Finding the right job can be tough. The Michigan Center for Rural Health is here to help you find the perfect fit in rural Michigan. Check out the resources below for job openings, loan repayment programs and more!
Health Professional Shortage Areas
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) can be geographic areas, populations, or facilities. These areas have a shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers. Scores are on a scale of 0-25/26; a higher score indicates a greater need of providers within that area or population. Learn more about how the Health Services and Resources Administration scores HPSAs, and use the Workforce Connector to find HPSA facilities that participate in scholarship & loan repayment programs.
How HRSA scores HPSAs Workforce Connector
Loan Repayment Programs
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) supports more than 20,000 primary care medical, dental, and behavioral health providers through scholarships and loan repayment programs. For more than 50 years, they have increased access to quality health care in communities with significant health professional shortages. NHSC offers priority funding to applicants who work at NHSC-approved sites in high-need areas, as defined by a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score.
The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program is available to Registered Nurses (RN) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) working in a public or private eligible Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) OR Nurse Faculty employed at an eligible school of nursing for two years.
Michigan State Loan Repayment Program (MSLRP) assists medical, dental, and mental healthcare providers who continue to demonstrate their commitment to building long-term primary care practices in underserved communities designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). MSLRP will assist those selected by providing up to $300,000 in tax-free funds to repay their educational debt over a period of up to ten years.
The Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program (BHLRP) is a medical education debt repayment program focused on incentivizing behavioral health care providers to practice in underserved areas in Michigan. Eligible providers will receive student loan repayment for providing mental health services in eligible nonprofit, outpatient practice sites, or public school-based systems. The program has a two-year service obligation.
If you’re employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you’ve made the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments, about 10 years, under an accepted income-based repayment plan, and while working full-time for an eligible employer.
3RNet is a national job board that helps healthcare professionals find jobs in rural areas.
Starting exploring opportunities in rural Michigan today!
J1 Visa & Conrad 30 Programs
The J-1, exchange visitors classification, is authorized for those who intend to participate in an approved program to expand their education and training in the United States. J-1 medical doctors may apply for a waiver of the 2-year residence requirement upon completion of the J-1 exchange visitor program.
The Conrad 30 Waiver Program allows each state to recommend up to 30 physicians to receive a waiver of the 2-year home residence requirement in exchange for a commitment of 3-years of service in an underserved area. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) acts as the Interested Governmental Agency (IGA) for the Michigan State Conrad 30 Program and may sponsor up to 30 waiver applications each fiscal year for qualified J-1 Visa physicians.
The application cycle begins on the first business day in September and closes on the first business day of November of any given cycle year. For information regarding the status of available slots after the November application period, please contact Megan Linton at LintonM3@michigan.gov.
Living in Rural Michigan
What is like to live and work in rural Michigan?
The state of Michigan is graced with the riches of unspoiled nature; the world's longest freshwater coastline, lakes that feel like oceans, shimmering beaches, miles of cherry orchards, numerous wineries, glorious sunrises and sunsets, daytime skies of the deepest blue, nighttime skies scattered with stars. From scenic routes on the open road to rugged trails, from the sand-covered to the well-traveled, they all lead us to the beauty of nature and simple pleasures of rural Michigan.
Benefits you may find practicing in a rural community are:
- Full scope of practice
- Opportunity for professional responsibility in the community beyond your clinical practice
- Coworkers are like a second family
- Personal connection to patients
- Loan repayment and other financial incentive opportunities
- Team-based and value-based care initiatives are prevalent in rural practice
- Opportunity for leadership role within your practice
- Elevated status in the community
- Opportunity to expand your clinical expertise
- Greater autonomy