From scholarships to scalpels
In her fourth year at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Kamala Nelson is on the brink of realizing her dream of becoming a surgeon. But her path to this point has been anything but ordinary. It’s been a journey marked by rigorous academic challenges, a passion for helping underserved communities and — perhaps most crucially — the financial support of scholarships that made it all possible.
Nelson credits these transformative opportunities not just with funding her education, but with shaping her vision for the future of health care.
"As a freshman in UC’s Medical Sciences undergraduate program, the Cincinnatus Scholarship was an incredible boost," Nelson recalls. This prestigious scholarship, awarded based on high school academics and test scores, covered her full four-year undergraduate tuition. “It wasn’t just about the financial relief. It was about feeling recognized for my efforts and supported by the university,” she says. “That support inspired me to want to give back and pay it forward someday.
"I hope to set up a scholarship for incoming UC students, both undergraduate and in the College of Medicine, to support a continued cycle of paying it forward amongst proud Bearcat alumni.”
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Nelson (second from right) enjoys family time with (from left) her twin brother Krishna, also a Cincinnatus scholar and 2021 graduate from UC's Lindner College of Business; her 93-year-old grandfather TR Kasturi, PhD, retired organic chemistry professor and researcher for the Indian Institute of Science; and her mother Rama Kasturi, PhD, retired associate professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Cell Biophysics at UC's College of Medicine. Photo/provided
The Cincinnatus Scholarship is part of UC’s commitment to investing in high-achieving students, reducing the financial strain that can often hold promising students back. "Too many people are buried under student loans that become a life sentence," Nelson remarks. "The university's approach to providing a variety of large, as well as smaller funding makes a huge difference. It’s not just about taking away the financial burden; it’s about making students feel valued and motivated to give back."
But her academic journey didn’t stop there. When Nelson was accepted into medical school at UC’s College of Medicine, she received a phone call that would once again change the trajectory of her career: she had been awarded the Schiff Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship, which covered her first year of medical school tuition. "I was elated," Nelson remembers. “Medical school tuition can be overwhelming, and this scholarship allowed me to focus on additional projects working with underserved populations”
Scholarships like these are critical in the world of medical education, where the cost of tuition often skyrockets, and funding opportunities become scarcer.
These scholarships are like Russian nesting dolls. Each one unlocks more opportunities, more people who can be positively impacted, more ways to achieve your dreams and more ways to give back. That’s something I’ll be grateful for always.
Kamala Nelson Fourth-year student in UC's College of Medicine
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Nelson enjoyed having her father Erik Nelson, psychiatrist at UC’s Mood Disorders Center and professor of clinical psychiatry at UC's College of Medicine, give a lecture to her Brain, Mind, and Behavior course. Photo/provided
Adding to her academic prowess, Nelson was among the first cohort of medical students to receive the Ohio State Medical Association Foundation (OSMA) summer scholars grant, enabling her work in the lab of Timothy Pritts, MD, PhD, UC professor in the Department of Surgery, helping to investigate the release of markers of endothelial cell damage.
"There’s an expectation that you’ll do research between your first and second year of medical school; it’s an important part of applying for residency programs," she says. "But not all research is funded. That’s where scholarships like the OSMA scholarship come in. They allow students to pursue meaningful research, even if those projects don’t have built-in funding."
This opportunity is only given to students from across Ohio medical schools who have a passion for pursuing research that may not have its own research funding.
For Nelson, that passion has always been rooted in serving communities with limited access to healthcare, particularly within the Latino population. As part of UC’s Medical Spanish/Latino Health Elective, Nelson’s fluency in Spanish allowed her to work closely with Dr. Christy O’Dea and Spanish-speaking patients. “I spent a summer in an intensive medical Spanish course, then continued on in a three-year longitudinal curriculum learning how to provide care not just for physical health but also gaining a better understanding of immigration issues, financial barriers and navigating racism,” she says. “It’s the kind of holistic care I want to focus on in my career.”
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While in Malawi, Nelson observed colorectal surgeries under Dr. KuanLing Li at Ekwandini Hospital. Photo/provided
Nelson’s commitment to global health took her far beyond Cincinnati. As part of her medical school training, she completed a four-week surgical rotation in Malawi, working alongside Dr. Charles Park, a UC surgeon who has spent nearly a decade practicing there. "It was an incredible experience," Nelson reflects. "I worked with the surgical team, scrubbed in on surgeries and helped care for patients post-op. It was eye-opening to see not only the challenges of practicing medicine in a place with limited resources but how dedicated the teams were to provide the best care possible care for patients regardless of limitations in equipment and staffing."
This experience only deepened Nelson’s love for global health and her desire to work in underserved areas. “I love general surgery, and I love working with underserved populations. The surgical rotation in Malawi allowed me to do both — seeing how different health care systems function and learning from strategies that hospitals use to overcome resource limitations. I am passionate about improving access to healthcare in underserved populations.”
For Nelson, these experiences have come full circle. "UC’s College of Medicine has been like a second home to me," she says, noting that both her parents worked for the university and her 93-year-old grandfather lives nearby. "Spending time with my family while getting a world-class education has been such a gift."
Scholarships have been more than just financial aid. Nelson feels they’ve been stepping stones to a career filled with purpose. "These scholarships are like Russian nesting dolls," she muses. "Each one unlocks more opportunities, more people who can be positively impacted, more ways to achieve your dreams and more ways to give back. That’s something I’ll be grateful for always."
As Nelson prepares to apply for general surgery residency programs, she’s already thinking about the future — specifically, how she can give back. "One day, I hope to set up my own scholarship for UC students going into medical school," she says. "There are so many worthy causes out there, but scholarships are special.
"They give someone a boost, an opportunity to pursue their academic dreams. And the knowledge that someone sees the potential in them and is rooting for them is a beautiful thing."
Featured image at top: Kamala Nelson proudly stands outside UC's College of Medicine. Photo/provided
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