Support from the ASCP Foundation: Personal, Professional and Powerful

Nephrologists and renal transplant surgeons typically obtain diagnostic specimens via percutaneous biopsies of the kidneys. Renal pathologists then evaluate these biopsies using a combination of light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunofluorescence studies to formulate a comprehensive and definitive diagnosis specific to each patient. As such, renal pathologists need to draw upon their deep scientific knowledge to conduct the tissue studies that enable them to diagnose and characterize the numerous subtypes of medical kidney diseases—and ultimately ensure that patients receive high-quality care tailored to their personal needs.

With a passion for complex scientific inquiry, gaining this specialized knowledge and expertise emerged as a career goal for Sarwat Gilani, MD. However, she did not have access to renal pathology teachers and mentors at Westchester Medical Center, the Valhalla, New York-based hospital where she was doing her residency. To overcome this gap, she recently completed an elective rotation in renal pathology at the Mayo Clinic—an opportunity that was made available to her through the support of the ASCP Foundation.

According to Sarwat, the ASCP grant gave her “a unique opportunity to learn from world leaders in my field.” And, for this, she is “forever grateful.”

Sarwat’s story is just one of many illustrating how the ASCP Foundation is supporting education that not only helps individuals achieve their personal academic and career goals but also helps enhance the profession as well. Indeed, thanks to assistance from the ASCP Foundation:

• Kamran Mirza, MD, PhD, FASCP, now leads a new Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science program at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. Kamran credited the ASCP Foundation grant with making it possible to create a unique educational program that utilizes all the latest technologies and that ultimately will “empower future laboratory professionals to do their job in the best possible way.”
• Nael Soudi, MS, CT (ASCP) (MIAC), CPHQ Chief Quality and Safety Officer at MedLabs in Jordan and a long-time supporter of ASCP in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, attended the ASCP 2018 Annual Meeting. While at the conference, he presented a poster on an innovative MedLabs project and attended cytology and leadership classes. “The ASCP travel grant provided me the opportunity to travel to the United States and both share and acquire knowledge. This is very important as health care continues to be more global and collaboration on patient quality is increasingly important,” Nael noted.
• Shanario Whitfield, CT(ASCP)^CM, a medical technologist, with extensive experience in microbiology, received an ASCP Laboratory Student Scholarship that enabled him to travel from Nassau, Bahamas, to attend school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR. There he received the training that would enable him to become a cytologist. “This scholarship is life-changing and gave me the support I desperately needed to remain in school and finish my program,” Shanario said. Now back in Nassau, Shanario is the first male cytologist working on the island.

These are just a few of the examples illustrating how the ASCP Foundation is helping individuals realize their career dreams; grow subspecialty knowledge; build stronger educational programs; and expand the global community. The Foundation, however, has done so much more during its first two years of operation. Last year alone, for instance, the Foundation helped students and members expand their knowledge, skills and resources by awarding $550,000 in scholarships, grants and fellowships. This is the largest amount any organization in laboratory medicine has provided to pathology residents, clinical laboratory students, medical laboratory science program directors, pathologists and medical laboratory scientists.

Best of all, these ASCP Foundation-supported programs are all helping advance the scientific and medical knowledge that will propel the medical laboratory profession as a whole forward (see below).

Yet, for the more than 300 members and students who received an award, the Foundation was unable to help more than 250 in need of support. With scholarship season approaching, now is the time to give to the ASCP Foundation. Join the more than 3,000 ASCP members who make giving to the Foundation an annual event—and in doing so have made a personal commitment to help define the future of the profession.

Most importantly, now is the time to remember how your support can have a positive impact on individuals such as Shanario. After receiving his ASCP scholarship, Shanario wrote a heartfelt letter of appreciation to the ASCP Foundation and donated $50 back to the Laboratory Student Scholarship fund. “I want to be sure to support the Foundation and ensure these scholarships are there for others who are in need in the future. The scholarship made a big difference in my life,” he said.

If you are already a donor, we ask that you consider making an additional contribution. And, if you have yet to give, please do so today.

Help us to provide even more support this year! Donate today by calling 800-267-2727 or visit us at www.ascp.org/foundation.

Making a Difference
In 2018, ASCP members helped to support the ­following scholarships, grants and awards:

• Laboratory Science Program Director Educational Grants (103)
• Travel Grants (116)
• Resident Leadership and Management Scholarships (28)
• Laboratory Student Scholarships (50)
• Trainee Global Health Fellowships (6)
• Pathology Interest Group Grants (7)
• Carter Stephen Ainsworth Health Policy Summer Fellowships (2)
• Leadership Institute Scholarships (2)
• Resident Subspecialty Grants (5)