JOHNSON CITY — East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine announced that it is one of only nine medical schools in the United States offering a new scholarship aimed at helping veterans realize their dream of a medical education.

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Mission Act of 2018 created several programs to help veterans pay for medical school, including the Veterans Healing Veterans Medical Access and Scholarship Program (VHVMASP). The Mission Act also strengthens the VA’s ability to deliver trusted, easy-to-access, high-quality care at VA facilities.

As one of the nine medical schools selected to offer the VHVMASP, Quillen will award the scholarship to the two highest ranking veterans applying to enter medical school in 2020 and beyond. These two students will receive financial support for tuition, books and equipment, fees, two away rotations at a VA facility during their senior year and a monthly stipend.

An emphasis on helping veterans achieve their medical degree is not new to Quillen College of Medicine. Quillen has the second highest percentage of veterans and military enrolled of any other school except for the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

“Quillen College of Medicine began in 1974 with funds allocated from the VA, and we are located on a VA campus,” said Doug Taylor, associate dean in Quillen’s Office of Admissions and Records. “From the very beginning, we have been committed to veterans, and that dedication and appreciation for them is as strong today as it was then. This is a great opportunity to help veterans achieve their goal of a medical degree, and we are proud to be one of just a few schools that offer it.”

To qualify for the VHVMASP, applicants must apply for and be admitted to the class that is entering medical school in 2020 or beyond, and they must have completed their military service no more than 10 years from the time of application. They cannot receive the GI Bill or Vocational Rehabilitation funding while receiving the VHVMASP.

If chosen, recipients must meet several obligations, including agreeing to complete residency training in a specialty that is applicable to VA and become board-eligible in their specialty. They also must agree to become a full-time clinical provider at a VA facility for at least four years after training.

To learn more about the VHVMASP and Quillen’s commitment to veterans, visit https://www.etsu.edu/com/vetswelcome/welcome.php or call 423-489-2033 for more information.