IPU and IIM Raipur launch patient-centric fellowship for healthcare professionals

The International Patients’ Union (IPU) – The Change Initiative has announced the launch of the world’s first Patient-Centric IPU Fellowship in partnership with the Centre for Health, Innovation, Policy and Digital Health at IIM Raipur.

The three-month fellowship aims to equip healthcare professionals and students with direct patient engagement experience to drive policy reforms. Participants will track patients’ journeys through the healthcare system to identify challenges and develop solutions. The fellowship is open to students pursuing MHA, MPH, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy, and other allied healthcare disciplines, along with practicing doctors, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals focused on patient-centric transformation.

Fellows will work closely with patients and patient communities, gaining insights into healthcare challenges and assessing the impact of government policies. They will develop policy briefs and recommendations, which will be published by IIM Raipur’s Centre for Health, Innovation, Policy and Digital Health to contribute to healthcare policy discussions.

The fellowship allows for remote participation, making it accessible to working professionals and students globally. The selection process includes an online application, screening, virtual interviews, and final selection. The results will be announced at the International Patients’ Union Conference on April 7, 2025, at IIC, New Delhi.

Dr Rajendra Pratap Gupta, founder of the International Patients’ Union and Chair Emeritus of the Centre at IIM Raipur, said, “This unique fellowship will give healthcare professionals a firsthand experience and understanding of the need gaps in healthcare from a user’s perspective, and how to bridge these gaps. The policy and strategy papers created through the lived experiences of the patients have the power to drive meaningful policy change in healthcare, and we shall be submitting the same to NITI Aayog, Government of India.”

Applications for the fellowship close on March 22, 2025.