Dr. Julia Mhlaba with mentee Caryn Cobb
The Skin of Color Society Mentorship Program has been a fantastic experience. I feel very honored to be connected and paired with Dr. Julie Mhlaba, as she is so open and available to provide any and all advice on applying into dermatology residency and more. Dr. Mhlaba is a fantastic resource as a board certified dermatologist, who is established in her career, but also having finished residency recently, she provides the unique perspective of someone who has gone through the very same process, and knows what to look for, and how to guide me on my journey with dermatology. She is always very available to connect and chat, even though she is in Chicago and I am in Providence, which has been so nice and helpful. We check in with each other periodically and I love chatting with her as I look up to her as a physician and a person-she is very positive and I feel like she is a true champion for me. She has guided me on how I should think about presenting myself with dermatology applications and interviews coming up for me this year and I also know she will be an available resource to go over my personal statement and application from how to structure it to what specifics should be included. Additionally, I feel that she has been and will continue to be an amazing person to help guide me through multiple aspects of my life, from practicing for interviews, but also life and career thoughts and inquiries so that I can be successful, and navigating through med school to residency and beyond can be difficult on your own. Furthermore, I really appreciate her fresh perspective and feedback as she provides thought-provoking questions, which challenge me to think about my plans overall moving forward and my personal goals. I already feel like she has my best interests at heart and is an open, kind, willing ear to listen and provide guidance, especially as a fellow woman of color, which I truly treasure. She continues to provide advice on school, residency and life, as well as research, which is a big interest of mine. I also appreciate how she is always responsive and communicative with kind reassurance and positive vibes, which is wonderful! Though maybe a small gesture, when I first met her at the SOCS meeting at AAD she sat with me the whole meeting and came to my poster presentation. Her gesture of kindness made me feel as though I had not only gained a mentor but also a really nice friend from the start, which means a lot to me and I know is rare. I am so thankful to have Dr. Mhlaba in my corner and I know this mentor relationship is ongoing and she has been so wonderful and open to being my mentor throughout my career, beyond just this year, which I truly value and appreciate. Thank you so much to the Skin of Color Society for introducing me to Dr. Mhlaba, who I know is going to be in my life forever and for this fantastic mentorship opportunity! I look forward to paying it back and being such a great mentor to someone else soon. Thank you so much.