SEQUENCE FOR APPLYING TO THE San Joaquin Valley Medical Scholarship Foundation (SJVMSF).
As of now, the SJVMSF has enough money to pay for one Resident’s 4-year debt of Medical School Tuition, up to $55,000 per year.
To obtain the Scholarship with the SJVMSF follow these steps and considerations.
CONSIDERATIONS
1. Be a Primary Care Resident or Intern in a Primary Care Residency. Show proof of participation in a Primary Care Residency Program. Give name of program, University or Clinic under which the program is sponsored, physical address, Program Director’s name, length of residency (3 or 4 years), current residency year of applicant, and any other significant information.
2. Proof of having lived in one the California Central San Joaquin Valley Counties for at least 5 years prior to college entry.
Eligible Valley Counties are Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Mariposa, Madera, Kings, Tulare, and Kern.
Sacramento and Coastal Counties are not eligible.
3. Present a Resume with history of extracurricular activities in High School, College and Medical School.
4. Have financial needs: Provide a “Statement of Financial Need”. This should have about 3 to 4 paragraphs, the first sharing about yourself and your family; the second explaining how you are paying for your education and your personal expenses (Federal and CA classification of poverty is an income of less than $12,000 per year for one person to $44,000 for a family of 8); and thirdly, describe any unanticipated expenses, shortfalls in your finances, changes in family income etc., that impacts your ability to pay for your educational debt.
5. Committed to become a Primary Care Physician: Family Medicine, Primary Care Pediatrics, Primary Care Obstetrics and Gynecology and Primary Care Internal Medicine.
6. If you speak two or more languages, this would be considered be a bonus.
7. You have a formal loan to pay for your medical tuition with a Bank, Credit Union or Loan Company with well established, standard terms.
NOTE: This scholarship is NOT intended to pay for activities of daily living, such as rent, meals, transportation, and others. It does not pay for books, computers, or other related expenses either.
That is why we encourage the Residents to train in one of the local areas, to minimize the expenses while training.
SEQUENCE
a. Go to the website of the Foundation: www.sjvmedicalscholarship.org and review it,
b. Send an email to foundation@sjvmedicalscholarship.org or letter to the SJVMSF physical address, stating that you have read the information and you are applying for the scholarship, you are in a Primary Care Residency Program, and you qualify based on the information given.
c. Indicate that you or your family have lived within the Central San Joaquin Valley Counties named above for at least 5 years and you will present proof of it once requested.
d. Include a STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL NEEDS, based on the guidelines given above.
e. Indicate your willingness to work in an underserved area once you successfully finish your Residency training. Serving in underserved areas include providing services in small rural towns of less than 55,000 people and who do not have a full-service hospital, or do not have a hospital at all; areas that provide care to populations that have significant % of income level below poverty; provide care to areas where there is a high infant mortality rate; provide care in areas that have fewer doctors than the state average. Mention that you’d be willing to serve in a practice where your patient load includes at least 30% of patients with Medi Cal Insurance once you successfully complete your Residence training.
f. Indicate your willingness to sign a contract.
g. Once the email and or letter with the resume and financial statement have been reviewed and you have been accepted as a candidate, you will be contacted and will be given instructions for the next steps to follow.
FINAL STEPS
7 Undergo an in-person interview with members of the selection Committee.
8. Selection Committee to assess the applicants with a numerical grid/score and will present the top applicants to the BOD for each scholarship available.
9. BOD to select finalist (s) as presented by the selection Committee. The final selection is not appealable
10 Awardee signs contract requiring to continuously work in an underserved area for 36 hours a week for 48 months, starting within a reasonable amount of time after finishing the Residency, and agreeing to assists the San Joaquin Valley Medical Scholarship Foundation in its public relation endeavors. Monetary penalties apply if you do not comply with the terms and conditions of the contract.
The job could be Private Practice (PP), join an already established group, or work for a clinic. Must have at least 30% of patients on Medi Cal. Complete an annual form attesting to it.