Applications are now open!

2023 Patient Education

Ambassadors Program

Online Information Form and Application available here!

GRACE Patient Education Ambassador Program Overview

This program is open to all oncology fellows and finishing fellows who are nominated to apply for this program by their Director and/or who apply independently of a nomination.  GRACE’s designated committee will review the nominees and select up to 4 participants for the honor of participating in the 2023 program. Nominees for this program will include those still in their fellowship as well as those embarking on their post-fellowship junior faculty or practice positions; however, it is required that nominees and applicants are still a fellow at the time of the deadline, March 31, 2023.

Benefits of Participation

Selected fellows will work closely with national and international leaders in various fields of oncology to develop new educational content for patients across a range of platforms that will help them become established emerging contributors in their fields of interest. They will receive training on digitally distributed content and social media, and their work will be highlighted and shared by the internationally recognized non-profit, GRACE, along with its network of established leaders in the oncology community and board members with an array of interests and connections. Participants will receive a stipend which will include a technology package and paid training in doctor-to-patient/family and broader communication in the field. These benefits are achieved through regular monthly virtual meetings moderated by GRACE. 

Now entering the 5th year of this program, we have engaged with 14 oncology fellows, producing content in a diverse array of areas such as supportive care, Latino Community Cancer Education, breast cancer education, COVID-19 education, radiation oncology,  clinical trials education, hematology-oncology, and geriatric oncology education,  to name just a few. Content produced through this program has reached tens of thousands of cancer patients and caregivers, educating and empowering them to become partners in their cancer care. 

Ideal Candidates for the 2023 Program

GRACE is looking for oncology fellows and finishing fellows with a particular interest and passion for communications, patient education, and for those who are simply looking for a way to give back to the oncology community.  Ideal candidates should have strong written and oral communication skills as well as a proven ability to stay abreast of the latest advances in cancer medicine.

All application forms must be submitted by March 31, 2023, for consideration.  Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee selection into the program as the number of slots for this year will be contingent on grantor funding. Applicants will be contacted by April 30 with information regarding acceptance and the next steps. The year-long program runs from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.

Online Application

Any questions, please contact Amy Bickleman, GRACE Executive Director, at:  abickleman@cancergrace.org or 888-501-1025 x 1.

Testimonials from 2019 Program Participants:

Dr. Arjun Gupta, Oncology Fellow, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center 

“I am incredibly grateful to the GRACE Patient Education Ambassadors Program. I had the full liberty (and support) to direct a ‘Supportive care patient education series’- these topics often do not receive the required attention in more traditional publications. I had the opportunity to record content with thought leaders in the field, and they have since remotely mentored me on various research projects. Directing this series cemented my interest in supportive care/ symptom management as I start to apply for grant funding and transition to a new faculty role in the next couple of years. Most importantly, the team at GRACE is happy, and passionate about patient education, and I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships this past year. I would recommend this program to all early career oncology professionals.”

Dr. Narjust Duma, Assistant Professor, and Thoracic Oncologist, Dana Farber Cancer Center

“The GRACE ambassador program was one of my favorite experiences during training and my first months as faculty. The program gave me the opportunity to learn from patient education experts like Dr. Jack West, create content for patients with cancer in Spanish, and learn about all the aspects of a nonprofit organization like GRACE.”

Testimonials from the 2020 Program Participants:

Dr. Idalid (Ivy) Franco, radiation oncology resident at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program in Boston, MA

“The GRACE ambassador program has been instrumental in providing the tools, skill development, and space needed to create content specifically geared toward Spanish-speaking patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been able to counteract myths and misinformation from our community with facts. I am extremely grateful to the program leadership and staff for their engagement and commitment to my development as a leader and educator in the field of oncology. I will be forever grateful to form part of the GRACE family!"

Dr. Medhavi Gupta, Hematology-Oncology fellow at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo NY

"Being a GRACE Patient Education Ambassador has been quite a fulfilling experience. The GRACE faculty and staff members are truly passionate about what they do, and our meetings were full of inspiration and fun. Through this platform, I got to create the “GRACE Breast Cancer Video Series” in collaboration with the leaders in the field and learned so much in the process. I am thankful for this opportunity and would highly recommend it to other trainees and early career professionals interested in patient education."

Dr. Abdul Rafeh Naqash, advanced fellow in the Early Clinical Trials Development Program and the Development Therapeutics Clinic at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD

“The Cancer GRACE experience was an excellent opportunity to learn from experts in the field about the importance of developing and honing on skills related to patient education. My focus was particularly related to developing patient-centered content around some of the complex concepts around early phase clinical trials and immunotherapy side effects. Listening and interacting with guest faculty was highly motivational in my own professional and personal growth. It has been a real pleasure to work with the highly passionate GRACE staff throughout this one year who made this more than a worthwhile experience.”

Testimonials from the 2021 Program Participants:

Dr. Edina Wang, radiation oncology resident at Georgetown University Hospital Department of Radiation Medicine in Washington, DC

"The CancerGRACE experience is a wonderful opportunity to develop patient education programs as well as work with GRACE faculty and staff. I highly recommend this program to other trainees and early career faculty in oncology fields who are interested in patient education!"

Dr. Daniel Kwon, hematology/oncology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco

“The Patient Education Ambassadors program gave me the mentorship, technology, support, and empowerment to start creating patient education content about prostate cancer! I decided to create a series of YouTube videos with a patient about decision-making in advanced prostate cancer. I got feedback from Jack West and Amy Bickleman, and also got help in recording the Zoom interviews. The GRACE team also did the editing/production. The patient and I can't wait to see how they turn out and do more! I highly recommend this program to all those interested in patient education and empowerment.”

Dr. Aakash Desai, first-year hematology-oncology fellow at Mayo Clinic

“The Cancer GRACE Ambassador program has been an amazing experience with opportunity to learn about patient education and advocacy from experts in the field. My focus was particularly related to developing patient centered content around clinical trials, thoracic oncology and included developing global content for patients with cancer in India.  The stellar guest faculty provided great avenue for career development. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the passionate friends at GRACE.

Dr. Eric Singhi, chief hematology/oncology fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas

“I am privileged to have had the opportunity to serve as a GRACE Patient Education Ambassador, and I would highly recommend this experience to all trainees in the field of oncology! Through my involvement with GRACE, I have connected with patient education experts across the field to learn more about how to leverage resources like social media to create and effectively disseminate educational content for patients. I look forward to staying connected with the GRACE family in the future and focusing our collective efforts on empowering cancer patients and enhancing the cancer patient experience!”

Testimonials from the 2022 Program Participants:

Dr. Fernando Diaz, second-year hematology-oncology fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"I've truly enjoyed working with the GRACE team this year and learning from all the great speakers that have provided critical insight to understand the needs of our patients. GRACE has also been very supportive in allowing me to develop educational resources for the Spanish-speaking cancer population, recognizing the critical gaps in education in underserved communities."

Dr. Sridevi Rajeeve, third-year Hematology-Oncology fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY

“Involving with GRACE has been a significant highlight of my fellowship training. The opportunity to help advance patient education by evolving into informed and empathic patient ambassadors under the tutelage of the whole team at GRACE starting with Dr. West, Amy Bickleman, Maria Christian and countless other faculty and alumni is immense. The clinical, networking, and technological support to transform ideas into multimedia entities has been extraordinary and lays the groundwork for future patient-centered content creation.”