Commonwealth Conversations: Public Health

Inspired to a Pursue a Career in Nursing: Another MLRP Success Story

 Posted by Patty Killoran, an intern in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is another in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program. The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.

During college Jennifer Meade wasn’t sure what career she would pursue. It was when she witnessed the personal care and respect given to her sick grandmother by home care nurses that Jennifer decided to become a nurse herself.

“We would go over and visit her, and seeing the nurses and how they interacted with her and how much dignity they treated her with - that really inspired me,” Jennifer remarks. “The close interaction you have with patients and how much of an affect you can really have on their lives,” is what prompted Jennifer to pursue a career in nursing.

Today, Jennifer is a Nurse Practitioner (NP) at Dorchester House Multi-Service Center, a community health center in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston that offers a variety of medical, community, and public health services to low income and immigrant populations there.

At Dorchester House Jennifer works in family medicine, treating pediatric, adult, geriatric and urgent care patients. Once a week Jennifer makes home visits with geriatric patients. “I look forward to these home visits,” she told us, “because the geriatric population is what inspired me to go into nursing in the first place.” The variety of her work keeps Jennifer going, she added, “it keeps each day different. It’s definitely never boring and I’m always learning new things.”

Jennifer, a real people person, was drawn to primary care because it would allow her to develop relationships with patients. “It’s very rewarding in that you get to develop long term relationships with patients,” she said. “You get to develop trusting relationships where they come to you and respect your opinion and want to know what you think. I like the continuity of care, especially now with a big focus on the medical home and patient centered care -- I feel like it’s good to have a home with someone where we can keep tabs on everything.”

Jennifer has learned that providers who work with underserved populations have to have an understanding of the social and economic barriers that impact their patients’ health. "It’s important to focus on the whole patient picture, everything that’s going on in their lives -- support systems, financial concerns, stressors – all of these have a huge impact on patients,” she says. “It’s not like you are just treating their hypertension; you have to put it in the context of what else is going on.” 

Jennifer applied to the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program based on the encouragement of the human resources staff at Dorchester House. In January she learned that her MLRP application had been accepted.

Jennifer believes that the MLRP plays an important role in allowing providers to continue to work in communities, where there are significant health disparities and clinician shortages. “I have a passion for being able to help people," she says, “and loan repayment has helped allow me to not have to make a choice on where I work based only on the salary. I feel like that’s not something that you want to do and that’s not how you want to live. Honestly, waking up in the morning, I’m happy to come to work every day and that makes the big difference.”

For more information on the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, visit our website or the MLRP Facebook page. If you’re interested in applying, please fill out an application.

Caring for the Underserved: One Physician’s Homecoming

Posted by Alexis Donnaruma, an intern in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is the latest in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP). The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.      

Interested in science from a young age, Dr. Marshall Fleurant grew up thinking that one day he’d be a scientist.  But after working in a laboratory – an environment he found a bit isolating – he decided to take his passion for science to the more personal setting of clinical medicine. “I have always been good with people,” Dr. Fleurant says, “and I thought being a doctor would be the perfect combination of people and science.”

Dr. Fleurant enrolled in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, located in the Bronx in New York. During his time there he had the opportunity to provide clinical services to underserved populations – an experience that fostered his interest in the social determinants of health. Further pursuing this interest in social determinants and population health, he received his Master of Public Health (MPH) at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

Dr. Fleurant now works at Boston Medical Center (BMC) where he is a primary care physician and an assistant professor of medicine.  In his role as a physician providing direct care, Dr. Fleurant works in the department of general medicine where he sees adult patients five days a week on an outpatient basis. “I enjoy seeing patients on an outpatient basis,” he says, “where communication is fostered and I can get to know the patients on a personal level.”

Dr. Fleurant also provides follow-up care to immigrants at BMC, where his ability to speak fluently in Haitian-Creole provides a distinct advantage in treating many of his patients.   In not requiring an interpreter, Dr. Fleurant finds that his Haitian-Creole speaking patients are much more comfortable and reveal more information than they might otherwise – allowing Dr. Fleurant to get more detailed patient histories and a richer and more complete understanding of their medical conditions.  Dr. Fleurant describes the experience as “a homecoming, a re-familiarization of the culture.”

There are challenges to working with underserved populations. “Some of these patients have significant social and behavioral issues and social needs that affect health,” he says, “and it can be very hard to disentangle the two.” He believes that in order to be effective, population health requires a multi-pronged approach which addresses these issues – an approach which BMC supports, Dr. Fleurant tells us.

Dr. Fleurant heard about the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP) during his time at HSPH. As he began considering various employment opportunities, he actively considered whether hospitals and health centers qualified for loan repayment programs.  Dr. Fleurant knew that he wanted to provide care for underserved populations, but he could not ignore his mounting student loans. Boston Medical Center qualifies for MLRP – a factor which definitely influenced his decision to accept BMC’s offer of employment.

Dr. Fleurant supports the MLRP because it acknowledges those that want to provide care for underserved populations, and makes that work possible. “Providing care to the underserved is not always easy work,” Dr. Fleurant says, “but the MLRP makes me feel like I have made the right decision; to me it’s another sign that I am in the right place.”

For more information on the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, visit our website or the MLRP Facebook page. If you’re interested in applying, please fill out an application.

 

A Sigh of Relief for One Nurse Practitioner

Posted by Patty Killoran (left) and Alexis Donnaruma, interns in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is another in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP). The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.      

Today we are profiling Julie Bean, a nurse practitioner (NP) at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Framingham (MCIF), the oldest currently operating female correctional institution in Massachusetts.

Together with the other clinicians at MCIF, Julie is responsible for the health care of 600 incarcerated women. Julie is a primary care provider in the ambulatory care clinic at MCIF, where she provides primary care services, treats chronic conditions, and responds to acute and urgent illnesses.

It’s all in a day’s work for Julie and her team. “In the clinic,” she says, “we provide annual physicals, breast and pelvic exams, as well as recurring physical exams and follow-up visits related to chronic issues such as HCV, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or HIV.” In addition to providing routine screenings and disease management, Julie also shares an obstetrician (OB) position with another nurse practitioner.

One challenge – and opportunity – which Julie faces working at a correctional facility is her patients’ lack of medical care prior to incarceration. Most of these patients did not have a primary care provider and so didn’t receive recommended screenings or preventive treatments. Many suffer from a multitude of diseases and co-morbidities. “We are able to really start ‘fresh’ with these women,” Julie told us, “and have the opportunity to provide not only excellent medical care, but also a great deal of health education.”

Although she had never worked with an underserved population prior to her time at MCIF, Julie has enjoyed the past two and a half years at the facility. ”My colleagues help to make what can be difficult work rewarding,” she said.” It’s really a blessing to work with providers who are committed to serving underserved women in this type of setting.”

Julie learned of the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program from another Nurse Practitioner at MCIF, who encouraged Julie to investigate whether she might be eligible. Julie determined that her profession and work site qualified for the MLRP, so she decided to apply —and she hasn’t looked back.

Participation in the loan repayment program has allowed Julie to concentrate on her patients and their unmet health needs. In addition, she no longer has to worry about her student loan debt. As Julie tells us, “the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program has given me a sigh of relief.”

For more information on the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, visit our website or the MLRP Facebook page. If you’re interested in applying, please fill out an application.

The Nuts and Bolts of the MA Loan Repayment Program

Posted by Beth Baker of the DPH Primary Care Office.

The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP) was implemented in 1990 and is administered by the Massachusetts Primary Care Office here at DPH. The program goal is to provide educational loan repayment as an incentive for health professionals to practice in communities where there are significant shortages of health care providers and other barriers to care.

In order to qualify for the MLRP, clinicians must be licensed in one of the thirteen qualifying disciplines; be currently employed (or have a contract to start working within the next 90 days) either full time or part time at a qualifying site; and have outstanding educational loans before submitting an MLRP application. MLRP participants must agree to practice full time (40 hours per week) for two years, or part time (at least 20 hours per week, pro-rated) for 4years at their contracted employment site. More information on each of these facets appears below.

Qualifying Disciplines

At this time the following disciplines qualify for the loan repayment through the MLRP:

• General Practice Dentists (D.D.S. or D.M.D);
• Registered Clinical Dental Hygienists;
• Certified Nurse-Midwives;
• Certified Nurse Practitioners;
• Psychiatric Nurse Specialists;
• Licensed Clinical or Counseling Psychologists;
• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers;
• Licensed Professional Counselors;
• Marriage and Family Therapists;
• Mental Health Counselors;
• Primary Care or Psychiatric Primary Care Physician Assistants;
• Doctors of Osteopathic (DOs) and Allopathic (MDs) Medicine.  

Qualifying Sites

You must also work at a site that has been designated as eligible to participate in the MLRP. Eligible sites are public or private non-profit, located in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), and meet Massachusetts licensing requirements to provide services. There are three types of HPSA designations: mental health, dental, and primary medical care. Clinicians must practice at a qualifying site that is appropriate for their discipline (eg. dental providers work at dental HPSAs, mental health providers work at mental health HPSAs).

Outstanding Educational Loans

Educational loans that qualify for repayment through the MLRP are government or commercial loans for actual costs paid for tuition and reasonable educational and living expenses, related to an applicant’s health profession studies, and can be at the undergraduate and graduate level.  Participants can receive up to $50,000 in loan repayment.  Awards can not exceed the total student loan debt.

Once you have determined that you meet all of the requirements, please complete the MLRP application. Applications are reviewed and awards are made every fall. If there is additional funding, applications will be reviewed for a second time in the spring.

If you have any questions about the loan repayment program, please contact Beth Baker at beth.baker@state.ma.us or 617-624-6049. In the meantime, keep up with the latest happenings with the MLRP on Facebook, and on the MDPH Primary Care Office Home Page.

Making a Positive Contribution Without Worrying About Loan Debt

Posted by Patty Killoran (left) and Alexis Donnaruma, interns in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is another in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP). The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years or four half-time years.      

Meaghan Dupuis works with one of the state’s most underserved populations at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Concord (MCI-Concord), the oldest operating state prison for men in Massachusetts. Meaghan, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, started as a clinician at the facility five years ago. Today she is their mental health director. Meaghan and her clinical team regularly see between 250 and 275 of the 1300 incarcerated men living with mental illnesses at MCI-Concord.  Most of Meaghan’s clients never received adequate preventive or mental health services prior to incarceration.

There’s no such thing as a “typical workday” at the facility, according to Meaghan. “We work on a multitude of processes and procedures,” she says, “from receiving individuals, to re-compensating them, making sure they are back on their medications, providing ongoing treatment, and planning for their release.” Along with seeing a routine case load, clinicians at MCI-Concord work in crisis management and stabilization.

“Working at MCI-Concord can be frustrating and challenging, since this is a very demanding population,” Meaghan says, “but the times that are rewarding outweigh the ones that are frustrating.”

Indeed, for Meaghan it’s these challenges that make her work fulfilling and professionally rewarding.  “A lot of these men and women have had difficult lives from the start and haven’t been given the same opportunities as other people,” she reflected.  Meaghan’s professional development has been enriched and her clinical skills enhanced by having the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of mental illnesses. Over the course of ongoing treatment, Meaghan is able to earn her patients' trust -- allowing them to experience the benefits of therapy and make real, sustainable and positive changes in their lives.

Meaghan feels at home in her field. “Clinicians and social workers enter this field and work with these individuals because they want to help; they want to make change from a grassroots level,” she told us.

Like so many individuals drawn to the helping professions, Meaghan grappled with finding a way to pay for the school loans that would help her achieve her professional goals. A colleague mentioned that she should apply to the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP). She applied and was accepted into the program this past December.

Meaghan reports that she has had a positive experience with the MLRP and has encouraged her colleagues to apply. ”The MLRP  is a great tool to recruit and retain staff,” she told us.

In her own life, participating in the MLRP has helped to relieve the financial burden of school loans, allowing Meaghan to focus on her job and the passion she brings to it without having to worry about taking on a second job.

“It’s a great opportunity to do the work that we do and to help the people that truly, truly need it: the most mentally ill, the most rejected from society, those who others have turned their backs on,” Meaghan says. “This is good work, it needs to be done, and when you have the passion to make change and to really pursue it--while getting school loans repaid in the process--it is such a fully rewarding experience.”

For more information on the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, click here.

Working with Underserved Populations: How the MLRP Helped

 Posted by Patty Killoran, an intern in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is another in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program. The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.      

From a very young age Priya Joshi demonstrated an aptitude and interest in science. Her parents encouraged Priya to pursue and cultivate this interest throughout the early years of her education, expressing their hope that she would eventually choose a career in medicine. Priya told us she knew early on that that’s exactly what she would do. She notes of her parents’ expectations, “it wasn't a hope, but rather a certainty.”

Today, Priya Joshi is a primary care physician at Boston Medical Center (BMC), where she performed her residency. The primary care office occupies two floors of one BMC building, with six different teams all functioning as smaller practices.  These mini-practices allow physicians to accommodate the high volume of patients who need to be seen in a fast-paced environment like BMC. There is no shortage of variety in her work. ”Every day yields a surprise for me,” Priya told us, “meaning I could see anything from a viral infection that requires me to provide a patient with reassurance to diagnosing advanced cancer over a few hours.”  

Early life experiences and her parents’ influence combined to have a significant influence on Priya and her decision to be a physician who works primarily with underserved populations. Priya’s parents ingrained in her the importance of giving back to the less fortunate and community service. “For Thanksgiving, we would often volunteer as a family at a local homeless shelter,” she shares. 

Throughout high school and college, Priya volunteered in urban emergency departments including UMass Medical Center in Worcester and Massachusetts General Hospital. During medical school Priya’s clinical trainings were predominantly at Cook County Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, IL.  In this way, most of her medical experiences have been working for underserved populations and the disenfranchised. Priya attributes these experiences with her decision to pursue a career working with people who face barriers in accessing health services.

Priya finds that there are many rewards and opportunities in working with the patient population she sees. Priya enjoys the variety of clinical conditions she sees in primary care, and appreciates the potential impact she can have on people's health and well-being.  Said Priya, “I try to emphasize the importance of preventing disease with my patients, and I feel that developing a good rapport and trusting relationship is vital to achieving this goal.”   

During her residency at BMC Priya learned about the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP), and she began investigating her eligibility for the program immediately. She knew that she wanted to stay at BMC upon completing her residency, and her eligibility for the loan repayment program played an important part in allowing  that to happen.. As Priya notes, “I'm very grateful to be participating in the MLRP.”

For more information on the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, click here.

Fulfilling Health Careers, Fewer Student Loans: Another MLRP Success Story

 Posted by Anne Barleone (left) and Patty Killoran, interns in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is another in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program. The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.      

Today we’re profiling Dr. Terry Osborne, a practicing psychiatrist in Worcester. In college Terry found that he was drawn to psychiatry because it represented the intersection of three of his interests: psychology, brain, and behavior. Explaining his journey to become a psychiatrist, Terry told us “it was while I was in medical school in Philadelphia that I saw up close how mental illness can affect people’s lives, and I had the patience to truly hear their stories.”

While in his residency Terry discovered that he enjoyed practicing community psychiatry. He found working with underserved populations to be especially fulfilling. During this time he realized that not all people are the same -- they experience a spectrum of mental illnesses.

Currently Terry works at a federally qualified health center (FQHC). FQHC’s are safety net providers such as community health centers, public housing centers, outpatient health programs funded by the Indian Health Service, and programs serving migrants and the homeless. FQHC’s increase access to primary care services in underserved areas.

Terry’s patients come from both urban and suburban communities and have a full range of psychiatric disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.  Many of his patients are not familiar with mental health services, which can make his work challenging. He notes, “many of my patients have never seen a psychiatrist or been on a psychiatric medication.” Terry works closely with his patients’ primary care team to ensure they have the multiple support systems in place that are necessary to successfully treat mental illness.

The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program has significantly reduced the financial burden of Terry’s student loan debt, and the stress that accompanies that kind of mounting debt. “The reality of student debt hits pretty hard after graduation,” Terry noted.

Because he hasn’t had to get a second job to pay off his student loans, Terry is able to spend more time with his family. What’s more, the MLRP affords him the opportunity to work at a lower salary, but with a population and community that he finds personally and professionally rewarding.

To find out more about the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, visit www.mass.gov/dph/primarycare.

Making Careers in Health Possible: Another MA Loan Repayment Program Story

 Posted by Anne Barleone (left) and Patty Killoran, interns in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

This is another in a series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program. The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.      

Today we’re profiling Edith Skelly, a physician assistant (PA) at the Community Health Connections Family Health Center in Fitchburg.

Edith always had a desire to help people and their loved ones. Growing up she watched her father, a minister, provide spiritual and psychological support to people of all walks of life. Like her father, Edith found that she was interested in helping people -- but she wanted to focus on people’s physical health.

Edith’s path to become a physician’s assistant took the scenic route. Fresh out of high school Edith joined Job Corps, a free education program from the federal government that helps young people learn a career. Job Corps provided Edith with the opportunity to earn her certified nursing assistant (CNA) certificate. In the following years, Edith worked in a variety of positions in the fields of health care and social services. All throughout, Edith never forgot her original passion to focus on helping people with their physical health, and soon after she enrolled in the Physician Assistant program at the University of New England.

Edith Skelly, another successful participant in the MA Loan Repayment Program.

Today Edith spends most of her work day at the school based health center (SBHC) at Fitchburg High School. SBHCs offer primary care and behavioral health services to kids at school, helping to eliminate barriers to care and reduce health disparities. Edith finds working with adolescents extremely rewarding. Beyond her clinical work, Edith enjoys opportunities throughout each day to educate students about their health. “I find it rewarding working with the adolescent population because I am establishing the groundwork for them to be their own advocates in obtaining health care,” she told us.

What’s more, students appreciate Edith’s ability to answer any questions or concerns they may have about their health. “The teens feel like they are being listened to. If they have a concern and you can address in it in a way they understand, they are more likely to practice positive health behaviors,” she added.

Edith’s work in healthcare is more than a job, it is her vocation. In her free time Edith serves as an advisor for the Health Occupation Student of America club, a group dedicated to educate and inspire the future healthcare workforce. (You can also learn more about HOSA on their Facebook page.)

The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program has made Edith’s dream of working in a community health center a reality, “It’s a blessing to work in an environment that I love. And it’s a great feeling to not be stressed, knowing that my loans are being paid off.”

To find out more about the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program, visit www.mass.gov/dph/primarycare.

The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program: In Action

 Posted by Anne Barleone (left) and Patty Killoran, interns in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

This is another in series of profiles of health care professionals who have benefited from the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program. The MLRP works to increase access to comprehensive primary care in underserved areas, by providing up to $50,000 towards outstanding educational loans for health professionals who commit to work at an eligible health care organization for two full-time years.      

Today we’re profiling Kate Lufkin, an MLRP alumna who’s a social worker at the South Boston Community Health Center.

Kate planned to continue to medical school and become a physician after she completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology and neuroscience.  After graduation she accepted a job at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) where she worked in a clinic on a research study.

At HSPH she discovered that she loved interacting with patients. She enjoyed learning about her patients’ medical histories; helping them to go through questionnaires; and learning about their eating habits and lifestyles. She realized that what she loved most about her job – getting to know patients in a personal way – she would not be able to do as a physician. She decided to change career paths, and enrolled in a graduate social work program.

By reducing the burden of Kate’s student debt, the MLRP played a significant role in Kate’s decision to work at the South Boston Community Health Center and has allowed her to continue working there.

“Financially, if I did not have the MLRP, I would not have been able to stay here as long as I have,” she said. “It was a huge incentive to stay at the Health Center, 100%.”

Participating in the program has allowed Kate to continue to do work with a community and a population that she finds personally rewarding and professionally fulfilling. Although she completed the MLRP several years ago, she continues to call the community health center her professional home.

Kate works with a diverse population at the center. While the facility serves all South Boston residents, Kate tends to work mostly with low-income, underserved patients. “We serve all across the socio-economic spectrum. Our underserved population is not any different from a normal population going into a doctor’s office. People that come into the office want to make changes in their lives, which is a common theme among people and isn’t necessarily dependent on their socio-economic status.”

Working together, we can ensure that all Massachusetts residents – regardless of where or how they live – have access to health care and health services.  Learn more about the MLRP and find out whether you or someone you know may qualify.

Rewarding Health Careers, Reduced Student Loans

 Posted by Anne Barleone, an intern in the Primary Care Office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Student loans are weighing on the minds of most recent (and not so recent) college graduates. Having just earned my own degree, I know just how daunting student loans can be. You wonder if you’ll ever pay them off!

The good news is that if you’re in the healthcare field, there’s an exciting option that can help with your student loan burden while you pursue a rewarding career. The Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP) provides health professionals with up to $50,000 toward outstanding educational loans as an incentive to work in a community where there is a significant shortage of health care providers or other barriers to care. Since its inception in 1990, the federal and state funded loan repayment program continues to enhance access to primary care across the state and assist organizations in the recruitment and retention of health professionals.

For Jeffrey Madonna, a clinician at a substance abuse outpatient center in Boston, the MLRP has meant the difference between being able to continue to work as a clinician with underserved patients, and having to abandon the field to find different work.

Growing up, many of Jeffrey’s family members worked in the human service field which instilled in him the importance of helping those who are less fortunate. He learned by watching his family that when you lend a hand to disadvantaged people, you are helping to create a better community. Early on he realized that he wanted to work in the mental health field, where he continues to practice today.

In working at an outpatient center there are a variety of complex challenges facing patients (medical issues, homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health). Jeffrey finds his work challenging but very rewarding, and recently he shared with us  what keeps him motivated.

“The appeal is getting to work with a whole range of people with a range of problems who are struggling to survive and improve their situations,” he said. “It’s very moving to me to witness the great effort clients are putting into bettering themselves and the ups and downs they experience along the way.”

I asked Jeffrey if he thought working with underserved populations was the way to go. “For recent graduates, it’s a great learning experience,” he replied, going further to say that everyone who is the metal health or substance abuse field could really benefit from the ‘trench work’ experience that working with underserved populations offers. “Working in the clinical spaces that cater to underserved populations means exposure to complex clinical situations, where patients have a multitude of problems. The benefit to this kind of experience is that it really prepares the practitioner for wherever their career might take them.”

The MLRP has played a significant role in allowing Jeffrey to continue to pursue the career he always wanted, and he appreciates the opportunities MLRP has offered him. “The loan repayment program has made it financially feasible to remain in my current position and to do the work I enjoy doing.” That’s because  clinicians who choose to work with underserved populations are often not paid as highly as someone working in other clinical settings – which is even more of a disadvantage when you’re repaying big student loans. The MLRP allows clinicians to gain personal financial stability while serving communities in need.

Talking to Jeffrey opened my eyes to career opportunities that I hadn’t previously considered. In thinking about what type of career I want to work towards, knowing that an opportunity like the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program is available could mean the difference between doing what I want to do and what I have to do.

Learn more about the MLRP.