Anyone who has applied to OHSU School of Dentistry DMD program, School of Medicine MD program, School of Nursing DNP programs (Nurse Midwifery, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthesia, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) or Physician Assistant Studies as either an Oregon Resident or qualifies as Oregon Heritage may apply for the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative funding.

Applicants may apply at any time after completing their application to an eligible OHSU academic program. Only those students admitted to a qualified program may be awarded SHOI funding.

Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis based on the specific program’s admission dates.

Students receiving Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative funds will be required to practice in a rural or underserved community, as defined by OHSU, for a number of years equal to the years of support received, plus one. For example, a student receiving two years of funding for the PA program would have a service obligation of three years.

Practice obligation begins within 90 days following degree completion for programs that do not require residency training. Medical students will begin their practice obligation within 90 days following completion of their residency. Pursuing additional fellowship training will generally not be allowed. If you plan to pursue an additional degree as part of your program of study (such as a MPH, etc.) your service commitment will be deferred without penalty, however, funding will not cover the tuition and fees for the additional degree program.

While no specific specialty obligations are required, many job opportunities in underserved communities and locations will be in primary care fields. Highly specialized positions will be limited. In addition, if you chose to work in an urban area, approved sites are limited to primary care. If you chose to work in rural areas, approved practice sites include, but are not limited to, primary care.

Scholars will be able to apply to a variety of eligible underserved sites in both rural and urban settings. An inventory of eligible sites will be maintained by OHSU. Sites will generally be in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Medically Underserved Areas, or have similar designations. These designations change annually, so an accurate inventory of sites is not available at this time. It is the student’s responsibility to apply and secure employment in an OHSU approve service site within 90 days of graduation.

Yes, you may apply to the National Health Service Corp or other obligated scholarship programs in addition to the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative. You may not, however, receive more than one scholarship with a service obligation. In addition, Scholars may not accept other OHSU funding such as the President’s Award or the Swindell Scholarship.

Yes, you may apply for and accept other scholarships and funding that support cost of living expenses, etc. You may not accept more than one scholarship with a service obligation.

No, the admissions committee makes their decision independently of the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative process. The Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative selection is made only after the school’s admissions process is completed.

The number of scholarships varies depending on the amount of funding provided by the state of Oregon.

All funding recipients for the 2023-24 academic year will meet with the selection committee members from their designated program and the Office of Rural Health (who will monitor the service commitment side of the agreement) as a general orientation to OHSU as a Scholar. Students can participate in student sponsored special interest groups at OHSU such as the Rural Health Interest Group which will allow you to be exposed to the landscape of care for rural and underserved communities in Oregon. During clinical rotations, you can work with specific program coordinator to find placements in rural or underserved communities in the areas that you are considering for future practice. The OHSU Office of Rural Health will also be available to discuss workforce needs, make connections with employers and to offer assistance with questions related to the service commitment portion of the award.

If you accept SHOI funding and later decide you do not want to complete the service commitment or you are unable to complete your academic program, you will be required to enter into repayment. All students, including SHOI recipients, have access to Educational Debt Counseling and Financial Management services through OHSU. For more information about satisfying the service commitment see page 4 of the SHOI Brochure. For what to expect once you have breached your service agreement see SHOI Repayment FAQ.