USCAP Foundation Announces Major Gift for Medical Student Outreach Programs

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) today announced a major donation to the Academy’s Foundation and the establishment of the Gokden Fund for Medical Student Engagement in Pathology, a Board-Advised-Fund that invests in the future of pathology by engaging medical students and encouraging their interest in the specialty.

As an immediate initiative, the USCAP Foundation is launching the 2026 Medical Student Travel Award, which will be awarded this fall to support a medical student’s attendance at USCAP’s 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place March 21–26 in San Antonio, TX. This award is the first step in a larger effort to connect with medical students and inspire interest in pathology. More initiatives will be introduced over the next years as USCAP focuses on emerging needs and long-term strategies to support student engagement and encourage future careers in the field.

“We are extremely thankful for Dr. Murat Gokden’s generosity and vision,” commented Dr. Henry D. Tazelaar, USCAP’s Foundation Chair and Geraldine Colby Zeiler Professor of Cytopathology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. “Recruiting promising students into pathology is critical for the future of the field. While USCAP always offers free Annual Meeting registration to medical students, it is often cost-prohibitive for them to attend due to travel and housing expenses. The Medical Student Travel Award will help to bridge that gap.”

Since 2009, USCAP’s Foundation has been working to improve global health outcomes. As the philanthropic arm of the Academy, the Foundation supports access to knowledge across the world. In addition to the new award, the Foundation also offers funding to support Pathologists-in-Training and pathologists from under-resourced countries to attend the Annual Meeting and participating in observerships in the US and Canada.

To learn more about the USCAP Foundation or to contribute to its initiatives, visit foundation.uscap.org.

About USCAP
The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) is a member organization that is dedicated to advancing pathology by offering top quality continuing medical education and translational research to improve practices and patient outcomes globally. The diverse educational activities and modern educational delivery methods using digital assets provided by USCAP ensure personalized education in pathology.