Dr. Brandi Kenner-Bell with mentee Charissa Obeng-Nyarko
I sought the SOCS Mentorship Program to establish rapport with a mentor who would provide one-on-one guidance and support my interests in dermatology which include skin of color, autoimmune skin diseases, and procedural dermatology. Fortunately, I was matched with Dr. Kenner-Bell, who shared those interests. Since we connected in March 2022, we have gradually built our mentor-mentee relationship. Besides our several communications via text, email, and Zoom, we met in-person at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting twice this past year. Although, we did not work on any research or projects this past year, Dr. Kenner-Bell was a wonderful source of support and wisdom concerning career development in dermatology.
As a 2023-2024 recipient of the SOCS Observership Grant, I have been paired with Dr. Kenner-Bell. I look forward to doing a rotation at her institution, Northwestern Department of Dermatology within the next year. Though the SOCS Mentorship Program has come to an end, I still aspire to continue and maintain a positive collaborative relationship with Dr. Kenner-Bell. I am forever grateful that Skin of Color Society opened those doors for me. As someone coming from an institution without a dermatology program, my participation in SOCS programming has been a life-changing experience!