The federal government is making good on a 2011 budget promise to offer an incentive for medical professionals willing to work in small town and rural Canada for at least five years.
Effective this week, Ottawa is accepting applications for some student loan forgiveness from family doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and family medicine residents who moved to rural locations after completing their studies.
Family doctors and family medicine residents are eligible for up to $8,000 annually for five years in federal student loan forgiveness. Nurses and nurse practitioners are eligible for up to $4,000 annually for five years.
Read Also
Draft ‘MAHA’ commission report avoids pesticide crackdown feared by farm groups
The White House will not impose new guardrails on the farm industry’s use of pesticides as part of a strategy to address children’s health outcomes, according to a draft obtained by Reuters of a widely anticipated report from President Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ commission.
The provincial portion of student debt is not included in the program, although some provinces have a similar debt forgiveness program.
There are residency rules for eligibility in the federal program, including at least 12-months residency in an eligible community of less than 50,000 outside a capital city and having provided at least 400 hours of service.
More than 4,200 rural and small town communities are eligible.
In the 2011 budget, finance minister Jim Flaherty said the $9 million annual federal commitment was an attempt to attract medical professionals to under-served rural and small city locations.
This week, human resources and skills development minister Diane Finley, who represents a rural southwestern Ontario riding, said the launch of the program is part of the government’s commitment to rural Canada.
“By offering Canada Student Loan forgiveness, we’re doing our part to encourage health care professionals to serve Canadians in rural and remote communities where they are needed to improve access to primary care,” she said in a statement.
Federal officials say stretching the loan forgiveness program over five years is an attempt to keep health professionals in rural communities.
Over five years, the benefit on accumulated student debt for beginning doctors could be $40,000 and for nurses $20,000.
