1. A physician recruitment program is established, to be administered by the college student aid commission, for the university of osteopathic medicine and health sciences of Des Moines, Iowa. The program shall consist of a forgivable loan program and a tuition scholarship program for students and a loan repayment program for physicians. The commission shall regularly adjust the physician service requirement under each aspect of the program to provide, to the extent possible, an equal financial benefit for each period of service required. From funds appropriated for purposes of the program by the general assembly, the commission shall pay a fee to the university of osteopathic medicine and health sciences for the administration of the program. A portion of the fee shall be paid by the commission to the university based upon the number of physicians recruited under subsection 4.
2. A forgivable loan may be awarded to a resident of Iowa who is enrolled at the university of osteopathic medicine and health sciences if the student agrees to practice in this state for a period of time to be determined by the commission at the time the loan is awarded. Forgivable loans to eligible students shall not become due and interest on the loan shall not accrue until after the student completes a residency program. If the student completes the period of practice established by the commission and agreed to by the student, the loan amount shall be forgiven. The loan amount shall not be forgiven if the osteopathic physician fails to complete the required time period of practice in this state or fails to satisfactorily continue in the university's program of medical education.
3. A student enrolled at the university of osteopathic medicine and health sciences shall be eligible for a tuition scholarship for the student's study at the university. The scholarship shall be for an amount not to exceed the annual tuition at the university. A student who receives a tuition scholarship shall not be eligible for the loan repayment program provided for by this section. A student who receives a tuition scholarship shall agree to practice in an eligible rural community in this state for a period of time to be determined by the commission at the time the scholarship is awarded. The student shall repay the scholarship to the commission if the student fails to practice in a medically underserved rural community in this state for the required period of time.
4. A physician shall be eligible for the physician loan repayment program if the physician agrees to practice in an eligible rural community in this state. The university of osteopathic medicine and health sciences shall recruit and place physicians in rural communities which have agreed to provide additional funds for the physician's loan repayment. The contract for the loan repayment shall stipulate the time period the physician shall practice in an eligible rural community in this state. In addition, the contract shall stipulate that the physician repay any funds paid on the physician's loan by the commission if the physician fails to practice in an eligible rural community in this state for the required period of time. For purposes of this subsection, "eligible rural community" means a medically underserved rural community which agrees to match state funds provided on at least a dollar-for-dollar basis for the loan repayment of a physician who practices in the community.
5. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section.
[C77, 79, 81, § 261.19]
87 Acts, ch 115, § 38; 89 Acts, ch 319, § 46; 90 Acts, ch 1253, § 122; 90 Acts, ch 1272, § 51; 97 Acts, ch 134, §1
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