Galen V. Henderson, MD Program

A Medical Student Summer Program in Organ Donation and Transplantation

June 8, 2026 – July 30, 2026

The Galen V. Henderson, MD Program is an innovative 8-week, 25 to 30 hours per week, immersive experience for medical students, regardless of program year or specialty interests. The Henderson Program at New England Donor Services in Waltham, MA, will increase knowledge about organ and tissue donation and transplantation, inequities in transplantation, and potential career paths in transplantation through 4 learning pathways:

Experiential: As part of the program, students will…

• Observe organ recoveries with NEDS surgeons
• Observe tissue recoveries
• Learn about machine perfusion and normothermic regional perfusion (NRP)
• Observe transplant surgeries at one of our regional transplant programs
• Shadow a transplant surgeon during outpatient clinic
• Participate in our Corneal Wet Lab
• Participate in a simulation of family approach for donation authorization
• Observe and talk to staff in the NEDS Operations Call Center
• Participate in Clinical Learning Sessions

Seminars/Discussions: Every Tuesday and Thursday, students participate in interactive learning sessions, including…

• Connect-to-Purpose sessions with donor family members, transplant recipients, and living donors
• Discussions with regional and national experts on the full range of donation and transplantation topics – medical, surgical, legal, ethical, psychosocial, and regulatory aspects of donation and transplantation
• Conversation series with notable leaders in transplantation – to learn about their career, current roles and responsibilities, and guidance they have for medical students through interactive Q&A
• Equity-focused lectures and discussions
• Get-to-Know informal sessions with NEDS staff, to learn about the many different roles within the organization
• Organ utilization virtual meetings with NEDS staff, transplant physicians, and surgeons throughout the New England region

Community Engagement: Students join NEDS staff and others in community engagement activities, including…

• Tabling at community-wide events
• Meetings with state legislators
• Speaking to students enrolled in driver education programs
• Working events with our multicultural community outreach team

Scholarly Project: Paired with an experienced mentor, students complete a scholarly project that may include…

• Health services or outcomes research (e.g., analyzing existing regional or national data)
• Data-driven clinical or qualitative research
• Program development
• Quality improvement project
• Literature review

Students are assigned a Peer Mentor – a medical student from one of the previous Henderson Program cohorts – to provide informal guidance and tips for optimizing the Henderson Program experience.

At the end of the program, students present highlights of their Henderson Program experience during a celebratory luncheon with New England Donor Services staff and leadership.

Until his untimely death in 2023, Dr. Galen V. Henderson served as the Associate Medical Director of New England Donor Services. He was an inspiration to all of us at New England Donor Services, an incredibly kind and compassionate colleague, and a gentle giant in the fields of neurocritical care and organ donation. He served in several national leadership roles in organ donation and was instrumental in standardizing neurocritical pathways in the context of organ donation. His tireless efforts were widely recognized by others, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, from which he received three awards for his leadership, mentorship, and many educational contributions that benefited the field of organ donation.

Dr. Henderson’s commitment to organ donation was inspired by a patient he encountered during his first year of residency. “I was on call and there was a patient at the hospital who had a possible neurological catastrophe, and I was asked to go into the operating room to see the patient. After examining the patient, I called my attending to discuss what was going on, and it dawned on me that this person probably was in the early phase of meeting the criteria for brain death. I learned about the opportunities of people who could be saved, and that person did donate and saved seven other people, and that was truly, truly impactful for me.” (The Alliance, reprinted with permission)

A Mississippi native, Dr. Henderson graduated from Tougaloo College, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Jackson, Mississippi. He completed medical school at Brown University and then did his residency in the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Training Program. Following his fellowship in Neurocritical Care, he was appointed to the faculty of the Harvard Medical School and joined the Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he served as Director of Neurocritical Care. Notably, he was the 1^st Black neuro-intensivist in the United States and 1^st Black Fellow to be inducted into the Neurocritical Care Society.

Dr. Henderson also served as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was an obvious choice for this position, considering his nearly three decades of commitment to mentoring hundreds of students, residents, and faculty, and his passionate advocacy for those underrepresented in medicine. As CDIO, he led the recruitment and retention of a diverse group of faculty and trainees, worked selflessly to create a welcoming environment, and provided career support and leadership advancement opportunities for others.

Our medical student program at New England Donor Services continues Dr. Henderson’s legacy by educating the next generation of physicians, including those from groups Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM), about organ donation and transplantation, diversifying the professional workforce in organ donation, and eliminating inequity in organ donation and transplantation.

Henderson Program Students – 2025 Cohort

Jamie Bozeman, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Class of 2027

Riley Cable, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Class of 2028

Ria Goyal, Harvard Medical School, Class of 2028

Lila Medeiros, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Class of 2028

Vivian Nguyen, Harvard Medical School, Class of 2027

Aspen Pierson, Tufts University School of Medicine, Class of 2028

Alison Yong, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Class of 2028

From the students…

“The level of immersion that this program provides is something that I never dreamed I’d be able to experience, let alone this early in my medical training.”

“…surpassed my expectations in learning about transplantation – from learning directly from national leaders to OR experiences that will shape my career.”

“…exposed me to such meaningful experiences. I’ve appreciated the honest conversations we’ve had about the history and current state of organ donation. The sincerity of the people involved in this work has only deepened my passion for donation advocacy even more.”

“While the OR cases are invigorating and the education has been intellectually stimulating, the true gem of this program lies in the Connect-to-Purpose engagements with donor families, living donors, and transplant recipients. It is such a privilege to carry their spirits and legacy forward as I train to enter the medical profession.”

“I LOVED this program. It was extremely engaging and informative. I feel so fortunate to have been able to participate in it.”

“The best way to have spent my summer! I truly feel so privileged to have been a part of this program!”

To qualify for the Henderson Program, one must be a (a) full-time student in good standing at an accredited U.S. medical school, and (b) a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident of the U.S., or U.S. Noncitizen National.

Applications to the 2026 Henderson Program will be accepted from October 15, 2025, to December 15, 2025. Interviews will be conducted with top applicants in January/February 2026, and selection decisions will be announced by February 15, 2026. While priority will be given to students attending medical school in New England, we encourage applications from students attending any accredited medical school in the United States.

Follow the link below to complete your application. As part of the application, you’ll be asked to upload two documents: (1) a Brief Personal Statement (max 450 words) describing your reasons for applying to the Henderson Program and how you believe the program will help in your personal and professional development, and (2) your resume or CV. We encourage you to have these documents ready before completing the application online.

Also, a signed and dated letter on institutional letterhead from your medical school advisor or a member of the medical school faculty must be emailed to the Henderson Program Director (Dr. Jim Rodrigue, [email protected]) by December 15, 2025. This letter serves to confirm your medical school enrollment and your good standing within the program.

Mark Brevard

Director, Multicultural Community Outreach, New England Donor Services

Email: [email protected]