Sam Prince, MD – India

My name is Sam Prince, and I am a third-year family medicine resident and incoming LGBTQ+ Health Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Through the Global Health Pathway, I had the truly special opportunity to partner with the NICE Foundation (Neonatal Intensive Care Emergency) in Hyderabad, India, on a neonatal outcomes research project. This included a two-week immersive visit that was both professionally and personally meaningful.

From day one, I felt welcomed into a community deeply committed to thoughtful, locally driven care. I spent time in their high-acuity neonatal intensive care unit, observed antenatal care visits, and traveled with the NICE Foundation team to rural sites in Paderu and the coastal town of Ranastalam. We joined fixed-day health services serving remote tribal communities and visited elementary and middle schools to see how health education is woven into daily life.

One of my favorite moments was walking through a village near Ranastalam with elementary-aged children, chanting together about handwashing and hygiene as they proudly shared public health messages with their neighbors. I also observed a Helping Babies Breathe refresher course with traditional birth attendants—a full-circle experience, as our Global Health Pathway residents had recently trained to become Helping Babies Breathe facilitators.

Traveling alongside veterinary students during my first week added a One Health perspective through visits to poultry farms and veterinary clinics. This was one of the most meaningful global health experiences I have had, and I left inspired, grateful, and hopeful to return. For residents interested in immersive, relationship-based global health work, the Global Health Pathway—and the opportunity to visit partnership sites—can be career changing. I know it was for me.

Published: February 2026