SUSPENSION PROVISION Participants may request a suspension of their obligation. A Suspension may be granted for up to 1 year. In order to qualify for a suspension, the participant must document a medical condition or personal situation that makes compliance with the obligation temporarily impossible or an extreme hardship such that enforcement would be against equity and good conscience. Examples would be the terminal illness of an immediate family member for whom the participant is caretaker or extended maternity leave due to medical complications.
DEFAULT PROVISION Participants who fail to begin or complete their service obligation or otherwise breach the terms and conditions of the obligation are in default of their contracts and are subject to the financial consequences outlined in their contracts.
Given the ongoing need for physicians in underserved portions of South Carolina, this loan forgiveness program will be awarded to physician assistant students who commit to practice in a primary care or critical need specialties in rural South Carolina.
Loan forgiveness award recipients will agree to practice in a primary care or a critical need specialty within a rural area of South Carolina upon program completion. Term of service will be for a minimum of three (3) years for physician assistant. Priily medicine, primary care internal medicine, primary care pediatrics, primary care internal medicine/pediatrics. Critical need specialties are defined as obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and general surgery.
The SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare will designate approved practice locations. Factors considered in assigning approved practice sites will include county population density, underserved areas as defined by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, healthcare provider density, chronic disease burden and other community health factors.
This program functions as a forgivable student loan payable to the institution
Loan forgiveness recipients will be expected to sign a commitment agreement, which further defines the expectations and requirements related to acceptance of this award. As part of the commitment agreement, recipients will sign a promissory note for the value of the loan received. To verify program adherence, annual attestations will be required during PA graduate school and the practice commitment term.
Recipients agree to pay back any loan funds received, plus interest and penalties, if they choose a practice specialty other than those specified above or do not practice in an approved site in South Carolina for the entire commitment time
The SC https://getbadcreditloan.com/payday-loans-ar/eldorado/ Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare is partnered with the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation in order to administrate the program and facilitate the necessary follow-up with each of participating student.
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Open to all applicants regardless of residency since obligation to practice in South Carolina is stipulated in the agreement
- Be eligible to obtain appropriate professional licensure in South Carolina
- Enrollment in accredited, state affiliated health professions school located in South Carolina
- Maintaining good academic and professional standing in health professions programs. Students on academic or professional probation/remediation will be reviewed by the program and may lose the ability to participate.
- Commitment to practice in approved priily Medicine, General Pediatrics, General Internal Medicine, General Internal Medicine/Pediatrics (or critical need specialties: Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Psychiatry, General Surgery)
- Preference will be given to students from underserved/rural areas and/or those who are minorities underrepresented in medicine.
- Preference will also be given to South Carolina residents.
- The applicant will not have another current service obligations to the Federal Government (e.g., National Health Service Corps, Military Service Obligations), or a State, or another entity prior to the beginning the program. The applicant will not have defaulted on any previous service obligations to the Federal Government or State of South Carolina.