MAILMAN SCHOOL - AT THE FRONTLINE

The Population and Community Development Association in Bangkok Announces 2008 Awardees of the Rosenfield Internships

The Population and Community Development Association (PDA) in Bangkok, Thailand, has announced the recipients of the 2008 Rosenfield Internships, awarding two of the three positions to Mailman School students.

The Rosenfield Internship Program, which was established in 2007 and offers fully-funded internships at PDA to selected graduate students, honors Allan Rosenfield, MD, dean of the Mailman School, for his influential and prominent contributions to Thailand's public health challenges, particularly in the area of family planning and reproductive health.

Now in its second year, the Program attracts a highly qualified applicant pool of graduate students from Columbia's Schools of Public Health, International and Public Affairs, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. In both years, the quality of the applicants has resulted in an increase in the number of Rosenfield interns from two to three.

ICAP Launches New International Training Program Launched for Columbia University Students

Columbia University students are gaining practical knowledge and experience in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in Africa through a new educational and training program recently launched by the Mailman School’s International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Program (ICAP).

Columbia Univeristy medical students Edward Requenez (left) and Jason Sulkowski (center) learn about laboratory processes from a technician at Kasulu District Hospital in Kigoma.

Approximately 20 students from Columbia University Medical Center schools and other graduate programs have been selected to take part in the program. Students will work with in-country teams or at ICAP's New York headquarters where they will develop projects with mentors who will supervise them during training periods.

Fourth-year medical students Jason Sulkowski and Edward Requenez, the first students to begin their training experiences, joined the ICAP-Tanzania team in late March. They are working in the country's Kigoma Region where they will learn as well as contribute to ICAP's ongoing work.

"I'm delighted to have such talented students join our team," said ICAP-Tanzania Country Director Amy Cunningham. "I am confident their experiences will enrich their educational and professional development."

Added ICAP's Jessica Justman, MD, who is overseeing this program, "Experiences such as these can transform lives and inspire students to pursue careers in international health."

ICAP received more than 90 applications for the limited number of training positions in 2008. To learn more about the student opportunities program, visit http://www.columbia-icap.org/students/index.html.