Mentorship

We are thrilled to introduce a groundbreaking initiative led by SOCS President Victoria Barbosa, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAD, known as the SOCS Center for Leadership (CFL). The Center’s mission is to develop leaders who will drive the dermatology field forward with innovation, inclusivity, and excellence.

As Dr. Barbosa remarked in her stirring Presidential address at the 20th Scientific Symposium, “We need leaders in SOCS and leaders in other organizations. We have to be in the room where it happens in order to help our patients!”

With this in mind, we will offer comprehensive leadership education through a health equity lens. The innovative curriculum will include live and on-demand online programming, as well as a more structured cohort experience that blends webinars and online community with an immersive, in-person leadership development program that will be tailored to individual needs, interests and aspirations. We will officially launch the CFL’s leadership development program with a three-part webinar series covering the following topics, with all the pertinent details coming soon:

• Wednesday, September 25, 7-8 pm CT: Masterclass in Social Media—Featuring SOCS leaders Drs. Corey L. Hartman and Suchismita (Tia) Paul, who will share their secrets for their strong success and high engagement on social media.

REGISTER
• November 2024: My Path to Presidency—Featuring a globally recognized leader telling her leadership journey through several dermatology organizations.
• February 2025: Amplifying Your Impact in Society Leadership Roles—Featuring seasoned leaders who have served various major dermatology organizations.

Watch for details about how you can become engaged in the CFL.

Let us know if you are interested in the SOCS Center for Leadership!

YES, I’M INTERESTED!

Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program is a comprehensive program that connects young physicians and medical students with an approved skin of color expert from SOCS. The Mentorship Program is now open to medical students. Residents can serve as both a mentor (to medical students) AND as a mentee (matched with a practicing dermatologist).

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Application Timeline

Open: Thursday, August 1, 2024
Close: Friday, November 1, by 12:00 PM CT

Membership

This program is reserved for Skin of Color Society members and pending members with a complete membership application. Apply for membership here. Non-members should submit a complete membership application by Thursday, October 31 to meet eligibility requirements.

Mentor-Mentee Pairing

Eligible applicants are paired with an approved mentor either by their preference or through allocation by the SOCS Mentorship Committee. Due to high demand for the program, not all mentee applications will be matched with a mentor. Group mentorship opportunities may become available during the program year for those who apply.

Mentor-Mentee Benefits

• Build positive working relationships
• Acquire and share new knowledge and skills in skin of color
• Collaborate in research opportunities in skin of color
• Enjoy networking opportunities with other skin of color experts
• Share mentorship experience with the SOCS membership and dermatology community

Please review the eligibility criteria before submitting your applications.

Ready to take the next step? Here's how to get involved:

• Ensure you're a member or in the process of becoming one of the Skin of Color Society (SOCS). You must have active membership or a pending application to be eligible.
• Complete the Mentorship application form, including all necessary documents.

Who is eligible to be a Mentee?

Individuals who maintain active membership in SOCS with up-to-date dues payment.

AND

Are either medical students, dermatology residents, or fellows/young dermatologists who have completed their residency within the last three years.

Who is eligible to be a Mentor?

Individuals who maintain active membership in SOCS with up-to-date dues payment.

AND

Are either practicing dermatologists or dermatology residents.

Note: Residents have the opportunity to serve as both mentors (to medical students) and mentees (matched with practicing dermatologists).

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2022 Mentorship Experiences

Dr. Seemal Desai with mentee Camille Rothenberg Lausell

Dr. Valerie M. Harvey with mentee Stafford Brown III

Dr. Brandi Kenner-Bell with mentee Charissa Obeng-Nyarko 

Dr. Leon Kircik and mentee Kristin A. Tissera

Dr. Julia Mhlaba with mentee Caryn Cobb

Dr. Brandi Kenner-Bell with mentee Charissa Obeng-Nyarko 

Dr. Babar Rao with mentee Andressa Akabane

Dr. Valerie M. Harvey with mentee Stafford Brown III

Dr. Susan C. Taylor with mentee Rawan Moutraji, MD 

Dr. Rebecca Vasquez with mentee Ana Maria Viteri 

Dr. Bernice Wong with mentee Alexander Wong

Not Pictured

Dr. Chere Lucas Anthony and mentee Brittani Nicole

My participation in the Skin of Color Society mentorship program this past year was nothing short of amazing. From the many conversions with my mentor to the monthly mentoring sessions, this experience has had a positive impact on my journey to becoming a dermatologist.

My mentor is Dr. Lucas Anthony and I am so grateful for her mentorship. She lives in Florida and I attend medical school in Kansas City, Missouri so the majority of our interaction this past year was virtual. We typically check in on a monthly basis and I always leave our conversations feeling rejuvenated about my goals. I updated her on which clinical rotation I was on and she gave very good advice on how to maximize my rotations and be a better student. She also gave me a lot of encouragement and support during times of stress. As I approach the application season, we decided together that confidence is something I continuously need to work on in order to be successful. One of my favorite things about my mentor-mentee relationship with Dr. Lucas Anthony is her ability to provide me with reassurance. She always knows what to say to ease my anxiety. I was so happy to finally meet her in person a year later at the Skin of Color Symposium!

As I reflect on the past year, I am so grateful to have gotten a mentor through the Skin of Color Society. This mentorship experience has been monumental in my pursuit of dermatology. I really appreciated having a mentor that was very active and involved in our relationship. She never made me feel like I was “bothering” or “annoying” her; she genuinely wanted to help in any way she could. This mentorship was especially useful because she taught me strategies that were very helpful when researching residency programs and applying to away rotations. As I continue on this journey, I am confident that the connection I have with Dr. Lucas Anthony will continue to grow and blossom.

Dr. Kenyatta Mikeru and mentee Alexander Uche

Over this past year, I really enjoyed my time being a member of the Skin of Color Society. My mentor, Dr. Kenyatta Mireku, has been very great asset during my time as a medical student. She has provided me her experience of being a medical student and things she did to become a competitive applicant for dermatology residency. Dr. Mireku gave me some of her contacts for research in order to get some publications. She even encouraged me to enter my research to the SOCS Scientific Symposium, which I did. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend to the symposium due to having exams during that same week. I do plan on attending to the symposium next year. Overall, this program has been an indispensable experience to guide me through my medical school journey so far. I plan on being part of the Skin of Color Society throughout my medical career and hopefully be able pass down my knowledge and experience to any future medical students that are interested in dermatology.

2021 Mentorship Experiences

Mentee Ashley Obi with mentor Dr. Brandi Kenner-Bell

Mentee Chrislene Olukoga with mentor Dr. Peterson Pierre (Not Pictured)

Mentee Nickoo Merati with mentor Dr. Tarannum Jaleel

Mentee Krystina Quow with mentor Dr. Janiene Luke

Nicole Gunasekera with mentor Dr. Andrew Alexis 

Mentee Imara-Safi Scott with mentor Dr. Eva Kerby

Not Pictured

Mentee Chrislene Olukoga with mentor Dr. Peterson Pierre

As a student without a dermatology home program, I am so thankful to the Skin of Color Society’s Mentorship program and to Dr. Pierre. Dr Pierre is the first mentor in Dermatology I have had and has provided me with invaluable guidance and direction. He is a goal-oriented mentor and I always look forward to our check-in sessions. Any question or concern regarding my plans or endeavors, I have an objective, knowledgeable ear. We discuss strategy, residency, resilience, and the makings of a patient-centered dermatologist. I hope that one day I can meet him in person and thank him again for everything he has done for me.

Chrislene Olukoga 
2021 SOCS Mentorship Program Summary

Mentee Harry Liu with mentor Dr. Vineet Mishra

First, I’d like to thank the Skin of Color Society for organizing this wonderful mentorship program for dermatology residents in North America. I was paired with Dr. Vineet Mishra for this mentorship program for the past year. Although I am in Vancouver, Canada, I was able to connect virtually with Dr. Mishra. We discussed about the issues of Skin of Color in dermatology during our meet-up. We also discussed about my career goals and Dr. Mishra shared useful tips to help me succeed in residency. Based on our conversation, I was inspired to investigate the issue of dermatology education in the area of skin of color for Canadian dermatology residents. I published a commentary titled “Dermatology education in skin of colour: where we are and where do we go?” in the Canadian Medical Education Journal. I was also connected with Dr. Mishra on the research level as I am currently working on some research projects that demonstrate our common interests. I am looking forward to meeting Dr. Mishra in person when he will be attending the AAD Innovation Conference in July 2022. Thank you again for this wonderful program that helps residents connect with experts and advocates in the areas of Skin of Color!

Harry Liu, MD
2021 SOCS Mentorship Program Summary

Mentee Seneca Hutson with mentor Dr. Julia Mhlaba

I found the SOCS mentorship experience to be very beneficial. The first time I met with my mentor, Dr. Mhlaba, was shortly after starting my fourth year of medical school. We had a call to introduce ourselves, and we discussed my interests in dermatology and skin of color. Dr. Mhlaba was very supportive in giving advice to help me select away rotation programs that are strong in skin of color, and she even connected me with a current resident at the program that I eventually rotated at. She also assisted by recommending residency programs with skin of color experts that I should research and consider applying to. At the beginning residency interview season, Dr. Mhlaba gave me a practice interview, which was extremely beneficial in helping me prepare for the questions I would be asked. After the conclusion of interview season, I had follow-up questions about one particular program that I was interested in. Dr. Mhlaba connected me with one of her colleagues who had done residency at this program, who was able to have a phone call with me to answer my questions. Our ability to meet in person was limited due to factors related to Covid-19, but I was always met with support anytime I reached out, and Dr. Mhlaba would make sure to check in on me occasionally during crucial steps of the application process. I was very appreciative of the insight and information that I received from my mentor, and it made a big difference in how I approached fourth-year and residency applications. For this reason, I found the SOCS mentorship program to be quite useful.

Seneca Hutson
2021 SOCS Mentorship Program Summary

2024-2025 Observership Awardees

Mentee - Grant Awardee	Institution	Mentor - Observership Host	Mentor Institution
Luis Andrade, BSc	University of Miami Miller School of Medicine	Rebecca Vasquez, MD	University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Emmanuella Asabor, MPhill	Yale University	Sotonye Imadojemu, MD, MBE	Harvard Medical School
Isaac Li-Chi Chen, MD, MPH	Lahey Hospital and Medical Center; Massachusetts General hospital	Crystal Aguh, MD	Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Michaela Crawford, BS	Meharry Medical College	Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH, FAAD	Weill Cornell Medicine
Laura Bou Delgado, BA	Universidad Central del Caribe	Junko Takeshita, MD, PhD, MSCE	University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Aliyah King, BA	University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine	Monica Li, MD	University of British Columbia Department of Dermatology and Skin Science
Oluwadamilola Oke, BS	Tufts University School of Medicine / Brigham and Women's Hospital	Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH	Weill Cornell Medicine
Jiwon Park, BA	Long School of Medicine	Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD	Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Josephine Pyles, BS	Indiana University School of Medicine	Amy McMichael, MD	Wake Forest School of Medicine
Dominique Revan, BS	University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences	Heather Woolery-Lloyd, MD	University of Miami Department of Dermatology
Sach Thakker, BS	Georgetown University School of Medicine	Jun Kang, MD	The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

2024 Observership Experiences

Mentee Laura Bou Delgado, BA with Mentor Junko Takeshita, MD, PhD, MSCE

Mentee Isaac Li-Chi Chen, MD, MPH with Mentor Crystal Aguh, MD

Mentee Luis Andrade, BSc with Mentor Rebecca Vasquez, MD

Mentee Sach Thakker, BS with Mentor Jun Kang, MD

Mentee Michaela Crawford, BS with Mentor Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH, FAAD

Mentee Jiwon Park, BA with Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD

Mentee Josephine Pyles, BS with Mentor Amy McMichael, MD

Mentee Aliyah King, BA with Mentor Monica Li, MD

2023 Observership Experiences

Mentee Janeth Campbell, MS with mentor Cheryl Burgess, MD, FAAD

Mentee Christine Akoh, MD, PhD with Mentor Seemal Desai, MD, FAAD

Mentee Kristin Tissera with mentor Nicole Gunasekera, MD, MBA, FAAD

Mentee Renee Haughton, MD with Mentor Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH, FAAD

Mentee Charissa Obeng-Nyarko, MS with mentor Brandi Kenner-Bell, MD, FAAD

Mentee Nia James with Mentor Lynn McKinley-Grant, MD, FAAD

Mentee Harry Liu, MD with Mentor Michi Shinohara, MD,

Mentee Alexander Bang, BS with Mentor Bernice Kwong, MD, FAAD

Mentee Ogechi Ezemma with Mentor Saakshi Khattri, MD

Mentee Alicia Edwards, MS with Mentor Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD

2022 Observership Experiences

Mentee Melissa Alfredo, MD with Mentor Cheri Frey, MD, FAAD

Mentee Leandra Barnes, MD with Mentor Ginette A. Okoye, MD

Mentee Pauline Flaum-Dunoyer with Mentor Andrew F. Alexis, MD,

Mentee Melissa Alfredo, MD with Mentor Cheri Frey, MD, FAAD

Mentee Preetha Kamath, MD with Mentor Lynn Cornelius, MD

Mentee Jennifer Laborada, BS with Mentor Mark Lebwohl, MD

Mentee Jazmin Newton with Mentor Susan Taylor, MD

Mentee Aderonke Obayomi, MD, MPH with Mentor Elyse Love, MD

Mentee Ogechukwu Opaigbeogu, BS with Mentor Valerie Callender, MD, FAAD

Mentee Deborah Paul, MD with Mentor Sotonye Imadojemu, MD

Mentee Krystina Quow, MD with Mentor Ginette A. Okoye, MD

Mentee Nicole Trepanowski, BS with Mentor Rebecca Hartman, MD, MPH

Diversity in Clinical Research Mentoring Program

The Skin of Color Society, in conjunction with the NMA Dermatology Section, is proud to present the Diversity in Clinical Research (DiCR) Mentorship Program. This mentorship program is intended to:

• Develop the skills of the dermatology investigators of tomorrow
• Offer support to the underrepresented minority (URM) investigators
• Propel the career development of mentee
• Provide an experience that mirrors conducting industry-sponsored research
• Acquire the knowledge needed to run a successful and high-quality research program

We believe a diverse research workforce is essential, as it builds trust for clinical research in underserved populations.

DiCR Mentorship Program Overview

The DiCR Mentorship program will select 7-10 board-certified dermatologists (mentees) from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine with little or no clinical trials experience. They will receive a didactic online course (Phase I) an in-person 8 hour training (Phase II), and longitudinal mentorship experience (Phase III) .

Mentees will be required to successfully complete Phase I of the program in order to move onto subsequent phases.

Phase I: Online Course (NMA Dermatology Section): April 6 - July 20, 2024

Mentees will participate in an 8-part online course (Foundations & Principles of Clinical Trials). These 2-hour sessions will run every Saturday from April 6th through July 20th.

Topics include:

• Introduction Basic Clinical Research
• Drug Development Process
• FDA Code of Federal Regulations
• International Council of Harmonization: Good Clinical Practices
• Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee
• Investigational New Drug Safety Reporting
• Implementing Protocols and working with Clinical Research Associates
• Dermatology Protocol Review

Phase II: In-Person Training/Meet Your Mentor: Friday, August 2, 2024 | New York, NY

After successful completion of Phase I course work, mentees will attend an 8-hour in-person training on August 2nd at the New York Hilton Midtown & Sheraton in New York, NY.

Travel stipend: SOCS will provide a travel stipend to cover airfare and 2 nights hotel accommodation, provided selected mentees submit their travel expenses. Mentees will be responsible for booking their own airfare and hotel for the in-person training.

Phase III: Longitudinal Mentorship (Skin of Color Society): August - December 2025

Mentees will have the option to continue professional development through longitudinal mentorship until December 2025.

Mentors and mentees will have access to a 12-week curriculum as a reference guide/tool-kit.

Topics include:

• Clinical Research Site Terminology and Basic Research Site Concepts
• Finding Studies/Sponsor-Clinical Research Organizations (CRO)
• Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement/Feasibility Questionnaire/Protocol Synopsis
• Pre Study Site Selection Visit/ First Interaction with Study Monitor
• Study Start Up Procedures, Clinical Trial Agreement/Study Budget
• Site Initiation Visits (SIV)
• Protocol Implementation and Execution at the Clinical Research Site
• Study Vendor Details and Subject Recruitment
• How to work with Study Monitor/ First Interim Monitoring Visit
• Study Maintenance
• Close Out Visits
• Audits

Call for Applications

The Skin of Color Society, in conjunction with the NMA Dermatology Section, is seeking board-certified dermatologists (mentees) from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine with little or no clinical trials experience to participate in the DiCR Mentorship program.

Mentee Eligibility Criteria:

• Participants must be existing members of NMA Derm Section or SOCS (in-progress applications will be considered)
• Has limited clinical trials experience (<2-3 trials completed)
• Must be interested in establishing or expanding their clinical research program
• Must have completed GCP/CITI or equivalent training
• Can have previous experience with NMA/NMF/other Clinical Research Certification program
• Must be a board-certified or board-eligible dermatologist

Application Deadline:

Submit your mentee application by February 13, 2024.

Questions?

Please email the National Medical Association Dermatology Section (NMA Derm) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions regarding Phase I or the application process of the DiCR program.

Please reach out to the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) via phone at +1- 630-578-399 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions regarding Phase II or III of the DiCR program.

A Future With Diversity Starts Now

Cheri Frey, MD, FAAD
Chair
​Dermatology Section
National Medical Association

 

Jenna Lester, MD, FAAD
Diversity in Clinical Research Mentorship Task Force
​Co-Chair
Skin of Color Society

Tarannum Jaleel, MD, MHSc
Diversity in Clinical Research Mentorship Task Force Co-Chair
Skin of Color Society

Porcia B. Love MD, FAAD
Diversity in Clinical Research Mentorship Task Force
​Co-Chair
National Medical Association

We graciously acknowledge the support from Janssen/Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb for supporting this program.