Uncle Sam Says Doc is a Deadbeat

ATLANTA (CN) - Uncle Sam says a doctor who has practiced for 20 years refuses to repay $90,000 in money he got for med school or work for the U.S. Public Health Service, as he promised. Federal prosecutors demand treble damages from Dr. Millard J. Collier Jr., who got federal money for med school from 1979 to 1984.

Collier entered the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, according to the complaint.

He got scholarship money for the 1979-1984 school years. In exchange, he was to work full time in clinical practice in the regular or reserve corps of the U.S. Public Health Service or in the National Health Service Corps in an area where doctors were needed, for one year for each year of scholarship support he got.

Prosecutors say Collier was granted a 3-year deferment of his obligation after he graduated to pursue a residency in family practice, but he still has not fulfilled his obligation. Collier worked for less than a year at the Central Florida Migrant and Community Health Center before resigning, the complaint states.

He was informed that he was in default, and he owes $273.243.79 - three times his scholarship money - minus the money for 293 days of service performed.

Uncle Sam says it will keep charging interest until he pays it off.

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