$1.2 Million Grant Supplements Rural Scholars Program

The University of Missouri School of Medicine’s Rural Scholars Program, dedicated to addressing the shortage of physicians in rural Missouri, has received a supplemental federal grant of nearly $1.2 million to provide additional financial support to its students.

The program encourages students interested in rural medicine to experience the rewards and realities of practicing in these communities. Physicians who train in rural areas tend to also practice there, providing a pipeline of care to areas that need it most.

“The Rural Scholars Program shows Mizzou’s commitment to advancing rural health care,” said Whitney LeFevre, medical director of the program. “Care should not be dependent on where you live. As physicians, we have a responsibility to treat and care for our community as best as we can. Our goal is to fulfill this promise while giving students quality, meaningful education.”

The funds from HRSA, or the Health Resources and Services Administration, will add to the initial grant from 2023 that provides $16 million – $4 million per year until 2027 – to the Rural Scholars Program. So far, students have received over $4 million in scholarship funds.

While a majority of the new grant will go toward scholarships for participating students, some of the funding will support curriculum development and new technology for the Sheldon Clinical Simulation Center.

“This grant will enable and hopefully encourage more students to pursue rural medicine,” LeFevre said. “People living in rural areas have, on average, a higher rate of chronic disease with less access to health care than urban populations. Being able to fulfill these patients’ needs means we’re making a tangible difference in their lives.”

Whitney LeFevre, MD is an associate professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Mizzou School of Medicine and a family medicine doctor at MU Health Care. She is also the Assistant Dean of Rural Health. The HRSA grant will provide $1.175 million.