PHOENIX -- Sarah Kellerhals, a second-year medical school student at University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, says she always knew she wanted to be a primary care doctor rather than specializing in a more lucrative area such as cardiology. <\/p>\n
\"My parents were in the medical field; my dad was a physician's assistant and my mom was a nurse, and I just kind of always was interested in medicine,\" Kellerhals said. <\/p>\n
When both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer within six months of each other while she was a pre-med undergraduate student, it only strengthened her passion for the field, she said. <\/p>\n
\"I wanted to know more about it, I wanted to learn more about the human body,\" Kellerhals said. \"I also really enjoyed taking care of them and helping them and I figured that medicine is a great way to continuing caring and helping people.\" <\/p>\n
Arizona doesn't have enough primary care physicians to meet the need in many areas, particularly in rural and underserved parts of the state. According to a study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation that also considered dentists and mental health professionals, only 53 percent of Arizona's primary health care needs are being met. <\/p>\n
To combat the problem, UA medical students held a Primary Care Week recently, offering speakers and events to promote the speciality of primary health care and address reservations students may have about entering the field. <\/p>\n
Kellerhals, who helped organize the event, said primary care isn't a popular choice among students these days, in large part because of lower salaries versus the high cost of attending medical school. <\/p>\n
\"Medical school is getting more and more expensive,\" Kellerhals said. \"I do think that a fear that a lot of medical students have is being able to pay off their loans.\" <\/p>\n
Ana Roscetti, workforce section manager for the Arizona Department of Health Services, said loan-repayment options through the state and federal governments can make primary care more attractive for medical students. <\/p>\n
The National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment Program primary care physicians, dentists and mental health professionals $50,000 in financial assistance annually. In exchange, they must sign a two-year contract with a clinic in an underserved area. Primary care professionals can choose to renew their contracts and receive funding until their student loans are paid in full. <\/p>\n
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Arizona programs aim to move med students toward primary care<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PHOENIX -- Sarah Kellerhals, a second-year medical school student at University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, says she always knew she wanted to be a primary care doctor rather than specializing in a more lucrative area such as cardiology. \"My parents were in the medical field; my dad was a physician's assistant and my mom was a nurse, and I just kind of always was interested in medicine,\" Kellerhals said. Continue reading