MU School of Medicine receives $16M to address rural physician shortage

A federal award will help health care in rural Missouri. 

A federal award of $16 million is going to the University of Missouri School of Medicine to address a shortage of physicians in rural Missouri. 

It will support the Rural Scholars Program that has been working to address the shortage since 1995. 

More than a third of residents live in rural areas and the share of the rural population over the age of 65 is higher than in urban areas. 

In addition to expanding and enhancing the program, the new award will complement additional rural curriculum elements, including scholarships for students interested in rural medicine. 

The $16 million will be divided up over the next four years to address challenges in underserved communities.