Michael Lemma, Co-Founder of Hope Oncology, Executive Director of October Breast Cancer Survivor’s Support Group at Hiwot Fana Cancer Treatment Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“More Than an Award: My IDEA Palliative Care Journey with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Now, 4 days left for the 2027 applications!
Some opportunities change your career. Others change how you see your work. Being selected as one of ASCO’s five International Development and Education Award in Palliative Care (IDEA-PC) recipients did both.
The competition was fierce. Clinicians from across the world applied, each carrying stories of patients, gaps in care, and dreams of doing better.
When the 2025 results were announced, five of us were chosen, representing Brazil, Ethiopia, India, the Philippines, and Somalia. I was proud to carry Ethiopia’s name into that room, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Winning on paper was an honor. Being there in person meant everything. It meant learning face to face from leaders who have shaped palliative care globally, and sharing a table (literally, as this photo from a Chicago museum shows) with Dr. Frank Ferris and colleagues who quickly became friends.
It meant realizing that the challenges we face in low-resource settings, like late presentation, limited access to opioids, and the stigma around end-of-life conversations, are shared across continents. So are the solutions, when we build them together.
I came home with more than knowledge. I came home with a network, a sense of responsibility, and renewed conviction that every patient with cancer deserves care that relieves suffering and honors dignity, wherever they live.
To my colleagues around the world: if you are working in oncology or palliative care, especially in low- and middle-income countries, I strongly urge you to apply for the 2027 IDEA-PC program. Don’t assume you’re not ready or that your setting is too small. Your story matters, and this program is built for people like you.
Check the ASCO and Conquer Cancer Foundation websites for eligibility and start preparing today!
Apply!!! Show up. Let it change you, the way it changed me.”
Other posts featuring Michael Lemma on OncoDaily.
