Online cosmetic community RealSelf announces the first eight recipients of the RealSelf Fellowship, which aims to award financial grants to medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to highly underserved communities around the world.

The recipient physicians, according to a media release from RealSelf, are:

  • Dr Frank Agullo, Traveling to Puebla, Mexico with Smile Network International on November 3, 2016;
  • Dr Patrick Byrne, traveling to Managua and Chichigalpa, Nicaragua with The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Aproquen on February 2, 2017;
  • Dr Joseph Gruss, traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam with ReSurge International on December 12, 2016;
  • Dr Larry Nichter, traveling to Havana, Cuba with the Plasticos Foundation and Stanford University on November 2, 2016;
  • Dr Virender Singhal, traveling to Managua, Nicaragua with ReSurge International on March 27, 2017;
  • Dr Kristin Stueber, traveling to Guayaquil, Ecuador with ReSurge International on January 27, 2017;
  • Dr Seth Thaller, traveling to Port Au Prince, Haiti with Project Medishare on January 16, 2017; and
  • Dr Andrew Wexler, traveling to Harare, Zimbabwe with ReSurge International on February 6, 2017.

Services the physicians provide at these communities will focus primarily on reconstructive surgery free of charge for children and adults with traumatic injuries and correctable deformities.

“We’re delighted to provide financial support for eight medical humanitarians,” says RealSelf Founder and CEO, Tom Seery, in the release. “The RealSelf Fellowship is a passion project for our company, and it’s an honor for us to play a role in the work of doctors and teams who volunteer time and talent to restore health, change lives and bring confidence to people worldwide.”

The fellowship is open to physicians as well as surgical care teams who will volunteer their medical services or serve as volunteer educators to advance the skills of local doctors and staff in a range of medical needs, the release explains.

Applications will be evaluated twice per year. The next phase of applications, for trips taking place after April 1, is open now, with an application deadline of February 1, 2017.

For more information about the RealSelf Fellowship, including eligibility requirements and to complete the online application, visit RealSelf.

[Source(s): RealSelf, PR Newswire]