Thousands of miles from Indiana, inside the busy wards of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Kenya, Indiana University School of Medicine students are learning lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom. They are adapting when resources are scarce, collaborating across cultures, and discovering their own passion for working in a global community.
For many of them, that experience is made possible through the Brater Family Scholarship in Global Health.
Established in 2019, the scholarship supports travel and program costs during students’ global health education experiences in low or middle-income countries, particularly Kenya through the AMPATH program. The scholarship helps defray expenses such as airfare, lodging, visas, immunizations, and other reasonable program costs associated with the educational experience. Preference is given to students who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to global health engagement.
For the students who receive it, the scholarship is more than financial assistance. It is a doorway into a transformative experience that shapes how they think about medicine, service and their future careers.
Sara Kendrick experienced that transformation during her eight-week rotation from September through November 2025 while working primarily in obstetrics and gynecology and interventional radiology at MTRH. “The scholarship allowed me to fully participate in the experience without the added stress of financial burden,” said Kendrick. “Because of this support, I was able to focus on learning, contributing to patient care, and engaging with the clinical and educational opportunities available through AMPATH. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in this rotation and for the financial support I have received.”
“Working in a resource-limited setting required me to rely heavily on clinical reasoning, communication and adaptability,” she said. Those skills were utilized daily while she was assigned to the interventional radiology department at MTRH. With staffing shortages creating added pressure on the clinical team, she helped write clinical notes and orders while supporting the workflow of the service.
The experience deepened her confidence as a clinician and reinforced the importance of teamwork across cultures and health systems. It also provided a close look at the AMPATH partnership, which has spent decades building sustainable programs that strengthen health care in Kenya while training the next generation of physicians from Kenya and AMPATH Consortium partners.
For student Meera Thiel, the rotation offered a sense of connection that transcended geography. She reflected on her experience while still in Kenya and already wrestling with how difficult it would be to leave.
“Connecting with other students from my school, other U.S. schools, Kenyan medical students, and Swedish students really made this experience so fun,” she said. “It was interesting to see how this uniquely shaped us all and also created a unique bond that I will always appreciate.”
What began as a challenging adjustment in the first weeks abroad gradually became an experience she did not want to end. The relationships she formed with fellow students and colleagues turned clinical learning into something deeply personal. Thiel says the experience strengthened her commitment to global health and made it a key factor in how she evaluates residency programs and future career opportunities.
The rotation also reminded her that while health systems may differ dramatically, the motivations that bring people into medicine often look remarkably similar across cultures. “Thank you so much for the scholarship to help me with expenses, it truly released a significant burden. Eldoret and Kenya have a special place in my heart.”
Working alongside Kenyan medical students and faculty within the AMPATH partnership, Ella Boardley gained new insight into how structural and social forces shape health outcomes.
“Practicing in a different healthcare system pushed me to reflect on my own assumptions about health care delivery and adapt to new challenges and patient needs,” Boardley said.
The experience challenged her to think differently about the role of health systems in communities and about the importance of sustainable partnerships in global health work. It also strengthened her interest in pursuing a career in obstetrics and gynecology that incorporates global collaboration.
“I would strongly encourage any student considering a rotation in Kenya through AMPATH to take the opportunity,” said Boardley. “Throughout the rotation, you experience the full range of emotions, from inspiration and joy to frustration and reflection, which ultimately contributes to meaningful personal and professional growth.”
For Destiny Resner, the rotation represented the continuation of a journey that began before medical school. As a former Peace Corps volunteer and AMPATH Slemenda Scholar, she arrived in Kenya already committed to global health but still searching for a path to integrate that commitment into a sustainable medical career.
This time, she returned not only as a medical student, but also as a parent.
Resner brought her husband and their two young daughters with her to Eldoret. “It was important to me to bring my family so that we could assess, together, whether sustained engagement in global health work would be feasible and healthy for our family. Doing so significantly increased the financial cost of the experience. The scholarship helped offset those expenses, making it possible to pursue this opportunity in a way that aligned with both my professional goals and my family responsibilities.”
The experience sharpened her clinical judgment while reinforcing her interest in anesthesiology and the role it can play in improving maternal and surgical care. It also strengthened her understanding of the importance of long-term partnerships that prioritize capacity building and collaboration. “AMPATH has not only reinforced my commitment to global health—it has given it direction,” Resner added.
Jinan Ayub found that working within those partnerships had a profound impact on her own sense of purpose.
During her rotation on the medicine and pediatric wards at MTRH, she confronted the challenges of diagnosing and treating patients in a setting where resources are often limited but commitment to care remains unwavering.
“My time in Kenya reminded me why I chose to pursue a career in medicine and transformed my perspective on what it means to be a physician,” said Ayub.
The experience sharpened her clinical reasoning and deepened her respect for Kenyan colleagues who consistently provide compassionate, effective care despite constraints that would challenge any health system. It also reinforced her commitment to a career in internal medicine grounded in cultural humility, health access and sustainable collaboration. “This experience will challenge your viewpoints and ultimately shape you into a more well-rounded, thoughtful physician,” she added.
Behind these experiences stands the generosity of Craig and Stephanie Brater, whose support continues to make these opportunities possible for future physicians.
“Supporting students as they learn alongside colleagues in Kenya is one small way to invest in a generation of doctors who see health care as a shared global responsibility,” said Stephanie Brater.
“The lessons learned in Kenya extend far beyond the weeks the students spend there,” added Craig Brater, former dean of the of the IU School of Medicine. “They return to Indiana with sharpened clinical instincts, deeper cultural awareness, and a clearer sense of how medicine can be practiced with humility and partnership.”
Those lessons follow them into residency programs, research initiatives, and clinical practice across the United States and around the world. With every new class of Brater scholars, the impact of that investment continues to grow.
IU School of Medicine student Jinan Ayub, Cami Zuch and Ella Boardley in front of MTRH during their rotation in Kenya.
