The Quillen College of Medicine offers a program designed not only to support students financially but also to aid underserved areas that need primary-care physicians.
The Practice Scholars Program allows hospitals to sponsor medical students throughout school in return for a student’s service after they have completed school. The student also agrees to practice medicine in that hospital’s area for every year they received the scholarship.
“The College of Medicine said, ‘Why don’t we approach hospitals and give them this idea,’ and basically it’s like ‘buy a doc,'” said Ruth Angle, assistant director for the office of financial services.
Hospitals in Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis and the Tri-Cities have committed to provide money for tuition, fees, books, insurance and living expenses.
“Our budget for this past year for an incoming student was a little over $29,000 and about $11,000 was for in-state tuition and fees,” she said. “So the rest covers living expenses.”
The program began in 1994 and there are 33 students and 15 hospitals participating. Unfortu-nately many hospitals have not felt they can make such a long-term commitment and give as much as $120,000 when they won’t have the doctor on shift for several years.
“I’m not sure whether or not the program will survive because the hospitals’ money is not as fluid as it used to be,” she said.
Angle said she has asked students if they feel the program has helped them and most have had positive reactions. However, some students have said that even with the insurance of employment, there is a limit to where they can practice.
“We have considered branching out into the smaller communities, but after having only 16 positive responses from larger hospitals, I don’t see how that will be effective,” she said.
The Practice Scholars Program has been successful over the years for the students but not much can been done about the financial issues, Angle said.
Angle said anyone interested should have an idea of where they would like to go and if that hospital would be interested in the program. She also said that the hospital does not have to be one that is already participating, only one that is willing to support a student.
“Our students seem pretty happy about the program because when they get out of school they don’t have loan debt,” she said. “We’re just finding out if this is going to work for the hospitals and the students. Only time will tell with that.”
Call Angle at 439-6703 for more information about the program.

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