Overview
Arkansas law authorizes the granting of educational loans and scholarships to medical students (and Alternates) for the purpose of increasing the number of physicians practicing medicine in rural communities in Arkansas. To qualify, you must be in need of financial assistance, a bona fide resident of Arkansas, and agree to repay your loan by practicing full-time Primary Care in a qualifying Rural Community in Arkansas. You do not choose your community until your medical training is complete. Students accepted to medical school and those placed on the alternate list are eligible to apply each year. The application will be posted closer to the deadline each year.
Definitions
Medically Underserved Area
An area reasonably determined by the Board to be medically underserved. Medically underserved means an area determined to have unmet needs for medical services due to factors including/without limitation:
- The ratio of primary care physicians to population
- Infant mortality rate
- Percentage of population below the federal poverty level as of January 2007
- Percentage of resident individuals over age 60
- Percentage of physicians over age 60
- Accessibility within the area to primary care medicine
- Other relevant criteria the Board deems necessary
Qualified Community
A qualified community is one that is less than 20,000 in population and more than 20 miles from a community with more than 20,000 in population.
Primary Care
- Family Medicine
- General Internal Medicine
- General Internal Pediatrics
- General Pediatrics
- General Ob/Gyn
- General Surgery
- Emergency Medicine
- Geriatrics
Attention Rural Practice Participants
You must follow the Rural Practice Curriculum and you are encouraged to join the Rural Medicine Student Leadership Association.