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Melanie B.
Thomas, MD

Medical oncologist · Global oncology educator
Fulbright Scholar to Nepal, 2024–2025
Health Volunteers Overseas HVO volunteer since 2010
HVO Golden Apple Award recipient, 2026
Founder, Oncology Essentials Nepal

ABOUT US

A Career Devoted To Global Oncology

In Nepal there are fewer than 30 trained oncologists for 30,000,000 people. My work focuses on expanding the oncology workforce in Nepal so that all patients have access to specialized care.

  • Created the medical oncology curriculum for Doctorate of Medicine in oncology; BPKIHS is B. P. Koirala institute of Heath Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal
  • Planned and executed Oncology Essentials Workshops in 2024 and 2025, reaching over 100 residents, general practitioners, and nurses.
Watch The Workshops on Youtube

IMPACT IN NEPAL

Building the future of oncology training and capacity building

Closing Nepal’s oncology gap means training the people who will carry the work forward. These programs are building that foundation, embedding specialized cancer education into the country’s own institutions and frontline workforce.

Oncology curriculum at BPKIHS

The curriculum’s opening lectures, readings, and assignments orient new DM Oncology residents to the syllabus and clinical schedule, clarify expectations across rotations, and introduce the foundational topics procedures, and critical-appraisal skills that anchor the rest of their training.

2024 Oncology Essentials Workshop: A Comprehensive Overview for Internal Medicine Residents

Participants from all medical schools throughout Nepal.

2024 Inaugural Oncology Essentials Workshop included 34 medicine residents from throughout Nepal, and 20 students from the BPKIHS schools of medicine, nursing and dentistry.

2025 Oncology Essentials Comprehensive Workshop: Partnering with Nepal’s Frontline Healthcare Providers

National workshop for residents, nurses and general practitioners.

The 2025 2nd Oncology Essentials Workshop participants included: 40 internal medicine residents, 14 general practitioners (GPs), 6 nurses, 10 community health workers

I

Future Workshops

To extend the impact of what has already been accomplished and to build the oncology workforce in Nepal, Oncology Essentials is planning two upcoming workshops.

3rd Annual Oncology Essentials Workshop

Advancing Supportive & Palliative Oncology in Nepal: Improving Quality of Life Through Team-based Care November 2026

4th Annual Oncology Essentials Workshop

Learn the Skills. Launch the Project: Practical Skills to Design, Execute and Complete Clinical Research November 2027

Support the next workshop

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and for the world, remains and is immortal.

Albert Pine

Vision

Looking ahead

Nepal cannot close its cancer-care gap with thirty oncologists. Building a self-sustaining oncology workforce will take a sustained, coordinated effort over the next decade. That is the work ahead.

Annual conferences

Sustain Oncology Essentials in Nepal each year.

The Future Leaders in Oncology Nepal Fund

Share some details here for Service two. This is a flexible section where you can share anything you want. It could be details or some information about your service.

Support This Work

Share some details here for Service three. This is a flexible section where you can share anything you want. It could be details or some information about your service.

Support the next workshop

Vision

Looking ahead

Nepal cannot close its cancer-care gap with thirty oncologists. Building a self-sustaining oncology workforce will take a sustained, coordinated effort over the next decade. That is the work ahead.

Annual conferences

Sustain Oncology Essentials in Nepal each year.

The Future Leaders in Oncology Nepal Fund

Supports emerging oncology researchers in Nepal by providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities to advance research that improves outcomes locally and globally.

Support This Work

Your gift funds the annual conference and investigator fund — directly growing Nepal’s oncology workforce.

Support the next workshop

CONSULTING

MBTMD LLC

Selective engagements with institutions, foundations, and global-health programs.

Oncology curriculum development
Global oncology strategy
Program implementation and evaluation
Workshop and training design
Mentorship models, low-resource settings
Capacity-building planning
Contact for Consulting

Contact Us

Here’s how you can contact us for any questions or concerns.

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