: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/currentmembers/studentstoservice/fromtrainingtopractice/index.html
Let me know if you still have questions, I am more than happy to discuss my experience as well by phone, just message me through Facebook if you would like this (the link is in the sidebar)
– Stephen
Hello! When you were accepted the second time, did they pay for the loans you had up to that point? I am going to apply this year and my PA program starts in May 2016. However, the scholarship notification is only sent out in September. Would they pay the loans I had taken out up to that point? If not, when would the scholarship start? Thanks!
Hi Kim,
This is a great question. My wife was working full time as an RN at the University Hospital so I actually used my stipend money to pay off my first year loans – since it was a three year program this worked out quite well. Sometimes loan repayment can be a better deal but you will want to review the NHSC scholarship guidelines and contact them if you have any questions as things are always changing. The latest information can be found here: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/index.html
– Stephen
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for writing such an informative article. I’m actually in the process of preparing for PA school applications! A colleague of mine was awarded this scholarship a few years ago and told me to look into it for 2016. Would you be able to explain what the loan repayment option is? I’d like to know there is a backup option in the case I don’t get selected for the scholarship!
Thanks again,
Briana
In some ways the loan repayment option is better as you will have more flexibility. It is offered by certain health care facilities in rural and underserved areas. You can search a database of clinics here on the NHSC website: https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/
Often times clinics offer loan repayment but do not list is through the NHSC website. They will give you up to $50,000 for 2 years of service. At the end of the two year commitment you will have the option to renew this if you still have loans. You do not get reimbursement while in school, but with loan repayment you have more flexibility in your practice site after graduation.
You can read all about it here https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/
If you have any questions I encourage you to call NHSC directly, they are very informative and can answer any questions you may have: 1-800-221-9393
Cheers,
Stephen
I’m 17 years old turning 18 in August I should have my GED in a few months and be done with high school I want to go to college to be a PA. And I’m just curious on what classes to take when I go to college to get my bachelors please email.
Hi Chris,
Congratulations on obtaining your GED and it’s wonderful to see that you are planning ahead! Here is a post I wrote covering this exact topic, give it a read and let me know if you have any more questions – I am always happy to help: https://www.thepalife.com/prerequisites/
– Stephen
Are there other ways to obtain scholarships for PA school, like graduate school scholarships? Thank you in advance.
Hi Sandy,
I was a National Health Service Corps Scholar. They paid my tuition in full and gave me a $1,000 per month stipend while I was in PA school. Of course, in return, you are required to provide 2 years of service in a designated medically underserved area. There are other government options as well. As far as private scholarships, I am not aware of any off hand, although I am sure some exist. You may be best to contact individual PA schools to where you will be applying and ask them directly. PA school admission directors can be a treasure trove of knowledge. https://www.thepalife.com/how-to-go-to-pa-school-for-free-the-nhsc-and-me/
– Stephen
Thanks for your article! I was accepted to a PA school and will start in September 2014. I am currently filling out the NHSC scholarship application, a decision largely based on your article. Any advice on the essay questions? The questions are one, How will I contribute to the mission of NHSC; two, what experiences have prepared me; and three, discuss my commitment to a career in primary health. Any guidance would be appreciated.
I am interested in this route as well and plan to look into it as soon as I am accepted into a PA program.