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Junior computer science major Gautam Sanka (above, center) is an aspiring doctor and recipient of a 2012 Burch Fellowship from UNC. The fellowship provided him with funds to travel to India in summer 2012 to work with a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare to rural populations. The organization sends a physician to the villages it serves three out of five days a week, and operates a remote diagnostic service two days a week. Gautam worked with the nonprofit to create a mobile app that would enable the healthcare providers to track patients in real time and provide better diagnostic services. The app also allows for improved record keeping for the organization.
In addition, Gautam created a mobile app for insurance vendors in India working with one of the hospitals there. The app allows for an electronic insurance card for patients that the insurance companies could easily create, upload to a database, and view.