WORLDWIDE CONTACT US ABOUT US PRODUCTS RESEARCH LICENSING NEWSROOM CAREERS INVESTORS Home MERCK FELLOWSHIP FOR GLOBAL HEALTH About Us Corporate Responsibility Reimbursement Support and Patient Assistance Programs Leadership Board of Directors Executive Committee Our Work How We Operate Code of Conduct Compliance Privacy Transparency and Privacy Internet Privacy Policy Cookie Privacy Commitment Cross Border Policy Employment Privacy & Data Protection Diversity Employee Diversity Supplier Diversity Views and Positions Access and Affordability Access to Investigational Medicines Innovation Quality and Safety Sales and Marketing Responsible Public Policy and Advocacy Our History Our People Featured Stories A life-changing experience For 38 hours – a 14-hour flight plus 24 hours prior to my first day – I felt excited but also anxious, both feelings accentuated by the effect of jetlag. But five minutes into Day One, I came across two children collecting water from a contaminated water source. They were so happy to greet me, smiling and giving me a thumbs up. It was as if they were two angels sent with a message of welcome and thanks for accepting the challenge to help provide clean water even though it meant being away from my family and the comforts of my everyday life. Irfan Tarajia, RTC Fellow assigned to the Safe Water Network in India From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, Merck is committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Merck Fellowship for Global Health is one way Merck is helping answer the global health needs of the underserved. Merck employees who participate in the program are called Richard T. Clark Fellows (RTC Fellows) in honor of retired Chairman and CEO Richard T. Clark and his philosophy of "passion, purpose and commitment to corporate responsibility." Launched in 2012, the program offers Merck employees opportunities to share their skills with people around the world. As many as 30 Fellows are selected each year; the expertise of the applicants is matched to the needs of the partner organizations. During the three-month assignments, the Fellows are embedded within a non-profit organization in the field. “The Fellowship program represents what is possible in private-public partnerships for global health,” said Karl Hofmann, president & CEO, PSI. Marcie Cook, deputy regional director, PSI, commented, “Each Fellow walks away with something he or she never expected and becomes a richer person for the experience.” During this experience, I've thought daily about my incredibly good fortune in life … where we have access to education, gainful employment, high-quality health care, and personal freedoms – not to mention potable water, paved roads, and other infrastructure I usually take for granted. Observing how much daily activity in a place like Kibera is dedicated to basic survival – food, water, fuel – really brought it home. Julia Shoff, RTC Fellow assigned to PSI in Washington, D.C. and Africa Click to view RTC Fellows and CEDPA team The RTC Fellows worked with several humanitarian organizations in India, Myanmar and Bangladesh in Asia; and, Kenya and Tanzania in Africa, each with its own goals and challenges. The Fellowship is indeed an experience of continuous learning which gets one out of one's comfort zone professionally, environmentally and emotionally. Nand Kumar, RTC Fellow assigned to icddr,b in Bangladesh “Working with humanitarian organizations around the world in this way allows us to have a truly unique effect on people’s lives and better understand the future of healthcare,” said Mr. Clark. While the program works to improve health literacy, increase access to health services and products, enhance access to health education and improve health outcomes, it also provides unique career development opportunities that help expand employees’ understanding of critical needs in different parts of the world. SHARE: RTC FELLOWS IN THE FIELD Learn more about the Fellowship program Copyright © 2009-2016 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statement Privacy Terms of Use Site Map