Medical Students Working in Rural Areas Get Student Loan Forgiveness

Starting in spring 2013, family doctors and residents in family medicine will be eligible to receive up to $8,000 per year in loan forgiveness.

Earlier this week, The Government of Canada announced that qualified family doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners will have a portion of their Canada Student Loan forgiven, if they work in rural communities.

“Our Government is committed to strengthening primary health care services in rural communities,” said Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Kellie Leitch on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health.

“Today’s announcement will not only alleviate the high cost of education and training for many Canadians in this field, but will also encourage more health care professionals to work in the communities that need them most.”

Starting in spring 2013, family doctors and residents in family medicine will be eligible to receive up to $8,000 per year in forgiveness to a maximum of $40,000 over five years. At the same time, nurses and nurse practitioners will be eligible to receive up to $4,000 per year to a maximum of $20,000 over five years.

This applies to medical professionals working in most communities with a population of 50,000 or less, including communities that provide health services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations.

“Our Government’s investment will help to attract more medical professionals to our smaller communities and improve access to health care services for people who live beyond large urban areas,” said Minister Aglukkaq.