Mentee: Tarek Dawamne, BS
Mentor: Olivia Choi, MD, PhD
The Skin of Color Society (SOCS) mentorship program has been the most impactful mentorship experience I've participated in. As a first-generation immigrant, I've consistently relied on mentors and their guidance in navigating my journey. Specifically, the SOCS mentorship program's flexible communication structure, with minimal formal requirements, allowed for a highly personalized and effective mentor-mentee relationship. In my experience, this autonomy facilitates the best outcomes.
Dr. Olivia Choi, my mentor, is an absolute gem of a person, physician, and scientist. Upon receiving our mentor-mentee pairing email, she immediately reached out to schedule a Zoom meeting. During our initial conversation, we discussed my journey and goals. After sharing her own experiences, she proactively offered various research and networking opportunities, and helped me establish a timeline for my away rotation applications. Dr. Choi was consistently available to answer my questions about these applications and shared in my excitement when I received offers. Her advice during away rotations was invaluable in guiding how I presented myself. During application season, her feedback on my application and personal statement was extremely helpful, significantly strengthening my application and assisting me in setting up my signals. After application season, she continued to support me by arranging mock interviews and providing constructive feedback. At the same time, she facilitated my involvement in research projects and networking events. All of these efforts culminated in the SOCS meeting in March, where we had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time and present one of the projects we worked on together regarding the effects of post inflammatory pigmentation alteration on patients with skin of color. Even when I did not match into dermatology, she remained incredibly supportive and helped me outline my next steps. Throughout the entire year, Dr. Choi was nothing but sincere, supportive, and encouraging. We remain in contact today, and I continue to seek her invaluable advice. If an award existed for the best mentor, she would undoubtedly be the top candidate.