Alumni and faculty rally around the next generation of healthcare professionals at a student-planned and led mentorship event.
A mentor can be a valuable asset for aspiring medical students and seasoned physicians alike.
This was the impetus for “Mentoring in Medicine,” a two-hour program sponsored by the Temple University Alumni Association and organized and hosted by the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (Katz) chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the oldest and largest independent, student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of Black medical students in the United States, and the Katz Student Diversity Council (SDC).
Held on February 16 at Katz’s Medical Education and Research Building, the event brought together a dozen prominent Black Katz faculty and alumni for a student-moderated panel discussion, moderated by students Beverly Udegbe and Chiebuka Onuoha, and a guided networking session, moderated by students Lilith Aguirre-Murray and Tatiana Woodworth.
The four alumni panelists—Lynne Holden, MD ’91; Aletha Maybank, MD ’00; Annina Wilkes, MD ’83; and David Wilkes, MD ’82—shared insight and advice on finding a mentor and setting expectations for the relationship. Later, the more than 80 students who pre-registered, an increase from last year’s inaugural event, separated into networking tables grouped by specialty. Beyond the panelists, additional alumni and faculty who came together to share their experience with students included Arianna Ahiagbe, MD ’20; Robyn Jones, MD ’81; Kim May, MD ’95; Deric Savior, MD; Lawrence Oresanya, MD; Andrew K. Sanderson, II, MD, MPH, FASGE; Karl Whitley, MD; and Abiona Berkeley, MD, JD, Katz’s Senior Associate Dean of Health Equity.
The more intimate networking session was a new element, added by the student organizers to create more opportunities for interaction between the students and alumni and faculty, increasing the potential for new mentee-mentor relationships to form.
“We know how critical mentorship is in our field,” said Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, the Marjorie Joy Katz Dean of the Katz School of Medicine, addressing the audience prior to the panel discussion. “It shapes careers, opens doors, builds confidence, and reminds us that none of us walks alone.”
She added, “Mentorship relationships often become the foundation for leadership, service, and innovation throughout a lifetime in medicine. And at Temple, you can find mentors like these. Everything we do and teach is rooted in our commitment to making a difference for the patients and communities we serve and within the systems of healthcare that impact us all. This is who we are, and it is our mission.”
During the panel discussion, Dr. Annina Wilkes, Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology and Co-Director of the Breast Imaging Fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University, and Katz Medical Alumni Association Board member, suggested that students should strive to find multiple mentors to meet their various needs, which she called a “personal advisory board.”
Dr. Maybank, who most recently served as Chief Health Equity Officer and Senior Vice President at the American Medical Association and was named Katz’s Page M. and Henry P. Laughlin Alumna of the Year in 2025, noted that “mentor” typically implies seniority in relation to the mentee. But throughout her medical education and career, she’s found similar support among her peers, including three friends she happened to see the day before and credited with getting her through medical school.
Their friendship, she said, “was an important part of building confidence amongst us as a group, and as a group of Black women, and that enabled us to feel like we could go on and do other things. So I don’t want you to underestimate the power of what you all provide for each other.”
Among a mentor’s most important qualities, said Dr. David Wilkes, Dean Emeritus of the University of Virigina School of Medicine and a member of the Katz Board of Visitors, is their ability to help the mentee learn to be comfortable outside of their natural comfort zone.
“We all suffer from imposter syndrome,” he said. “You think, I’ll never be able to do that. And then, suddenly, you’re thrust into a position where you have to. The mentor should be the one driving that process for you.”
As with any relationship, trust provides the foundation for the mentee-mentor relationship, Dr. Maybank said. And nothing erodes trust faster than a lack of communication, said Dr. Holden, Senior Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Outreach and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
“One of the biggest hiccups” she’s observed in mentor-mentee relationships “is a lack of communication, because communication is so important.” She encouraged students to maintain a consistent dialogue with their mentor, rather than reaching out only in moments of need.
In his parting advice, Dr. David Wilkes shared that he still has mentors. “We’re always worried about making a mistake,” he said. “But nobody’s perfect. A mentor will tell you it’s OK to screw up every now and then and help you navigate those moments.”
Dr. Annina Wilkes encouraged students to be open to the possibility that anyone can be a mentor. Dr. Maybank urged students to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. “Grab the moment when you see it’s there,” she said.
Dr. Holden shared how important it is “bring others with you.” In ascending the “academic ladder,” as she described it, look above and below, because there will be others who will need a helping hand, “We really need to make sure that we’re looking out for each other.”
Later, when asked by an audience member what keeps them motivated, Dr. David Wilkes said, “We’re here for you, basically. The most important aspect of my career is opening doors for future generations.”
As the event came to a close, in thanking all the planners, participants and panelists, student organizer Amanda Stutman said. “Tonight is a reflection of what we believe deeply: that mentorship matters, leadership matters and community matters. When we invest in one another, we strengthen the future of medicine.”