Blue Cross to provide physician scholarships

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine will receive a $1 million grant from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield toward increasing the number of primary care physicians in the state.

The grant will create the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Primary Care Scholarship to be given to a junior or senior medical student in the UAMS College of Medicine. Scholarship recipients will be chosen from those planning to pursue post-graduate training in family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics. The students also must intend to practice primary care in Arkansas, preferably in the more rural parts of the state.
 
“The shortage of primary care physicians is at a critical point in this country,” said UAMS Chancellor Dr. Dan Rahn. “Primary care physicians are the first line of defense and the ones who promote preventive care, which in turn builds healthier communities and reduces health care costs. This is truly a noble and visionary gift by Arkansas Blue Cross, and it will greatly benefit Arkansas and the future of health care.”

The state expects as many as 251,000 more people to enter the health care system by 2014 in part due to changing demographics, an aging population and federal health care reform.

“We know changes need to take place in the health care environment in order to provide the quality of care Arkansans deserve,” said Mark White, Arkansas Blue Cross CEO. “Instead of reacting to these changes, we want to be in the forefront, helping to mold the future of health care in Arkansas. We believe that by encouraging medical students today to go into primary care, our members will have the care they need to live healthier lives in the future.”

The scholarship, given in honor of the board of directors of Arkansas Blue Cross, will be awarded each year, beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year. It is estimated that about $40,000 will be available each year for the scholarship, using interest accrued from the grant.

A big reason for the shortage of primary care physicians is the high cost of medical school. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the average medical student ends up $157,944 in debt by graduation.

“It is on the lower end here in Arkansas, but there is still an enormous amount of debt staring most of them in the face when they look toward graduation,” said UAMS College of Medicine Dean Debra Fiser, M.D.

Many medical students, she said, assume that it makes sense to go into a field of study where they can pay off the loans quickly, and that steers them toward specializing and away from primary care.

“Even for students who want to go into primary care, there is a mindset that they would never be able to earn enough to pay off their debt,” she said.