Fellowship Program

Beginning in Fall 2026, VTC Nepal Neurosurgery is starting a Fellowship Program to bring Nepali faculty to the United States to train, ideally for a 12-month period. This will allow Nepali doctors to train with the Virginia Tech faculty, solving problems in real-time during surgeries. Looking forward, the goal is for the program to be reciprocal, with American doctoral residents spending time in Nepal learning from Nepali neurosurgeons. As of 2026, similar programs only exist in the United States and Europe. Over time, there is also the potential for surgeons from the United States to offer fellowships taking place in Nepal.

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The belief is that, fundamentally, participation in such a program would strengthen the skills of all participants, helping them develop the skills and confidence to succeed with whatever tools are available to them and learning to communicate across cultures. In addition, it would cement the partnership between the American and Nepali neurosurgical communities.

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Drs. Witcher and Adhikari also intend to continue building partnerships with Professor Jha, Dr. Khadka, and other Nepali doctors. In particular, Dr. Srijan Adhikari intends to spend time in Nepal every year – while trained in the United States, it is still home for him. 

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“We’re starting small, going from our own institution to Nepal and introducing something new,” said Dr. Adhikari. “It has definitely made a lot of difference for the doctors we are working with. The doctors are independently doing procedures they were not capable of doing before – so it’s kind of surreal to watch. It’s very humbling and meaningful.”

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The Global Neurosurgery Fellowship in Nepal is already providing a growing draw for students. Looking to the future, the project stands to become self-sustaining, and to expand to other countries or across doctoral disciplines, including anesthesiology.