“Choose Virginia” Scholarships

The Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (VAFP) Foundation is delighted to announce one new medical student scholarship and one new resident scholarship annually for assistance with education loan repayment.

Many medical students and family medicine residents in Virginia have expressed an interest in staying in Virginia after their graduation to complete a family medicine residency or to practice in a medically underserved area. Over the past two years the VAFP Foundation has received donations to support this effort to keep our own.

Annually the Foundation will offer one graduating Virginia medical student a $1,000 scholarship. The successful candidate will meet the following criteria:

1. Graduating Virginia medical student in good academic standing
2. Entering a Virginia family medicine residency program. A letter from the program director is required.
3. Will have completed the PGY-1 year successfully and be entering into the PGY-2 year at that program. A letter from the program director is required in order to receive the scholarship check for loan repayment at that time.
4. Must submit a 250-500 word letter explaining why he/she wants to practice family medicine in Virginia as a resident and as a family physician.

In addition, the Foundation will offer one $1,500 scholarship for a graduating PGY-3 Virginia family medicine resident who wishes to practice in an underserved area of Virginia. The requirements for this scholarship are as follows:

1. Graduating as a PGY-3 Virginia family medicine resident
2. Have an up-to-date Virginia medical license
3. Practicing family medicine in an underserved medical area after graduation as designated by United States Human Resource Service Administration (HRSA) and/or Virginia Department of Health. A letter verifying this is required.
4. Must submit a 250-500-word letter explaining why they he/she wants to practice in an underserved area of Virginia
5. Practicing at the underserved site for one year. Documentation is necessary to receive the scholarship check for loan repayment after one year of practice in an underserved area.

Application letters may be sent to Mrs. Mary Lindsay White at mlwhite@vafp.org or to Dr. Roger Hofford atrahofford@carilionclinic.org.

The deadline for application letters is May 31, 2016.

If anyone is interested in making tax deductible donation in support or expansion of this effort, or is interested in learning more about the VAFP Foundation, please visit our website at http://www.vafpf.org.