FAQ
For questions frequently asked of the SMEB, select one of the following topics:
Country Doctor Scholarship Program
Georgia Medical Fair
Loan Repayment for Physicians
Loan Repayment for Dentists
Country Doctor Scholarship Program
Q: Who is eligible to apply?
-Residents of the state of Georgia and U.S. Citizens
-Students attending a four-year U.S. medical school accredited by the Liaison Committe on Medical Accreditation (LCME) offering the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree or an accredited medical school offering the Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.)degree.
-Students interested in rural practice and medical specialties conducive to practice in rural Georgia.
Q: Do I have to be accepted to medical school to apply?
No. Applicants may apply pending acceptance to medical school. Applications for those students who have not been accepted to medical school by the application deadline will not be presented to the State Medical Education Board for consideration.
Q: What if I withdraw from medical school?
A number of circumstances may require you to withdraw from medical school. Should you need to do this, a number of options are available to you, including:
- Repay the principal received plus interest calculated at the rate stated in your contract; or
- Re-enroll in an accredited U.S. medical school within one year and continue participation in the scholarship program as provided in your contract (s).
Q: What if I decide not to re-apply for the scholarship during any year of medical school?
Students are eligible to receive scholarship support for up to four years. However, students are not required to seek support every year if they do not want to. If a scholarship recipient chooses not to re-apply for funding after signing one or more contracts, he/she may relinquish the scholarship by notifying SMEB in writing. He/she will be responsible for keeping the SMEB updated on a yearly basis of contact information and training progression as he/she is still obligated to the SMEB for practice immediately after residency for the same number of years the scholarship was received. If he/she prefers to repay the obligation, repayment can be made while still in medical school at the rate of principal plus interest.
Q:Will I be assigned to a practice location when I complete my residency training?
No. It is the responsibility of each program beneficiary to locate a practice that is consistent with the SMEB's practice requirements. Once an appropriate practice location has been identified it is the responsibility of the physician to inform the SMEB and secure approval of this location.
Q:What happens if I have a practice location in mind when I apply and the population increases beyond 35,000 people while I am in training?
The contracts all beneficiaries must sign to receive funds from the SMEB, indicate which decennial census applies when identifying their practice location. For example, if you entered into an agreement with the SMEB in the 1990s, the 1990 census applies. This essentially prevents population growth from eliminating communities in which a future physician may have interest in practicing in future years.
Georgia Medical Fair
Physicians, Dentists and Students
Q: Where can I obtain registration forms?
When available, Medical Fair registration forms can be found on the web under the Medical Fair link. Forms can also be obtained by contacting the State Medical Education Board (SMEB) at 404.206.5420 or SMEB@dch.ga.gov.
Q: What is the fee for registering for the Medical Fair and when is the deadline?
Fees for the Medical Fair are as follows:
Practicing Physician $75.00
Dentist $75.00
Resident $50.00
Student $25.00 (Dental and Medical)
In order to guarantee discounted room rates and maximum reimbursement amounts, you MUST register by the registration deadline and have your room reserved by this time. After the deadline, reimbursement is on a first come, first served basis and you are not guaranteed the discounted room rate at the hotel. In addition, if you register after the deadline , we cannot guarantee that your information will be included in the packets provided to the communities in attendance. Registration IS ALLOWED after the deadline, however the above information applies. The deadline for registration and discounted room rates is August 26, 2009.
Q: How does reimbursement work for travel and lodging expenses?
All registered providers are eligible for travel reimbursement and lodging reimbursement at the discounted room rate. Physicians and dentists are reimbursed up to two nights' lodging. Students are reimbursed for one night's lodging. All registrants must be travelling from distances greater than 50 miles to be eligible for reimbursement. For reimbursement for Saturday night, registrants must be traveling from greater than 300 miles.
You must reserve your own room and arrange your own travel expenses and you will be reimbursed after the Fair. Providers MUST check-in at the Medical Fair Registration Desk to receive materials and be counted as in attendance. Reimbursement forms are given to providers at the end of the Medical Fair once an evaluation form has been completed and returned to the registration desk. As reimbursement has to be processed through the State Medical Education Board's fiscal office, reimbursement can take up to several weeks. Note: Only registered providers are reimbursed. Providers who attend as a guest of a registered provider are not eligible for reimbursement, nor are guests and spouses.
Q: What communities will be attending the 2009 Medical Fair?
Up to 35 rural Georgia communities will be in attendance. Participants will receive information on registered communities upon check-in at the event. If you have a particular community in mind that you would like to see at the Fair, feel free to encourage them to register or contact SMEB to see if they are eligible to attend. Any community located in a county of 35,000 or less population is eligible to attend the fair to recruit.
Q: Why should Medical Students attend the fair if they are not actively seeking a job?
Many of the communities who attend the Medical Fair have been attending for years and use the Medical Fair as part of central recruitment efforts. By attending the Fair as a student, you position yourself to develop relationships with community representatives for the time when you are job hunting. Additionally, many communities may be able to speak to a need they may have in the future which may coincide with the end of your training. The same applies for residents who are in the early years of training. SMEB Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to meet with communities who qualify for repayment of their service obligation.
Q: As a dental student or dentist, can I expect to find a job at the 2009 Medical Fair?
We are delighted that dentists are included in the Medical Fair for the fourth consecutive year. It is important to realize that many of the communities have attended the Fair for the sole purpose of recruiting physicians for many years. It may take some time for them to accommodate the addition of another health field, but the SMEB is making every effort to inform and educate the communities of the importance of utilizing the Medical Fair to recruit dentists to their community. We know dentists are needed in rural Georgia!
Communities
Q: What is the community registration fee for the Medical Fair?
The early registration fee for communities is $500.00 and the deadline for early registration is July 1, 2009. After July 1, 2009, the community registration fee is $600.00.
Q: How many community representatives are included under the registration fee?
With the initial registration fee, four community representatives can attend the Fair. The fee for additional representatives is $80.00/representative. We ask that you limit representatives in your booth to four at a time, due to space restrictions.
Q: How are booth spaces assigned?
Booth spaces are reserved on a first come, first served basis. A booth space diagram is included in your registration packet. You can request three specific choices. Booth spaces cannot be reserved until registration forms have been received by SMEB. Ultimately, the SMEB approves booth space and communities that register later will have fewer options.
Q: How do I know if my community is eligible to attend the Medical Fair?
All communities in a county of less than 35,000 population are eligible to attend. Registration packets were mailed or emailed to the hospital or community health center of many communities who are eligible. If you are unsure if your community is eligible or will be represented at the Fair, contact Kim Jackson at the State Medical Education Board (SMEB).
Q: Is the community hospital the only representative body for a community at the Medical Fair?
We encourage communities to bring ambassadors from all aspects of the community to represent the community as a whole to physicians and dentists. If you are interested in attending, contact your local hospital administrator or recruitment individual regarding their involvement in the Fair. You can also contact SMEB to find out who the Medical Fair contact person is for your community.
Q: Where can I obtain a Community Registration Packet for the 2009 Medical Fair?
For community registration materials, contact Kim Jackson at the SMEB Office. All information pertaining to the Medical Fair can be found at www.smeb.georgia.gov. Also located here are links to the Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel-this year's location. Registration information can also be obtained by contacting the SMEB office at 404.206.5420 or SMEB@dch.ga.gov.
Q: Is there a cancellation policy after registration has been received?
Because work on certain aspects of the Medical Fair is done weeks and sometimes months in advance, it is important that communities who register and find themselves unable to attend notify SMEB as soon as possible. Communities who notify the SMEB in writing of cancellation of registration within 30 days before the event will be refunded all but $75.00 of your registration payment. Within 30 days of the beginning of the Medical Fair, there will be no refund for cancellation unless another party is available to fill the vacant exhibit spot. If another exhibitor is available to fill the vacant spot, all but $25.00 will be refunded.
Q: Will I be able to contact providers prior to the Fair?
SMEB will send you copies of profiles as providers register. Based on the timing of registration, we will make great efforts to give you time to contact these individuals prior to meeting them at the Fair.
Q: Why do I need to know the dental needs for my community prior to attending the Fair?
2009 will be the fifth consecutive year dentists and dental students are invited to attend the Medical Fair. Dental care is a vitally important and scarce health care service in rural Georgia. By finding out your community's oral health needs prior to the Fair you will be able to inform those dental providers who are in attendance of the shortage in your community. If you are not comfortable recruiting for dental needs in your community, bring a representative who will be able to do so.
Loan Repayment for Physicians
Q: What is the Physicians for Rural Areas Assistance Program (PRAA)?
The PRAA offers up to $25,000 per year in repayment of existing medical education debt to physicians.
- Physicians must practice in a board approved county with 35,000 or fewer residents, according to the 2000 US Census.
- Physicians who fail to complete their obligations to the state are required to pay two times the amount of unpaid principal that has not been repaid through service.
- Additionally, recipients of State Medical Education Board Scholarships are eligible to participate with extended service commitment.
Q: Who is eligible to apply?
-Physicians in their final year of residency who have secured a practice opportunity in a qualifying location or physicians who are currently in practice in a qualifying rural Georgia county
-U.S. Citizens
-Physicians who graduated from an accredited medical school in the United States
-PHysicians who have outstanding medical education debt
Q. What is the Dentists for Rural Areas Assistance Program (DRAA)?
The DRAA is the loan repayment program designed for dentists. It is identical to the PRAA only it is provided to dentists who are seeking assistance with their dental education debt. DRAA offers up to $25,000 per year in repayment of existing dental education debt.
- Dentists must practice in a board approved county with 35,000 or fewer residents, according to the 2000 US Census.
- Dentists who fail to complete their obligations to the state are required to pay two times the amount of unpaid principal that has not been repaid through service.