You are part of the 2026 scholar class, IF:
- You are completing a residency that ends between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026
- You aren’t completing a residency, but your graduation date is between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026
Make a smooth transition from training to practice. Understand your employment deadlines and NHSC-approved site requirements.
How to understand Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores
Site Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score requirements differ by specialty and class year. The end of your training determines your class year (CY) and aligns with the government fiscal year (FY).
How do we calculate HPSA scores?
We follow three steps to calculate the score each year.
How to understand employment deadlines
- Physicians
Must start work within six months of the end of (required) residency - Dentists
Must start work within six (6) months of the end of (optional) residency OR within six (6) months of graduation - Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants
Must start work within six (6) months of the end of (optional) residency OR within six (6) months of graduation
What are the notifications and deadlines for CY 2025 NHSC Scholars?
| When | What Happens? |
|---|---|
| Summer 2025 |
|
| February 1, 2026 |
|
| April 15, 2026 |
|
How to learn site HPSA requirements
Prior to July 1 of each year, we publish the minimum Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score for scholarship participants in the final year of health professions training.
What are HPSA score requirements by class year?
NHSC-approved sites must meet the HPSA score requirements* by class year (CY):
| Discipline | CY 2026 | CY 2025 | CY 2024 | CY 2023 | CY 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Care Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), & Nurse Practitioner (NP) | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 |
| Physician Assistant (PA) | 19 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) | 19 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 10 |
| Dentists (DDS & DMD) | 14 | 3 | 19 | 18 | 20 |
| Psychiatric (MD & DO) | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 |
*Nurse practitioners and physician assistants were not broken out by specialty in this year’s HPSA scoring for mental health.
Note: An NHSC-approved site may no longer be available, or its HPSA score may change, by the time you are ready to serve.
If you interview at a site and submit an official interview request via your My BHW account, we will honor the original HPSA score of the site for up to six (6) months after the date of your interview, even if the site’s HPSA score changes.
We reserve the right to make final decisions on all sites to comply with statutory requirements. Learn more about the CY 2026 HPSA score and how sites may provide additional information.
How to identify where you want to work
- Review the different types of NHSC-approved sites.
- Consider site size, patient population, organizational support, and work schedule options.
- Think about what kind of environment and location best suit you and your family.
- Make a list of your “must haves” vs. “nice to haves.”
- Be flexible and keep an open mind about high-need areas across the country.
- Remember the HPSA score requirement.
How to begin your job search
- Start networking—follow NHSC on LinkedIn.
- Set up a profile; then search the Health Workforce Connector, a database of jobs at NHSC sites.
- Don’t limit your search to only open vacancies.
- You are eligible to compete for all job vacancies in your discipline/specialty.
- Contact the site directly to apply.
- Attend a Virtual Job Fair.
- Contact your state Primary Care Office (PCO) or Primary Care Association (PCA) to learn about open positions, the local community, and sites that may be hiring.
Related resources
Program guidance
- NHSC SP Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 614 KB)
- NHSC Postgraduate Training Bulletin (PDF - 410 KB)
- NHSC SP Award: Tax Implications
- NHSC Scholarship Program Milestones (PDF - 309 KB)
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