"To actually receive this presidential appointment is unbelievable - to think that a first-generation American from the Midwest could make it this far is a testament to the freedoms, opportunities and ideals that defines this great nation," Basu said.

Basu is excited to begin working in his position and hopes to take away something vital from his experience as a White House Fellow.


"I believe that there is no greater calling than to make a positive difference in our society and in the lives of others. As a physician and faculty member at Stanford, I am thrilled to be able to influence a patient or a student one at a time. I value this tremendously but someday I would love to be able to improve the health care, education or economic status of hundreds or thousands of people," said Basu. "This type of macro-level change can only be accomplished through powerful, innovative and effective policy formulation and implementation. This, of course, is a challenging task, which requires a deep set of skills and experiences. I hope that learning and participating in the highest levels of the federal government will eventually help me to accomplish the goal of improving peoples lives on a large scale," he said.

In addition to being the first radiologist to be appointed to this position, Basu is also one of the few physicians to serve in this role.

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