Will Doctors Trade 5 Years In Rural Hawaiʻi For Free Med School?

Honolulu Civil Beat

Jun 2, 2026

A new program in Hawaii offers free medical school in exchange for practicing in a rural Hawaiian community for 5 years. Describes the physician shortages in Hawaii and profiles some of the students already participating in the program, which is funded through the state's Rural Health Transformation Program.

Health workforce supply and demand · Loans, loan repayment, and loan forgiveness for health careers · Physicians · Recruitment and retention of health professionals · Rural Health Transformation Program · Hawaii