To build ranks of ‘family doctors,’ St. Luke’s offers ‘nearly free’ med school education

To help create more family practice and internal medicine doctors, St. Luke’s University Health Network said it is offering a nearly free medical school education for a select group of students who seek degrees in those specialties.

St. Luke’s announced that it will provide more than $175,000 in tuition assistance for select medical school students who pursue a career in family medicine or general internal medicine and who choose to work at St. Luke’s after graduation.  Family medicine and general internal medicine doctors, who are generally referred to as primary care physicians, are in short supply in the Lehigh Valley and other parts of the nation, the health network said.

With 88.5 million Americans set to reach age 65 by 2050, compared to 40.2 million measured in 2010, the need for primary care physicians and providers will only continue to grow.

Medical school graduates, however, are often burdened with extreme debt, said Joel Rosenfeld, chief academic officer for St. Luke’s and senior associate dean at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

“It’s a huge win for everyone,” Rosenfeld said. “We will be able to help future physicians pursue the career they want, while essentially paying for their medical school costs. In turn, we will be able to grow our physician base and keep these vibrant, young doctors right here, in the Lehigh Valley.”

According to the health network, most medical school students are in their 30s and many are parents by the time they start their careers. The average resident earns $60,000 a year while being saddled with about $200,000 in student debt.

St. Luke’s and Temple recently expanded their 12-year-old education partnership, which split medical school between Bethlehem and Philadelphia. Previously, students could not take first-year classes at the Temple/St. Luke’s Regional Campus and complete their education at Temple. The expansion made Temple/St. Luke’s the only four-year medical school in the Lehigh Valley.

Current students already benefit from reduced tuition because of donors and programs that St. Luke’s offers; however, this new program will cover almost all tuition for participating students.

“We are proud of our relationship with St. Luke’s, which has grown throughout the years,” said Dr. John Daly, interim dean of LKSOM. “This substantial tuition program illustrates their dedication to their students and the community.”

The tuition assistance program is open to all medical students, not just Temple/St. Luke’s students.

To be eligible for the tuition reimbursement, students must be accepted into and complete their primary care residency with St. Luke’s and then commit to employment with St. Luke’s for a period of time as a primary care physician.

Students who do not commit to employment with St. Luke’s are still eligible for a modified level of reimbursement.