Effective 28 Aug 1988

191.500. Definitions. — As used in sections 191.500 to 191.550, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms mean:

(1) "Area of defined need", a community or section of an urban area of this state which is certified by the department of health and senior services as being in need of the services of a physician to improve the patient-doctor ratio in the area, to contribute professional physician services to an area of economic impact, or to contribute professional physician services to an area suffering from the effects of a natural disaster;

(2) "Department", the department of health and senior services;

(3) "Eligible student", a full-time student accepted and enrolled in a formal course of instruction leading to a degree of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy at a participating school;

(4) "Financial assistance", an amount of money paid by the state of Missouri to a qualified applicant pursuant to sections 191.500 to 191.550;

(5) "Participating school", an institution of higher learning within this state which grants the degrees of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy, and which is accredited in the appropriate degree program by the American Medical Association or the American Osteopathic Association;

(6) "Primary care", general or family practice, internal medicine, pediatric or obstetric and gynecological care as provided to the general public by physicians licensed and registered pursuant to chapter 334;

(7) "Resident", any natural person who has lived in this state for one or more years for any purpose other than the attending of an educational institution located within this state;

(8) "Rural area", a town or community within this state which is not within a "standard metropolitan statistical area", and has a population of six thousand or fewer inhabitants as determined by the last preceding federal decennial census or any unincorporated area not within a standard metropolitan statistical area.

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(L. 1978 H.B. 884 § 1, A.L. 1988 H.B. 1380)