About the Organization
General Introduction
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The Health Professions Education Foundation improves access to healthcare in underserved areas of California by providing scholarships, loan repayments, and programs to health professional students and graduates. In return for this support, recipients agree to provide direct patient care in a medically underserved area of California for a period of one to four years. Established in 1987, the Foundation is the state's only non-profit foundation statutorily created to encourage persons from underrepresented communities to become health professionals and increase access to health providers in medically underserved areas. Supported by grants, donations, licensing fees, and special funds, the Foundation provides scholarship, loan repayment and programs to students and graduates who agree to practice in California's medically underserved communities. Housed in the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the Foundation's track record of delivering health providers to areas of need has resulted in approximately 5,394 awards totaling more than $47 million to allied health, nursing, mental health and medical students and recent graduates practicing in 56 of California's 58 counties.
Benefits
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The Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program encourages recently licensed physicians to practice in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Primary Care Shortage Areas (PCSAs) in California. The program authorizes a plan for repaying up to $105,000 in educational loans in exchange for full-time service for a minimum of three (3) years. Allopathic and Osteopathic Physicians of all specialties may apply; preference is given to family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology and geriatrics.