The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Demonstration Project, which awards loan repayment to a special group of chiropractors who agree to serve underserved populations in primary care health professional shortage areas throughout the United States, will continue for fiscal year 2005. The deadline is for applications is June 17, and awardees will be named in September.

According to the NHSC web site, a minimum 2-year service commitment is required, and participating chiropractors must be employed by a primary health care site that has an active NHSC clinician on staff who is authorized to prescribe medications. Chiropractors awarded in the loan repayment program will be part of a 3-year trial.

NHSC guidelines listed on its web site state that eligible chiropractors must be citizens or nationals of the United States and must:

•Have a chiropractic degree from a CCE-accredited chiropractic college
•Have successfully passed the entire NBCE exam
•Possess a current unrestricted chiropractic license in the state in which they intend to practice and;
•Be eligible for, or hold, an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service, or be eligible for civilian service in the NHSC and;
•As applicants, be negotiating or have secured employment at an eligible community site, and must not have any other service obligation.

More information is attached or can be found at the NHSC web site at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/demo_project/index.asp or by calling 800-221-9393.