Who Can Apply?
- Any physician who is a graduate from an accredited United States medical school OR
- Any physician who is a graduate of an international medical school provided they were an Arkansas resident prior to enrolling in the international medical school AND
- Currently enrolled in a Primary Care residency OR completed training no more than two years prior to applying.
- Any Community in Arkansas that is medically underserved (based on criteria below).
- Physician and Community must apply jointly. Deadline is January 5th of each year.
Benefit:
Total of $80,000.00 ($20,000.00 per year for a 4-year commitment). This money can be used for any purpose (not just student loan debt). $10,000.00 is paid by the community and matched by $10,000.00 from state appropriations (per year)
Definition of Primary Care:
Family Medicine, general Internal Medicine, general Pediatrics, general Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, general Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Geriatrics.
Medically Underserved Area (MUA):
Medically Underserved Area (MUA): Any area with an unmet need for medical services due to factors including:
- Ratio of primary care physicians to population.
- Infant mortality rate.
- Percentage of population with incomes below the federal poverty level.
- Resident individuals 60 and older.
- Physicians 60 and older.
- Accessibility within the area to primary care medicine.
- Other relevant criteria deemed necessary by the Arkansas Rural Practice Board.
Qualified Community
Qualified Community: Any city in Arkansas that: Has less than 20,000 in population. Is at least 20 miles from a city with over 20,000 in population, according to the latest decennial census.
Community Selection:
Choose your community in the last two years of residency or first two years of practice.
Is There a Penalty for Defaulting?
Yes. Please see the contract for details or contact Tammy Henson, Administrator – Arkansas Rural Practice Program.