; waiver (1) The amount of payments made for a participant under the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program may not exceed $160,000 over a total of four years of participation in the Program, of which not more than $40,000 of such payments may be made in each year of participation in the Program. (2) (A) The Secretary may waive the limitations under paragraph (1) in the case of a participant described in subparagraph (B). In the case of such a waiver, the total amount of payments payable to or for that participant is the total amount of the principal and the interest on the participant's loans referred to in subsection (a). (B) A participant described in this subparagraph is a participant in the Program who the Secretary determines serves in a position for which there is a shortage of qualified employees by reason of either the location or the requirements of the position. 7695. Choice of location Each participant in the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program who completes residency may select, from a list of medical facilities of the Veterans Health Administration provided by the Secretary, at which such facility the participant will work in a medical specialty described in section 7692 of this title. 7696. Term of obligated service (a) In general In addition to any requirements under section 5379(c) of title 5, a participant in the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program must agree, in writing and before the Secretary may make any payment to or for the participant, to— (1) obtain a license to practice medicine in a State; (2) successfully complete post-graduate training leading to eligibility for board certification in a specialty; (3) serve as a full-time clinical practice employee of the Veterans Health Administration for 12 months for every $40,000 in such benefits that the employee receives, but in no case for fewer than 24 months