Today was the 5th annual iteration of the MedEngage Scholarship Summit, which was held by the Metropolis Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Metropolis Healthcare. The MedEngage Scholarship Program, which is part of Metropolis’ flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) project, recently presented 250 medical students in their last year of MBBS or MD/DNB with scholarship grants totaling INR 1.7 crore. This is in acknowledgement of their successes in regards to their academic results, extracurricular activities, research papers, and thesis presentations.
MedEngage is a comprehensive medical outreach plan that was conceived of by the Chairman of Metropolis, Dr. Sushil Shah. Its primary objective is to foster and cultivate the young medical talent who will, in large part, be responsible for the future of healthcare acumen in India. The programme encourages students who are both deserving and meritorious to contribute to healthcare research in the country by rewarding them with financial grants and by providing them with practical knowledge through Metropolis’ world-class laboratories and panel of experts on board. In doing so, the programme supports the contribution of the students to the advancement of healthcare in the country.
Around 2,670 people from 516 cities and 29 states in India submitted applications for the current iteration of the MedEngage Scholarship programme. More than 500 medical colleges, both publicly funded and privately owned, were included in the program’s scope across the country. The participants were required to go through a rigorous selection process that was determined by their academic performance in addition to a number of other evaluation metrics. For the purpose of this scholarship programme, Ernst & Young LLP has been chosen to fulfil the role of process advisor.
Dr. Duru Shah, Chairperson of the Metropolis Foundation, made the following statement in reference to the MedEngage Scholarship Program: “We are exceedingly glad to receive the overwhelming favourable responses from the young medical physicians for this scholarship programme year after year. We are steadfast in our belief that the young of our country must have access to quality educational opportunities in order to realise their full potential. The Metropolis Foundation’s objective is that by implementing the MedEngage programme, they will be able to enhance the academic environment across the nation and “Empower and Motivate” our students, who will be “Our Future Healthcare Warriors,” to contribute to the healthcare ecosystem.
“MedEngage, a medical college outreach programme conceptualised by our honourable Chairman and executed by the CSR arm of Metropolis embodies the true values of Metropolis Foundation – to nurture, educate, empower, and encourage young medical students in their undergraduate and post graduate critical formative years,” commented Dr. Kirti Chadha, Chief Scientific Officer and Group Head – CSR, Metropolis Healthcare. Before we launched this programme, we asked potential beneficiaries to participate in a number of surveys and interviews. We also made sure to cover all of the areas in which the doctors of the future require assistance, including handholding, guidance, orientation, as well as financial and academic research support. We made ourselves and our resources available to up-and-coming medical minds in order to help them achieve success on a national and international scale. This timely help acts as a steppingstone for them in what is otherwise a challenging road spanning science and innovation in their pursuit of excellence. The module scope and beneficiary application have both been digitised, which has allowed us reach even more rural parts of the country and have an impact that extends beyond the bounds of tier cities. We have also been expanding our budget and the number of beneficiaries as the number of medical colleges and DNB hospitals in the country has increased. This is to ensure that a large percentage of the population that is eligible for the programme is impacted with its advantages.
Students have access to a variety of opportunities through the MedEngage platform, including the Observership Program, Academic Research Assistance, Laboratory Tour, and Internships, among other things. On the MedEngage platform, a brand-new programme with the working title ‘MedTalk’ was only just launched. MedTalk is an interactive web series that brings together experienced and aspiring physicians to collaborate on the design of the healthcare system of the future. Aspiring medical professionals have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge from established practitioners and broaden their perspectives thanks to this venue. Long-term objectives for MedEngage include the establishment of a knowledge community through the recruitment of a group of medical and scientific specialists, as well as the development of a robust platform for the discussion and exchange of information regarding the industry’s best practises in India and beyond.
At the Summit, scholarship winners were recognised for their achievements in a variety of categories, including Champion of Champions, Pedagogue, Scholar Collar, The Vibrant One, Wizkid, and Wordsmith. Medical luminaries from a variety of subspecialties graced the event as speakers and contributed to the celebration of the nation’s most promising young medical professionals, known as GenNext.
