Question 1

Will the salary be competitive or reduced for the two-year commitment in an underserved area?

Accepted Answer

All specifics regarding salary amounts will be a negotiation between you and the potential employer. MIDOCs does not get involved in any conversations regarding employment compensation.

Question 2

Where will I be able to practice? What areas of Michigan are considered "underserved" and are "eligible" areas for doctors to work in once graduated?"

Accepted Answer

Of Michigan's 83 counties, 75 have at least partial designation as a primary health professional shortage area (HPSA). To determine if a practice site is in an underserved area, use the tools here https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area. Using the HPSA Find tool, you can filter by specialty. MIDOCs uses the HRSA designations to define "underserved" areas. Specific practice sites within those areas will need to be approved (or "qualified") by MIDOCs prior to selecting a location for your service commitment. Read more about Practice Site requirements here  https://www.michigandocs.org/service-obligation.

Question 3

When will I receive the loan repayment award?"

Accepted Answer

The award is disbursed in 3 installments: 
the first upon receipt of a copy of the Resident’s signed employment contract for their 2-year service in an underserved area of Michigan
the second at the start of the first year of the two-year practice requirement
the third and final upon verified completion of the first-year practice requirement

NOTE: Documentation of loans will be required. The loan repayment award cannot be more than the total outstanding balance of your qualifying loans. Qualifying educational loans must have documentation to establish that they were contemporaneous with the education received. Loan documentation may be verified by contacting lenders/holders and possibly reviewing the applicant’s credit report. You must submit loan documentation to MIDOCs prior to, or within 18 months of, completing residency.

Question 4

Is the loan repayment money distributed to me or directly to my loan provider(s)?

Accepted Answer

The student loan payments are made directly to the resident so that you have the ability to apply it to your loans in the way that you prefer. Some people have more than one loan (they didn’t consolidate or only partially consolidated) with different interest rates, and it would be more advantageous to them to apply the money in different ways. We feel this gives you the biggest benefit of loan repayment. The money may be applied to your loan(s) in a lump sum or you may use the award to make monthly payments.

Question 5

Must I apply the 3 loan repayment disbursements to my loans right away, or can I hold the money and use it to make monthly payments?

Accepted Answer

You may apply the loan repayment award to your loan(s) in a lump sum or use it to make monthly payments.

Question 6

Is the loan repayment award taxable?

Accepted Answer

MIDOCs loan repayment funds are exempt from gross income, employment, state, and local taxes.  Generally, loan reimbursement awards received under a State loan repayment or loan forgiveness program that is intended to provide for the increased availability of health care services in underserved or health professional shortage areas are excluded from wages for FICA, FUTA, and federal income tax withholding purposes. For tax purposes, you may want to keep receipts showing that the money was applied to your loans; you may want to consult your tax adviser on this.

Question 7

Are there specific loans that qualify (vs. non-qualifying loans) relative to the loan repayment award?

Accepted Answer

Qualifying loans include, but may not be limited to, loans incurred through US government, commercial and/or school entities for the purpose of undergraduate and graduate education. See a complete description of qualifying and non-qualifying loans at michigandocs.org/loan-repayment.

Question 8

What documents are required to submit proof of the loan?

Accepted Answer

Based on the type of loan, we will work with you to determine the appropriate satisfactory documentation.

Question 9

Can I apply to other loan repayment programs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but you need to complete your service obligation for MIDOCs directly after residency.  Your service could be concurrent with another program's so long as all the requirements of MIDOCs obligation are met and the other program allows for concurrent service. In meeting those requirements, if you also meet the requirements of another program's service obligation, MIDOCs will allow concurrent service. If both requirements cannot be met concurrently, then the MIDOCs obligation must be met before completing any other service obligation.

Question 10

What if a resident needs to take a leave of absence during the 2-year practice requirement?

Accepted Answer

We will work with  individuals and their employer to accommodate a leave of absence on a case-by-case basis. This is not usually a problem. You would simply suspend your service obligation while on leave, and pick it back up when you return to work.

Question 11

Can a resident pursue fellowship training immediately following their time in residency, delaying their service time?"

Accepted Answer

State law prohibits any sub-specialty training for at least 2 years post-residency. There is an exception for child and adolescent psychiatry fellowships but, they must be integrated with a psychiatry residency training program in a MIDOCs affiliated institution.

Question 12

Can I apply to only one institution’s MIDOCs program?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For example, if you are interested in an Internal Medicine residency program at one institution, you should apply to both their general Internal Medicine residency program as well as their MIDOCs Internal Medicine residency program. When it is time to rank programs in NRMP, you can then can rank both programs, if you wish to.

Question 13

How do I apply for a MIDOCs residency?

Accepted Answer

MIDOCs residents are selected through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) process which opens each fall. Medical students are invited to interview in November and December, and ranking takes place in January. MIDOCs positions are filled through the Main Residency Match which takes place in March and Resident Contracts are signed by July. All MIDOCs residency programs meet ACGME requirements.

Additionally, a candidate must meet criteria of the individual institution and residency program qualifications to be reviewed for possible selection for interview for a MIDOCS residency program position. You may review each individual institution's program here michigandocs.org/residencies.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions