How to Comply with Scholarship Program Requirements

Upon graduation or approved postgraduate training, you must serve one year of full-time clinical practice. You must serve at one or more NHSC-approved sites for each full or partial school year of support you received.

You must serve at least two years and at most four years.

How do you define full-time?

We define full-time as at least 40 hours/week, for a minimum of 45 weeks each service year.

• You must work at least four days each week.
  • You may not work more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period.
• You must provide patient care at least 36 hours each week.
• We won't give you service credit for any hours you work over 40 hours/week.
• There are additional rules by discipline and practice location.

Full-time clinical practice activities

• Clinical-related administrative, management, or other activities
  
  Count no more than four hours toward the minimum 40 hours/week for these activities.
• Teaching activities
  
  Count no more than eight hours toward the minimum 40 hours/week for teaching activities

Note: There are additional full-time clinical practice requirements by discipline. Review them in the application and program guidance.

When you sign the NHSC SP contract, you agree to serve full-time. However, the Secretary of HHS may allow you to serve half-time under the following conditions:

• Your NHSC-approved site agrees in writing that you may serve in a half-time clinical practice.
• You are a federal employee or a private practice assignee.
  • We do not authorize half-time service for PPO practitioners.
• You agree in writing (by signing an addendum to amend your NHSC SP full-time contract) to complete your remaining service commitment through half-time clinical practice for twice as long as your full-time commitment.

Note: If we approve half-time service, we will adjust your end date and allowable leave accordingly. Your minimum service period is four years and your maximum service period is eight years, if you start immediately after completing your training.

How do you define half-time?

We define half-time as 20-39 hours/week, for a minimum of 45 weeks each service year.

• You may compress the minimum 20 hours/week into no fewer than two days/week.
  • No more than 12 hours of work in any 24-hour period.
• You must spend a minimum of 18 hours/week providing patient care.
• You do not receive service credit for any hours you work over the required 20 hours/week.
• Additional rules apply based on discipline and practice location.

Half-time clinical practice activities

• Clinical-related administrative, management, or other activities
  
  Count no more than two hours toward the minimum 20 hours/week for these activities.
• Teaching activities
  
  Count no more than four hours toward the minimum 20 hours/week for teaching activities.

Note: Review the application and program guidance for half-time clinical practice requirements.

How can I serve half-time instead of full-time?

When you sign the NHSC SP contract, you agree to serve full-time. However, the Secretary of HHS may allow you to serve half-time under the following conditions:

• Your NHSC-approved site agrees in writing that you may serve in a half-time clinical practice.
• You are a federal employee or a private practice assignee.
  • We do not authorize half-time service for PPO practitioners.
• You agree in writing (by signing an addendum to amend your NHSC SP full-time contract) to complete your remaining service commitment through half-time clinical practice for twice as long as your full-time commitment.

Note: If we approve half-time service, we will adjust your end date and allowable leave accordingly.