Project HOPE and North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Announce 2016 Dr. Charles A. Sanders International Residency Scholars
Dr. Ketan Nadkarni will be serving at one of Project HOPE’s program sites in Shanghai and Dr. Krishna Aluri will be working at the NGO’s program site in Kosovo.
Millwood, VA, June 27, 2016
Project HOPE, the global health education and humanitarian assistance organization, and the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing science, health and education, announced the recipients of the 2016 Dr. Charles A. Sanders and Project HOPE International Residency Scholarships today. The prestigious and highly competitive scholarships offer medical residents and fellows studying at one of North Carolina’s four medical schools the chance to practice medicine in a supervised capacity for one to two months at one of Project HOPE’s program sites in the developing world.
The recipients of the 2016 Sanders scholarships are two residents in pediatrics from the University of North Carolina. Dr. Ketan Nadkarni will be serving at one of Project HOPE’s program sites in Shanghai and Dr. Krishna Aluri will be working at the NGO’s program site in Kosovo.
“I am absolutely ecstatic to accept this award and extremely grateful for this unique opportunity,” said Dr. Nadkarni, who hopes to better understand “how local culture plays a role in the delivery of health care, as well as perception of sickness and disease.” He also looks forward to participating in outreach efforts to a large population and learning how to do so effectively.
Dr. Aluri stated that the scholarship program is an excellent opportunity to further his work in global health and anticipates the prospect of working in a unique clinical setting.
“Along with gaining experience in patient care in international and underserved settings, I am also specifically interested in effective care for diseases with high public health burdens in developing countries and in the interactions between public health and development,” said Dr. Aluri.
“Drs. Aluri and Nadkarni were chosen as this year’s Sanders Scholars for their exceptional passion for global health. They have both demonstrated a commitment to pursuing careers that will help vulnerable populations in the world gain access to affordable, quality health care,” said Andrea Dunne-Sosa, Project HOPE’s Director of Volunteer Programs. “We are confident that their experiences as Sanders Scholars will make them better, more globally conscious physicians.”
Established in 2011 through a $1 million grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, the Sanders scholarship program honors the legacy of Charles A. Sanders, M.D., a former Chairman and CEO of Glaxo Inc., who also served as Project HOPE’s Chairman of the Board for more than 18 years. During his tenure on Project HOPE’s board, Dr. Sanders demonstrated a deep commitment to improving health care in the developing world.
The Sanders scholarship program is intended to expose young physicians from North Carolina to the specific challenges of practicing medicine in a low-resource setting. One goal of the scholarship program is to inspire the scholars to use the knowledge and skills they gain through these experiences to help those in need in the developing world throughout their future careers.
“The burden on health systems in the developing world is immense and we are proud to support North Carolina’s medical residents to gain a deeper understanding of the medical needs and challenges of patients in low resource settings,” said Marilyn Foote-Hudson, Executive Director of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.
The scholarships cover all costs related to the program, including preparation/orientation, insurance, airfare and an in-country daily stipend. Sanders scholars are chosen annually by Project HOPE in April.
Resident physicians and fellows from the state of North Carolina will be invited to apply for next year’s Sanders scholarships in early 2017, with an application deadline of February 28, 2017.
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS Hope, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 35 countries. Visit our website projecthope.org or follow us on Twitter @projecthopeorg.
About the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent self-funding 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, supporting activities that help meet the educational, science and health needs of today’s society and future generations. Since its creation in 1986, the Foundation has granted nearly $68.9 million (approximately $3 million each year) to support North Carolina nonprofit organizations. Visit the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation at NCGSKFoundation.org and follow it @ncgskfound.