Announcing an Innovative Primary Care Physician Scholarship Program Two of our most important education-related strategic initiatives at the University of Arizona Health Sciences are training students to serve Arizona’s diverse communities – especially the medically under-served communities around the state – and reducing student debt. A new program funded by the State of Arizona that we are launching today – the Primary Care Physician Scholarship Program – will address both of those critical issues simultaneously. The program will provide free tuition to medical students who agree to practice primary care or another critical-access specialty in a federally designated under-served community in Arizona for at least two years after completing their residency. Earlier this year, state legislators approved $8 million in annual funding to address the severe statewide primary care physician shortage and the growing burden of student debt. Arizona needs nearly 600 primary care physicians today, and that number is expected to grow to more than 1,900 by 2030. The new scholarship will remove financial and geographical barriers to education and health care access. Through this single program, we will alleviate a major roadblock that keeps many individuals who have the potential to be great doctors from applying to medical school, and we will begin building a pipeline to place primary care physicians in the Arizona communities where they are needed the most. The University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix will begin providing free tuition to students in the spring semester. Under the new scholarship program’s guidelines, a primary care physician is someone who has completed residency training in one of the following specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, general pediatrics, psychiatry, or obstetrics and gynecology. By being given the opportunity to graduate largely debt-free, we hope more students will pursue primary care as a career. The application process is expected to be competitive, culminating in a pool of scholarship recipients who demonstrate a clear and strong interest in practicing a primary care specialty in a rural or urban under-served area of Arizona. Beginning now, UArizona medical students who are interested can learn more and apply for the scholarship program. Through this bold new initiative, we will be able to meet our goals of graduating students with lower levels of debt and expanding health care delivery to every corner of the state of Arizona. Michael D. Dake, MD Senior Vice President University of Arizona Health Sciences

MS degree in Biomedical Sciences (specialization in Assisted Reproductive Technologies)

My name is Maria Alexandra Marquez and I am the graduate coordinator for the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Master’s Program at Colorado State University. 

Our program is a one-year, non-thesis, coursework-intensive program combined with hands-on training in an IVF/reproductive physiology lab, culminating in a scholarly paper based on a research project or internship. 

The curriculum prepares students for careers in applied reproduction in humans, cattle, or wildlife, especially careers in human or bovine embryology. It is also appropriate for future PhD students and may be appropriate for some students with professional school aspirations. 

Best,

María Alexandra Márquez Lema

Maria.Marquez2@colostate.edu

Research Associate and Graduate Education Coordinator

Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Lab

Colorado State University

November 18^th, 2019

Dear Academic Advisor,

As an advisor for students in human and animal health-related fields, you likely encounter many bright students who desire rewarding careers in these health professions. Assisted Reproduction is a rapidly growing field in which health professionals help those having difficulty conceiving by using techniques such as in vitro fertilization and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection into oocytes. In addition to human assisted reproduction, in recent years, we have seen a surge in the use of assisted reproductive technologies in livestock industries, thereby expanding employment opportunities for students with this specific skill set.

This young industry has a great need for skilled professionals, yet very few programs provide students with training in this new and exciting field. 

Colorado State University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences now offers an Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) graduate degree program, a new but highly respected program that trains students to work in human and animal fertility clinics. This program, implemented in 2013, is the only one of its kind in the country.

Students can complete the program in 11 months, which includes 30 hours of coursework while gaining intensive laboratory training, a strong foundation in reproductive theory, and hands-on experience with bovine oocyte collection, oocyte maturation, in vitro fertilization, embryo development, embryo cryopreservation, and exposure to intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Additionally, students intern for six weeks at a human or animal reproduction facility or a fertility research laboratory.

Located in northern Colorado in the vibrant city of Fort Collins, close to the capital city of Denver as well as Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado State University provides students with a well-rounded and rigorous academic experience that prepares them to accomplish their goals and succeed professionally.

To learn more about our program, please see our brochure or visit Col.st/MS-assisted-repro.

Thank you for your attention and interest. We appreciate the opportunity to have the enclosed materials distributed to students who may have an interest in this health-related field. Please contact us for additional information or if you are interested in receiving additional mailings.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jim Graham                                                                                                                    Dr. Jennifer Barfield

Program Director                                                                                                            Program Co- Director

Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences           Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences