Shivani Shah, MD: University of North Carolina Children's Hospital, Pediatrics – PGY2

Cambodia: January 2026

 I am deeply grateful to the Benjamin H. Josephson Fund for supporting my trip to Kratie, Cambodia. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work and learn alongside local physicians and nurses in both the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Chenla Children’s Hospital.

  Although located in a rural region of Cambodia, Chenla Children’s serves as a vital referral center for the surrounding communities, providing advanced neonatal and pediatric care. It was remarkable to witness the high level of care delivered in a resource-limited setting. While rotating through the NICU I was able to learn and use protocols specific to the hospital, and learn more about maternal health access, antenatal care, and regional birth practices. This experience provided valuable insight into how neonatal care is adapted to local resources and community needs. In addition to clinical work, I contributed to a neonatal feeding project evaluating the impact of a newly implemented preterm feeding and lactation support protocol based on WHO guidelines in the NICU. It was inspiring to see how evidence-based practices were thoughtfully implemented and tailored to the local setting.

  Beyond clinical and research experiences, I attended lectures led by local nurses and physicians and had the opportunity to deliver a lecture on addressing bias in medicine. This topic fostered meaningful discussion. 

  I am sincerely grateful for this experience and for all that I was able to learn and contribute during my time in Kratie.