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PROGRAM INFORMATION
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NCI
Overview
NCI
Detailed Packet
NCI
Pamphlet
Sample Trip Itinerary
Nepal
Activities
Information
Our Mission
The Program
Introduction
Program Structure
Internship Experience in Nepal
Trip Description
Kanti Children’s Hospital
What We’ve Accomplished
Photos
Our Mission
NCI is a Stanford-based student organization that offers undergraduate,
graduate and medical students the opportunity to undertake clinical
internships in Nepal. Through the internship experience, NCI enables
students to evaluate their interest in medicine, develop skills
to treat patients, and gain a broader understanding of healthcare
around the world. In exchange, NCI assists Kanti Children’s Hospital
and Manipal Hospital, the Nepalese hospitals that sponsor our program,
by 1) sending interns abroad to help with the lack of manpower and
2) collecting student tuition to fund purchases of medicine. NCI
also hopes to establish a cross-cultural exchange between the U.S.
and Nepal and spark long-term passion and commitment to improving
healthcare in developing countries.
The Program
Introduction
Nepal is a third world country with a population of approximately
20 million citizens. Because it is one of the least developed developing
countries (LDDC) with a per capita income averaging between $210
and $1,100, most of Nepal’s inhabitants are destitute and living
in extremely poor conditions. Consequently, Nepal’s citizens are
in dire need of medical assistance: life expectancy in Nepal is
57 years, 20 years less than life expectancy in the U.S.; the infant
mortality rate is at 79.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared
to 6.8 in the U.S.; only half of all births take place in the presence
of a skilled attendant; only 59% of the population has access to
safe drinking water; and less than 50% of the population consumes
the daily recommended calorie intake.
To alleviate the healthcare problems in Nepal, NCI’s internship program
was created three years ago under the guidance of Dr. Michael McCullough
of Stanford Medical Center and Dr. Bishop Joshi of Kanti Children’s
Hospital. Ranging from three weeks to two months, the program allows
students to volunteer at Kanti Children’s Hospital as well as gain
medical knowledge by attending seminars at Manipal’s medical school.
Program Structure
NCI allows participants to gain greater insight into the healthcare
industry while cultivating awareness and understanding of the people
and cultures they serve. Beyond the internship experience, NCI
strives to initiate within students a more lasting commitment to
Nepal and other developing countries to create deeper long-term
impact. In order to foster such continued interest, the NCI program
consists of four main components:
* 10-week course student-initiated course that provides an overview of
Nepalese culture, basic medical knowledge relevant to the internship
experience, and international health care issues pertaining to Nepal
* Placement in a clinical internship in the United States to fulfill a
prerequisite number of training hours prior to placement in Nepal
* A three week to two month stay in Nepal where students intern and
attend classes at Kanti Children’s Hospital and Manipal Medical
School. Undergraduate students follow a structured program schedule,
while medical students set the duration of the internship program individually.
* Opportunities to stay involved with NCI after the Nepal internship
experience as a member of the executive oversight committee
Both undergraduate and medical students at Stanford University can
earn course credit for participating in NCI’s internship program.
Many undergraduate students majoring in human biology fulfill a
requirement for clinical work hours, while medical students can
satisfy an elective requirement. In the past, NCI has also accommodated
enthusiastic participants from other universities, such as Trinity
University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University
of Colorado at Boulder, and Mt. Holyoke College. In exchange for the
course units and practical experience, students pay tuition equivalent to
USD$50 per week during their stay in Nepal, and the funds funnel solely to
purchase medicine for Nepalese patients who cannot afford to do so themselves.
Internship Experience in Nepal
Trip Description
During winter and summer break, students have the opportunity to
participate in the clinical internship in Nepal. The program allows students
to volunteer at Kanti Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in
Nepal. Through the program, students gain exposure to a variety of practices
within medicine, such as the physical therapy, intensive care, radiology, surgery,
emergency room, and burn units. Upon arrival, students coordinate
with Dr. Bishop Joshi, Kanti’s hospital administrator, to map out
an intern rotation and daily work schedule. At this time, each hospital
can accommodate up to nine students per session, with each session lasting
three weeks. In addition, NCI encourages participants to sign-up
for recreational activities, travel, and exploration of Nepal’s
numerous sights and attractions when they are not volunteering in
the hospitals. NCI operates one session during the winter quarter
and three sessions during the summer, sending a maximum of 40 students
per year. For a more detailed glimpse inside our internship program,
please see a sample trip itinerary, and a list of activities that past participants
have enjoyed during their free time in Nepal.
Kanti Children's Hospital
Parents bring their children from all over the country to Kanti
Children’s Hospital for treatment. Because most patients come from
extremely low to middle class families, volunteer organizations,
such as the Social Service National Coordination Council, the Nepal
Germany Help Association, and the Social Action Volunteers KCH,
provide housing, transportation, and free immunizations to families
while their children are being treated. The hospital holds 400 staff
workers, with 53 full time doctors and 300 beds, and specializes
in treating children from newborns to 14 year olds. The hospital
serves nearly 100,000 patients per year, including 21,500 in the
emergency room, 5, 700 as inpatients, and over 60,000 as outpatients.
Standing adjacent to the Tribhuval University Teaching Hospital
(TUTH) and serving as Nepal’s only pediatric hospital, Kanti
Children’s Hospital is an ideal location for aspiring pediatric doctors
to gain clinical experience. Working 9am to 1pm every weekday,
program participants interact with children in the physical therapy,
ICU, radiology, surgery, and burn units. A typical NCI intern will be
able to do the following:
* Observe the operating room and become familiar with
procedures in the surgery ward
* Work with kids to move and exercise their limbs in the physical
therapy department
* Assist workers in examining burn wounds and changing patients’ dressings
in the burn unit
* Participate in rounds in the emergency room, following the main
ER physician
* Learn about family planning and immunization as hospital staff have
interactive discussions with women and children
What We've Accomplished
* Operated seven sessions over the last three years, sending a total of 76
students to Nepal
* Served the student population of numerous universities, including
Stanford University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
University of Colorado at Boulder, and Mt. Holyoke College
* Saved over 50 lives and improved the quality of life for hundreds of patients
through the provision of medicine and manpower hours to Kanti Children’s
Hospital and Manipal Medical Program
* Raised approximately $4,500 in tuition to purchase medicine for
Nepalese patients
* Provided over 3,000 hours in volunteer service and interacted
with 1,200 patients
* Catalyzed numerous other healthcare and Nepal-related programs,
including a children’s book, toys and clothing drive for children
in Nepal, and distribution of healthcare books related to home
remedies and family planning
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