School of Medicine

Patrick F. Taylor

Primary Care Scholar Program 

The Patrick F. Taylor Foundation and LSUHSC-SOM Chancellor, Steve Nelson, MD have joined forces to establish a scholar program to help ensure an adequate supply of exemplary physicians who live and practice Primary Care in Louisiana. 

Admissions

Admission to the Primary Care Scholar Program is open to Louisiana residents. Interested students must first apply and be accepted into the School of Medicine before being considered for the Primary Care Scholar Program. All standard admissions criteria and policies apply.

Once accepted into the School of Medicine, applicants will be further evaluated for consideration for the Primary Care Scholar Program.  Up to 2 students will be accepted in each entering class.  Students interested in the Primary Care Scholar Program should complete an application and return it to the Primary Care Programs office at primarycare@lsuhsc.edu.

While the majority of students are accepted into the Primary Care Scholar Program as incoming first year students, students may apply to the program at any point during their first three years of medical school.

Renewal of awarded scholarships is contingent upon evidence of ongoing commitment to primary care and satisfactory academic performance.

If you are interested in joining the Primary Care Scholar Program, please reach out to us at primarycare.@lsuhsc.edu.

Curriculum

• A longitudinal medical school curriculum program for those interested in practicing family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or geriatrics anywhere in Louisiana after training.

• Students choose to participate in unique primary care focused curricular and extracurricular experiences, including all program elements described here: Primary Care Programs Home (lsuhsc.edu)

• Includes a contractual post-training commitment to practice primary care in Louisiana for 15 months for each year that a $25,000 medical school tuition exemption is received. The contract is renewable for up to a maximum of four years.

• Students in the Primary Care Scholar Program are not eligible for the Rural Scholar Track.
  
  
• A signed contract commits the awardee to practice primary care in Louisiana after residency training.  All practice locations are approved by the Primary Care Advisory Committee in order to ensure compliance with the contract, and to ensure awardees fulfill the terms of their post-training practice commitment.  Default on the terms of the contract is subject to a financial penalty.
  
  
• Primary Care Scholars may choose to do their clinical years at the Baton Rouge Branch Campus or the main campus in New Orleans. Baton Rouge students complete all of their third year clerkships in Baton Rouge and may do “away” rotations anywhere during their fourth year, including rotations out of state. New Orleans students enter the clerkship lottery and may preferentially receive assignments in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Bogalusa or Lake Charles if desired.

• Students complete their Family Medicine clerkship at a rural, urban or suburban site, depending on their individual interests within primary care.
  
  
• Primary Care Scholar students are required to maintain contact with the Program throughout medical school, residency and the years of practice for which they are obligated to serve out the terms of their contract.