$15,000 Scholarships Aim to Keep Medical Specialists in Southern Puerto Rico

Two foundations launch a scholarship program to keep medical students practicing in southern and central Puerto Rico communities, where a specialist shortage has been hurting thousands of families for years.

The Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud (FFS) and the Go-Go Foundation announced a strategic alliance this week to grant scholarships of approximately $15,000 to medical specialty students at the University of Puerto Rico's Medical Sciences Campus ¹. The goal is straightforward: these professionals must commit to practicing in the island's southern and central region for a minimum of three years after completing their specialty ².

The first recipient is Dr. Andrea Rodríguez Rolón, who is pursuing a specialty in pediatric dentistry — a field where the shortage of professionals outside the metro area is critical ¹. The scholarship covers tuition, transportation, professional board exams, and specialized instruments that would otherwise represent a significant financial barrier to completing training ².

A Problem Years in the Making

Puerto Rico has lost more than 5,000 physicians since 2006, according to data from the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The exodus is concentrated in specialties requiring expensive equipment and additional years of study. In the south, municipalities like Ponce, Guayama, and Juana Díaz face a reality where families travel an hour or more to San Juan to get appointments with pediatric specialists ¹.

The Go-Go Foundation, which operates the Gogo Pediatric Institute, serves approximately 18,000 patients per year through its multidisciplinary clinic, emergency room, and pediatric subspecialties clinic ³. But demand continues to outpace capacity, especially in pediatric dentistry, where a single specialist can have a months-long waiting list.

"Investing in healthcare professional training is also a way of transforming lives," said Edna Marín, FFS executive director ¹. "We can't keep training specialists who leave for the United States after graduating because they can't find support to establish themselves here."

Go-Go Foundation President Ulises Clavell was emphatic: "No child should go without specialized care because of where they live or their family's economic situation" ².

More Than Money: The Program That Cuts Through Red Tape

One of the alliance's most innovative components is FFS's Physician Navigator Program. This program assists recipients with licensing procedures, hospital credentialing, insurance company contracting, and coordination to establish practice in the region ¹. These bureaucratic obstacles are precisely what delay — sometimes by months or years — new specialists' integration into the local healthcare system.

Dr. Rodríguez Rolón described the impact: "This scholarship meant more than financial support. It gave me the structure to complete my training and return to serve southern Puerto Rico, which is where I'm from" ².

What This Means for You

If you live in southern or central Puerto Rico and have had to travel to the metro area to take your kids to a pediatric dentist — or worse, have postponed appointments because none are available — this type of initiative directly attacks that problem. Every specialist retained in the region means fewer trips, less waiting, and better access to preventive care that avoids costlier emergencies down the road.

For medical students, it's a concrete opportunity to fund their specialty without the pressure of leaving the island for better pay.

How to Take Action / Checklist

1. If you're a medical student at UPR's Medical Sciences Campus and interested in applying, contact the Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud directly through their website or social media to ask about the next round of scholarships.
2. If you're a recently graduated health professional, ask about the Physician Navigator Program — they help with licenses, credentials, and insurance contracts, free of charge.
3. If you have children and live in the south, check if the Gogo Pediatric Institute in your area has availability — they serve 18,000 patients per year and offer pediatric subspecialties.
4. If you know someone in medicine who is thinking about leaving PR, share this story — there are real support options for staying.
5. Contact your municipal and state legislators to support legislation that incentivizes retaining medical specialists in underserved areas.

What's Next

The FFS-Go-Go Foundation alliance plans to expand the program to other medical specialties beyond pediatric dentistry, focusing on the areas of greatest need in the southern and central region. With the ongoing exodus of health professionals — and an aging population that needs them more than ever — programs like this could become a model for other foundations and the government itself. The Medical Sciences Campus graduates hundreds of specialists each year; the key question is how many stay. These scholarships bet that, with the right support, more will choose to remain.

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Sources

¹ Primera Hora — Otorgan becas a estudiantes de medicina para fortalecer el acceso a servicios de Salud en el Sur

² Metro Puerto Rico — Otorgarán becas a estudiantes de medicina

³ Go-Go Foundation PR — gogofoundationpr.org