Date published: September 4, 2025
September Fellow Spotlight: Prakash Paudel , MD, MPH
In this month’s Fellow Spotlight, we feature Prakash Paudel , MD, MPH, a Clinical Informatics fellow at UMass Chan. We recently caught up with Dr. Paudel to learn more about his clinical and research interests, why he chose UMass Chan for his fellowship, and why Maine is his favorite place to travel!  
Hometown?
Currently Shrewsbury, MA. I come from the villages in the mountains of western Nepal, the Annapurna region.
What are your clinical and research interests?
I was trained in internal medicine and have worked as an internal medicine hospitalist after completing my residency and chief residency at Berkshire Medical Center. I enjoy the diversity of internal medicine hospital service. Every patient presents with a plethora of symptoms leading to a diagnosis that we get to know from the textbooks, but their unique story is nowhere to be found except at the close interactions at the bedside. This is what makes clinical medicine interesting to me. I am interested in improving diagnosis using various technologies. I like the aspects of digital equity, access to the ever-advancing technology in healthcare including artificial intelligence.
I recently completed my master’s in public health through UMass Amherst along with a Graduate Certificate in Global Health. I am interested in global digital equity. During my fellowship and my MPH courses, I was involved in the Electronic Medical Record Selection for a hospital network in Nepal. This is considered a resource limited setting and has its own kind of challenges. These are completely different from the ones that we see around here during our daily practices. To streamline the process, I had to build a screening tool from scratch. We meet with multiple EHR vendors multiple times virtually along with the members of the organization in Nepal. We were able to use the tool to identify the most appropriate EHR based on the custom needs and capabilities of the organization.
Earlier in August, when I was in Nepal, I facilitated the initiation of an “Ambient Listening” AI tool. This was a lengthy process involving multiple organizations, multilateral coordination, and planning. The “Ambient Listening” AI tool we have successfully launched is the first AI tool being used by the providers in Nepal to improve patient care and documentation. The newly selected EHR system and the “Ambient Listening” AI tool combination are milestones in the digitalization of healthcare in Nepal. It makes the organization one of the pioneers to adopt such technology. It takes the medical records from paper to an AI supported digital platform.
Why did you choose UMass Chan for your fellowship?
UMass offers a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment with a strong emphasis on innovation and patient-centered care.
Are you involved in any other groups or activities at UMass Chan that you’d like to highlight?
I closely work with teams that are engaged in the improvement of informatics in the health system, responsible for the adoption of the artificial intelligence tools for the organization. I also closely follow the global health work of the collaborative in health equity.
Where is your favorite place to travel for vacation and why?
Locally, I like the areas of Maine, Acadia National Park. Internationally, I would go to the Himalayan Mountains as much as I can.
What is your go-to board game?
Chess. I enjoy playing it with my son when we’re both looking for something engaging and quiet. It’s a great way to bond and challenge each other.
What topping does not belong on pizza?
Pineapple does not belong on a pizza. No one should ruin two great foods by combining them.
In your spare time, what TV show do you binge?
I like watching series based on real life, history, and documentaries.
What song/artist do you hope comes on first when you press random play on your playlist?
Nepathya (Nepali Folk-Pop band). Their music blends folk traditions with modern sounds and always brings a sense of nostalgia and spiritual connection.