Tennessee Rural Partnership offers several programs and incentives for clinicians with a desire to practice in a rural or underserved area of Tennessee. Click HERE to view a chart containing Programs and Incentives and the criteria for each. Below see details about additional programs/incentives.

Tennessee Residency Stipend Program

Tennessee Rural Partnership is a non-profit organization that has worked in concert with TennCare to develop an innovative stipend program that rewards physicians who choose to serve in locations where they’re needed most. The idea behind our Stipend Program is refreshingly simple and straightforward:  We offer $25,000 per year to qualifying residents who are selected for the program and who agree to practice full-time Primary Care medicine in one of our target communities.Residents can receive this stipend each year for a maximum of three years. If your residency program extends to four years, we will extend the stipend an extra year, for a total of $100,000. Remember, this is in addition to the income you’ll be earning as a physician. This stipend is supplemental income during residency so you’re free to spend your stipend however you choose.

To apply for the stipend, you must be enrolled in a primary care residency program at one of the following medical schools: East Tennessee State University, Meharry Medical College, The University of Tennessee, or Vanderbilt University.

You decide which target community you’ll practice in, and how many years you sign up for. There is no need to finalize any decisions until the last year of your residency, regardless of when you choose to apply. This gives you plenty of time to visit different locations, weigh your own priorities, and decide what makes sense for you.

SEARCH

SEARCH (Student/Resident Experiences and Rotations in Community Health)

SEARCH stands for Student/resident Experiences And Rotations in Community Health. It is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service to provide health professions students with community-oriented, primary-care rotations in medically underserved areas. The SEARCH Tennessee program is administered by the Tennessee Primary Care Association.

The main goal of the program is to provide opportunities for health professions students and residents to serve in interdisciplinary primary health care teams within underserved communities. The objectives of the SEARCH Tennessee program are to:

• facilitate and strengthen community-academic linkages


• increase the recruitment and the retention of health care professionals in health professional shortage areas in these communities

Tennessee State Loan Repayment Program

For more information on the Tennessee State Loan Repayment Program, click HERE.

National Health Service Corps

Clinicians can receive up to $145,000 in loan repayment for completing a five-year service commitment. The program starts with an initial award of $50,000 for two years of service. Visit the National Health Service Corps site or contact us for more information on this program.