Finalist for HRSA scholarship

[Gurwantk]

Hello, I'm honored to be recognized as a finalist for the HRSA scholarship. Before I make my decision to accept, I'd like to inquire about the current job market outlook for individuals who have chosen to pursue their education with the HRSA scholarship. Any insights you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I am located in the Bay Area and I am considering San Diego as a site to work.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

Congratulations!  The HRSA scholarship is worth a lot of money.  If you accept it, do not start planning on where you want to work after finishing school.  Go to school, get your degree, then apply for work in areas that qualify to fulfill the service requirement.  There is no lack of work in those areas.  San Diego is not one of those areas! 

I am actually from the San Diego area and won a HRSA scholarship for my NP education.  My first job was in Burney, CA, which is literally the middle of nowhere.  It was fantastic experience.  After that, I took a job in the Sacramento area for an FQHC.  It is now too expensive to live in San Diego, so I ended up settling elsewhere in the Central Valley and am very happy.

The whole point of the HRSA scholarship is to get healthcare workers into underserved areas, which are mostly in inner cities, rural areas, and smaller towns and cities.  There are not a lot of places in San Diego, except in the eastern part of the county, that will qualify for this.  Fulfill your service requirement, then you can move to wherever you want.  The financial savings are well worth 2-4 years of working somewhere other than San Diego. 

Frankly, I don't think the San Diego area is worth it anymore, anyway.  Way too expensive and traffic is now horrible.  Yes, the weather is great along the coast, but that is about all.

Best wishes.