Medical Student Education

The MSE Program provides grants to public institutions of higher education to expand or support graduate education for medical students preparing to become physicians in the top quintile of states with a projected primary care provider shortage in 20

The purpose of the Medical Student Education (MSE) Program is to provide support to public medical schools in the top quintile of states with a projected primary care physician shortage to expand or support education for medical students preparing to become physicians. This expansion can include funding for direct student supports which help students be successful in medical school, as well as for infrastructure development, maintenance, equipment, and minor renovations or alterations. The program is designed to prepare and encourage medical students in these schools to choose residencies and careers in primary care and serve tribal, rural, and/or medically underserved communities in those states after they complete their residency.

Per statute, funds must be awarded to public institutions of higher education in states in the top quintile of states with a projected primary care physician shortage as determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To determine the eligible states, HRSA used the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projections through 2036, which indicate there are 10 states in the top quintile. Eligible states are Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah.

Beneficiaries include physician training programs that train medical students. Public non-profit colleges of medicine in the states in the top quintile of states with projected shortage of primary care physicians in 2036.

Education of medical students in the awardee schools.

Grants may not be used for new construction or patient services.

This funding opportunity provides support for a 3-year project period. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Recipients draw down funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS), the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards.

Procedures for assessing the technical merit of grant applications have been instituted to provide an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. Critical indicators have been developed for each review criterion to assist the applicant in presenting pertinent information related to that criterion and to provide the reviewer with a standard for evaluation. Competing applications are reviewed by nonfederal reviewers for technical merit recommendations. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria: (1) Purpose and Need; (2) Response to Program Purpose; (3) Impact; (4) Organizational Information, Resources and Capabilities; and (5) Support Requested. See the most recent Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed review criteria.

Notification is made in writing (electronic) by a Notice of Award.

Approximately 120 to 180 days after receipt of applications.

No cost extension requests may be requested at the end of the initial project period.

There is no appeal procedure for applications that are not approved.