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Health Sciences Service Program (HSSP)
Eligibility
- Fourth year medical students at a West Virginia school of medicine who are entering primary care internships or residency programs in West Virginia, including family medicine, general pediatrics, general internal medicine, combined internal medicine/pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and general psychiatry
- Students who are in the final year of a primary care education program for nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants, or a master's degree nursing program in West Virginia, leading to a career in nursing education
- Students who are in the final year of a graduate program in dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy
- Students who are in the final year of a graduate program in social work on a doctoral program in clinical psychology. Social work students must be training to become Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers. Doctoral clinical psychology students must match with an internship in West Virginia
Practice Sites
- Participants must sign a contract to fulfill service obligation after completing training
- Participants are responsible for locating a practice site
- Penalty for not fulfilling the service obligation is repayment of the award with interest
- Medical, dentistry, nurse midwifery, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, physician assistant, and physical therapy students are required to practice primary care or physical therapy for a minimum of two years in an underserved or rural area of West Virginia
- Social work and clinical psychology participants may practice at primary care sites or additional eligible sites -community mental health centers, state mental hospitals, or veterans' health facilities
- Participants in nursing education must sign a contract to teach for at least two years in a a state approved, accredited undergraduate nursing program in West Virginia
Amount Available
- $30,000 one-time award to fourth year medical students and dental students
- $15,000 one-time award for all other disciplines
Practice obligations may be served concurrently
- Click here to find more information about other obligations that can be served concurrently with HSSP
- Federal law prohibits concurrent service of HSSP obligation with some federal service obligations such as the National Health Service Crops loan repayment program
- For additional information, please contact Laura Boone
Contact Information
Cynthia Persily
Director of Health Sciences Programs
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Blvd E
Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
304-558-0530
JordynReed@wvhepc.edu