Lessons Learned from My Fellowship Experience in Nepal

This past summer, I had the privilege of completing BirthRight fellowship in Nepal, where I helped lead Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening efforts for thousands of women in rural communities, and conducted a study on the use of ChatGPT as a real-time translation tool in public health settings. 

Breast and cervical cancers remain the leading causes of death among women in Nepal, yet the national screening rate stands at only 8%. The World Health Organization, the Nepali government, and a coalition of 8 global universities and hospitals have set an ambitious goal: to screen 70% of women by 2030, and 15,000 women within the next two years. 

As part of this mission, I helped support the strategy and on-site logistics of our screening initiative,  selecting screening sites, coordinating with rural district governments for approval, and designing workflows for screening camps. I also oversaw electronic data collection for breast cancer screenings and led a qualitative study exploring barriers to participation. 

One of the most eye-opening findings was that many women believed all doctors were men and felt uncomfortable being screened by them. When I shared that women could also be doctors, they were genuinely surprised...many had only ever seen women in nursing roles.  It was a powerful reminder of how representation and awareness can transform health behavior. 

This experience taught me lessons far beyond technical skills: 

1. Doing more with less 

In the field, we often asked ourselves, ‘What are the absolute essentials needed to make  this work?’ The answer was simple: a doctor, gloves, and a curtain for privacy. Everything else was secondary (even a fan in the 96-degree heat). It reminded me of the importance of focus and adaptability, how impact often begins by identifying what truly matters and working creatively within our constraints. 

2. Trust is the foundation of community health 

The most powerful force behind our success wasn’t technology or strategy - it was trust.  Local volunteers and health workers became the bridge between our team and the community. They were familiar faces: women who lived in those same villages, spoke the same dialects, and understood local sensitivities. Their consistent presence built credibility, encouraged participation, and debunked myths that no external campaign could have addressed. 

It reminded me that genuine trust must be cultivated from within, by people who live its daily realities and understand its rhythms and relationships.

3. The power of learning from others 

My time in Nepal challenged the common misconception that “developed” countries always lead the way in innovation or efficiency. In reality, resource-limited settings often cultivate remarkable creativity, resilience, and adaptability. While my education and professional experiences in the U.S. taught me to view public health through a structural and systems lens, my fellowship, along with my Nepali roots, reminded me that trust, community, and cultural humility are equally vital to lasting impact. There is so much the world can learn from communities that achieve extraordinary outcomes with limited resources. 

4. Returning to my roots 

This fellowship was more than professional growth, it truly felt like coming home. I was born in Nepal but raised in the U.S., and for most of my life, I’ve carried both worlds inside me. Working in rural districts, speaking Nepali with patients, and learning from community health workers brought me closer to the part of myself that had always lived in stories and memories. Suddenly, those stories had faces, voices, and places I could touch. 

I realized that identity isn’t fixed, it’s fluid. It’s the bridge between two worlds, allowing me to see the beauty and challenges of each. Through that lens, I began to understand what global health really means: not leading from the outside, but standing alongside communities, learning from them, and creating change together. 

I am incredibly grateful for this experience and for everyone who helped make this fellowship possible. I return from Nepal inspired, grounded, and more committed than ever to advancing equitable, community-driven health systems, both at home and abroad.