2021 Primary Care Physician Scholarship Recipients
Twelve medical students from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix were accepted into the Primary Care Physician Scholarship Program for the 2021-22 academic year. The class also includes 11 students from the College of Medicine – Tucson.
Now in its third year, the program was established by the Arizona Legislature in 2019 to address the physician shortages in the state. The scholarship covers medical school tuition for students who commit to practice primary care in a rural or urban underserved community in Arizona. Earlier this year, the program expanded its eligibility to students specializing in general surgery.
The scholarship program was developed in partnership with and funded by a portion of $8 million approved by the Arizona Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey in 2019. The scholarships, awarded annually, cover tuition for each recipient and are available to incoming and current students at the Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix.
The funds allow medical students to pursue careers in the traditionally lower-paying primary care practice areas without worrying about how they will repay their medical school debt. Each scholarship recipient agrees to practice medicine in a federally designated underserved community in Arizona for at least two years and up to four years after graduation and residency training.
College of Medicine – Phoenix Recipients
This story originally appeared in U of A Health Sciences Connect.
Photo Credits: UAHS BioCommunications Team
About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
The college has embarked on our strategic plan for 2025 to 2030. Learn more.