VA announces new graduate medical education program to help expand health care access to Veterans in underserved communities

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the creation of a new pilot program for graduate medical education designed to help expand health care access for Veterans in rural, tribal, and underserved areas across the country.

As a part of this pilot, VA will fund the salaries and benefits of at least 100 physician residents who will rotate to non-VA health care facilities operated by Indian tribes or tribal organizations, the Indian Health Service, the Department of Defense, and federally-qualified health centers.

“This program will place physician residents in rural and underserved communities across America, where they’re needed most,” said Chief Academic Affiliations Officer, Dr. Marjorie Bowman. “For Veterans in those areas, this program will make it easier to access the health care they need and deserve.”

Under the new program, VA will pay for residents and reimburse for new residency programs — even if they are not stationed in VA facilities. VA will issue a request for proposals in summer 2024 to solicit the interest of academic institutions and programs participating in the pilot. The selected programs will be paired with interested health care facilities to host resident rotations beginning in July 2025.

VA’s Office of Academic Affiliations oversees the training of future health professionals for VA and the nation. Nearly 70% of all U.S. physicians have trained at VA, and more than 118,000 clinicians train at VA each year.

For more information, visit VA’s Office of Academic Affiliations website.