Though it's the world's second-most-populous nation, India has never had a coordinated system for responding to medical emergencies.

The Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center has been awarded "cancer center" designation from the National Cancer Institute -- a distinction that reflects both high-quality patient treatment and excellent basic and clinical research.

The clock is ticking. A federal program that aims to boost the number of minority medical students and physicians faces its demise unless Congress acts to restore federal funding later this fall.