Repayment Plan for Med Students

The future for medical students with large educational debts is not as bleak as “Med Students Seek Cure for Debt” [Nov. 27] portrayed, especially for those future doctors interested in working with the underserved.

It is true that the practice of medicine is becoming much more difficult with many bureaucratic hurdles that interfere with patient care and reimbursement. Further, many young specialist physicians will have trouble finding positions locally as a surplus of many types of specialists exists. This was predicted as early as the 1980s.

But amid this surplus, there exists a shortage of generalists or primary-care physicians, both nationally as well as locally. In spite of some 61,000 active practicing physicians in our state, some 186 rural and inner-city communities, including 18 in L.A. County, affecting more than 4 million Californians, have been federally designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas for primary care.

In response to a growing number of underserved communities, a federal-state loan repayment program, developed by the National Health Service Corps, exists to support young physicians who elect to train in primary care and then practice in one of these areas.

After having selected a site from a list of shortage areas, the physician will not only receive a reasonable salary but also up to $140,000 in loan repayments spread over four years.

In this way they can get their loans reduced substantially while providing health care to an inner-city or rural shortage area. Last year, California used up its entire $1-million allotment in this area. It should be expanded so that all medical students who so desire can enter public service in primary care and do both good and well at the same time.

Dr. PATRICK T. DOWLING

Professor and Chairman

Department of Family Medicine

UCLA School of Medicine

Westwood