IPSAC-VN Scholar Program Enhances Health Care Providers in Vietnam

A professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Mark Holterman, MD, has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and abstracts on various medical and surgical concepts. Dr. Mark Holterman also supports the International Pediatric Specialists Alliance for the Children of VietNam (IPSAC-VN), a nonprofit that enhances medical care for children in Vietnam through collaboration from clinical teams and support personnel. The organization also enables health care providers in Vietnam to further their education through the IPSAC-VN Scholar Program. 

Scholars accepted into the program receive funding and resources to pursue a medical education at a US medical school accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Scholarship recipients receive a $2,500 grant toward the cost of educational expenses, travel, and room and board for a period of one to two months, during which time they will observe US clinical practices and engage in translation research. The program is open to both licensed and in-training nurses, physicians, and allied medical personnel. 

Program applicants must possess a good grasp of the English language and the ability to converse. Additionally, applicants must submit a letter of recommendation from their home institution that confirms their commitment to enhancing the institution’s quality of care. The IPSAC-VN and the host medical institution will also grant scholars who finish the program a certificate of completion.

IPSAC-VN Sends New Groups of Medical Professionals to Vietnam

As CEO of Mariam Global Health, Mark Holterman, MD, concentrates on research in the field of regenerative medicine. The Illinois-based pediatric surgeon additionally serves as a medical team member at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital, and as a University of Illinois College of Medicine professor. Dr. Mark Holterman’s philanthropic memberships include a position on the board of the International Pediatric Specialists Alliance for the Children of Vietnam. Thanks to IPSAC-VN, some of the country’s most vulnerable children have a chance to have their medical needs met by generous physicians, nurses, and ancillary professionals who volunteer their time.

In recent news, IPSAC-VN sent seven teams of volunteers to Vietnam in March 2017. One team of these medical personnel went into the highlands, where they taught Vietnamese hospital staff in the intensive care unit and in the operating theater. Another group brought training and surgical materials to a Ho Chi Minh Hospital. This group focused on assisting with neonatal surgeries, oncology care, and urological surgery for pediatric patients. And the third group visited a larger, newly constructed pediatric hospital, where they made rounds alongside Vietnamese physicians and assisted in the more critical surgical cases. Thanks to this outreach, Vietnamese doctors have gained an array of new skills and techniques for treating their pediatric patients.