Kitchens selected for undergraduate portion of Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program

BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- (09/19/2023) — Carson Kitchens, a Booneville native and senior at the University of Mississippi, was recently selected to take part in the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program (MRPSP). Kitchens is the daughter of Chris Kitchens and Kimi Kitchens of Booneville.

During her time at Northeast, Kitchens served as the president of the Student Government Association (SGA) and was a member of the Northeast Scholar's Bowl Team as well as the Lady Tiger Tennis team where she was named to the second team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Academic teams for having a grade point average between 3.8 and 3.99 on a 4.0 scale.

In addition to her athletic prowess, Kitchens gave the student response at one of the college's commencement ceremonies and was awarded for academic excellence in the Division of Social, Behavioral and Applied Sciences.

Created in 2007, MRPSP identifies college sophomores and juniors who demonstrate the necessary commitment and academic achievement to become competent, well-trained rural primary care physicians in our state. The program offers undergraduate academic enrichment and clinical experience in a rural setting. Upon completion of all medical school admissions requirements, the student can use the scholarship at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine or William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

During medical school, each MRPSP scholar may receive $35,000 per year based on available funding. Consistent legislative support of MRPSP translates to 62 medical students receiving a total of $2,170,000 to support their education this fall. In addition to the legislative support, 3 privately funded scholarships are also awarded from the Madison Charitable Foundation, the Selby and Richard McRae Foundation, and the Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi. Additional benefits include personalized mentoring from practicing rural physicians and academic support.

Upon completion of medical school, MRPSP scholars must enter a residency program in one of five primary care specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, or obstetrics/gynecology. A select number of spots are available for those interested in psychiatry, as well. The MRPSP Scholar must provide four years of service in a clinic-based practice in an approved Mississippi community of 15,000 people or fewer and located more than 20 miles from a medically served area.

The MRPSP provides a means for rural Mississippi students to earn a seat in medical school, receive mentoring during the medical school application process, earn a $140,000 medical school scholarship in return for four years of service and learn the art of healing from practicing rural physicians.

For more information, contact MRPSP Associate Director Steven Carter at 601-815-9022, jscarter@umc.edu or http://mrpsp.umc.edu.

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The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program and the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program were formed in an effort to increase the number of physicians and dentists serving the healthcare needs of Mississippians in rural areas. Housed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, and collaborating with its schools of medicine and dentistry and the College of Osteopathic Medicine at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, the programs use various outreach, mentoring and training methods to identify, support, educate and deploy new generations of health-care workers for Mississippi's underserved populations. To learn more about either program, click here.

Media Attachments

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Individual Portrait of Carson Kitchens (Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program)