By Maggie Christ  

Two clinical scholars from Kazakhstan are in Richmond for a 10-month stay as part of the Bolashak International Scholarship Program.  

The program, led by Askar Chukmaitov, Ph.D., associate professor of health policy at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health, began in 2012 and has hosted 12 scholars since then. 

This cohort is the first in a few years, since the Kazakhstan government – like many countries – shifted focus and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chukmaitov, program director and originally from Kazakhstan himself, is eager to restart the program and welcome scholars back to campus. He has partnered with VCU’s School of Medicine and faculty at the School of Public Health to develop a program for each scholar’s unique path and educational background. Both scholars arrived on campus to begin their stay on November 14, 2024. 

Nurzhan Klyshbekov, M.D., is a colorectal surgeon. His advisors are Jaime Bohl, M.D., chief of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery at VCU Health and the chair of the School of Medicine’s Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, and Emily Rivet, M.D., a colon and rectal surgeon at VCU Health and associate professor of surgery. 

Nurzhan Klyshbekov, M.D., stands at Capitol Square in Richmond, VA. (Contributed photo)

Assel Sadykova, M.D., is an ophthalmic surgeon. Her clinical advisor is Mary Daly, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. Sadykova will have the chance to work with each faculty member in the ophthalmology department during her stay. 

The program began as an effort to address priorities outlined by the Kazakhstan government. 

Kazakhstani clinicians are poised to enhance their clinical experience, practical skills, and clinical research expertise, crucial for advancing health care outcomes nationwide. By acquiring new knowledge and skills through international training, clinicians can catalyze transformation within Kazakhstan’s health care delivery system.  

Assel Sadykova, M.D., poses with Dimitrios Sismanis, M.D., assistant clinical professor in VCU Health Department of Ophthalmology. (Contributed photo)

This internship program targets specialties such as surgery, ophthalmology, health policy, and other clinical and public health disciplines — areas highlighted as pivotal by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health. These priorities underscore the program’s commitment to equipping clinicians and health policy makers with the necessary tools to drive innovation and improve health care in the country. 

The program is set to expand in 2025. Seven more clinical scholars have been selected and will join VCU this fall. 

Why receive training at VCU and VCU Health?  

VCU’s robust health sciences campus is tied to an academic health system with a teaching hospital, children’s hospital, NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center and center for clinical translational science, making it a great place for these scholars to work with top-tier clinicians, researchers and public health practitioners.  

“It’s a way for VCU to expand its global reach, as public health is global health,” Chukmaitov said. “We have an opportunity to learn from the scholars.”  

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A version of this story was originally published by VCU School of Public Health