If you are interested in pursuing a career in just about any area of medicine, whether it be as a doctor, nurse, chiropractor, therapist, veterinarian or dentist, there is a scholarship or loan program available to you. Medical school is expensive‹very expensive‹so looking for a way to help pay for a portion of your education is definitely worthwhile.

The federal government spends approximately $1.5 billion annually for health professionals¹ training. Some of the money is earmarked for students, and the rest goes to the schools to help offset the high cost of meeting the payroll of the medical training staff. Indirectly, this money does affect the students‹it holds down tuition costs, which would be even higher if the school had to foot the entire payroll bill alone.

Students who apply for these scholarships should show a willingness to practice their professions in what is known as "shortage areas." These are predetermined areas within a specific field of medicine where the quality and availability of care is below the national average. The Department of Health and Human Services favors graduates who have shown a willingness to serve the communities in these "shortage" areas.

Some of the federal, individual and military medical and nursing programs that offer assistance include:

National Health Service Corps Scholarships
Apply through NHSCS, Rockville, MD. This is a competitive, support-for-service program for students of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, arid a limited number of other health-related disciplines. For each year of support, recipients must serve one year in full time clinical practice or in the employment of the National Health Service Corps working in an eligible manpower shortage area. For information write to National Health Services Corps Scholarship Program, Room 17A31, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 2 0657. Or look up their website at: http://www.bphc.hrsa.dhhs.gov or http://www.latech.edu.

Health Education Assistance Loans
in medicine and dentistry, and osteopathic, optometric, pediatric and veterinary medicine (HEAL, Rockville, MID). They provide loans of up to $20,000 per year to a total of $80,000, with up to 25 years for repayment. These loans cannot be used for attending foreign medical institutions.

Indian Health Service Scholarship
Apply through the Indian Health Service (Rockville, MD). Pays all tuition and fees at schools of many health disciplines not included in the NHSCS. Same benefits and obligations as the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, with a minimum of two years in the Indian Health Service of the Health Services Administration or in practice in a shortage area serving an Indian population.

Health Professions Student Loan
Apply through your school. Uncle Sam will repay a good portion of this loan if the student chooses to practice in a shortage area. Covers tuition plus $2,500 per year.

Nursing Student Loan Program
These loans can be applied for through your school and are based on need. Loans up to $2,500 per year with a maximum of $10,000.

Exceptional Need Scholarships
Covers all tuition plus a monthly stipend. Good for one year only, but participants have priority for receiving NHSC Scholarship. Apply through your school.

Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (COSTEP)
This is a work program. Undergraduates must have completed two years course study in a particular rnedical/science related field. Students must return to studies following completion of COSTEP program and serve as an extern in the medical facilities of the Public Health Service during school breaks of from 31 to 120 days. Recipients receive lieutenant's pay during this work period. There is no obligation of future service. Apply through COSTEP, Parklawn Bldg., 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MID 20857.

Other programs:

• Rehabilitation Training. Division of Resource Development, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Washington, DC.
• Traineeships for Advanced Education of Professional Nurses, Division of Nursing, Rockville, MD.
• Traineeships in Graduate Programs of Health Administration. Division of Associated and Dental Health Professions, Rockville, MD.
• Mental Health Research. Grants Management Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, MD.
• Child Welfare Training Grants. Children's Bureau, Washington, D.C.
• Occupational Safety and Health Training Grants. Public Health Service, Rockville, MD.
• Psychiatric Nursing, Mental Health-Psychology, and Mental Health Sociology. National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, MD.
• American Medical Technologists Scholarship Program (Park Ridge, IL.) offers scholarships to high school graduates interested in pursuing medical technology or medical assistance careers.

Individual-based programs funded by private organizations are also available for specific career fields including blood technology, dental assistant, dental hygienist, dental lab technology, nursing, clinical laboratory, chiropractic, surgical technology and several fields of therapy.