Aug 2025

By Oluwakemi Tomobi, Robert Trevino, & Jazmin Villavicencio

It was with great delight that we celebrated the impact of the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) over the last 35 years. The Future Leaders in Health Summit offered an excellent opportunity for alumni from the four iterations of the program (MMEP, SMEP, SMDEP, and SHPEP) to reconnect and celebrate their successes. The two-day gathering took place from Friday, December 6, to Saturday, December 7, 2024, at the headquarters of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) in Washington, DC. The SHPEP National Alumni Advisory Board (SHPEP NAAB) met the day before, excited to reflect on past activities and further plan for the special weekend ahead. 

On Friday evening, the event commenced with a heartfelt opening session featuring welcome remarks from leaders of AAMC, ADEA, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and SHPEP NAAB. Following this, a professional photo lounge was available, as well as resource tables hosted by program sites and health professions organizations, and poster sessions presented by program alumni. The poster sessions covered topics ranging from empathy to maternal health, allowing us to network and present areas of interest. There were also extra opportunities for networking and mentorship that evening, as well as a virtual reality demonstration that allowed attendees to “walk in another person’s shoes.”  

Day 2 of the event began with a panel of alumni representing MMEP, SMDEP, and SHPEP titled “Distance Traveled Panel of Alums.”  It was great to hear from fellow alumni and learn about the distance they have traveled to get to where they are today. It was very inspirational and encouraging for attendees to hear about the obstacles they faced and their success stories.  These individuals continue to motivate and empower us to remain steadfast on our respective personal and professional journeys. This session reminds us that, no matter where we are on our journey, we can always learn from others.

“Distance Traveled” Panel, from left to right: Dr. Alden Landry (panelist), Jazmin Villavicencio (panelist), Dr. Kristen Wong (/moderator), Jylexus Burks (panelist), and Rachel Kulchar (panelist)

The first block of breakout sessions included a very eye-opening Financial Literacy session, which not only tackled student loan repayment plans but also addressed life insurance. The other option was “Building a Career in Research and Academia,” which offered many thought-provoking questions for the panelists and attendees, including an icebreaker that discussed our individual superpowers. It presented a powerful message centered on owning our own origin stories for our “aha moment” when we realized we wanted to incorporate scholarly work into our careers, as well as discussing our proudest research achievements.

After a lively networking lunch, the second block of breakout sessions included a session on Mental Health and Wellness, specifically integrated community health through mindfulness

and nutrition. The other option for attendees was the Admissions Insights Roundtable Discussions, which offered general information and strategies for the application processes of various health profession pathways.

The last block of breakout sessions featured a session led by one of our own board members, Dr. Robert Trevino, on “Mentorship and Networking,” which highlighted the importance of both in our individual journeys. The workshop introduced a newer concept to the group in professional identity formation, which served as the lens for the workshop, as well as presenting multiple reflection points for alumni. Simultaneously, some attendees participated in mock interviews with SHPEP program leaders and alumni to network and receive valuable feedback and guidance on their interviewing skills.

“Advancing Equity” Panel, from left to right: Dr. Robert Trevino (panelist), Dr. Denise Martinez (panelist), Dr. Karen Morris-Priester (panelist), Dr. Norma Poll-Hunter (moderator)

The conference ended with two excellent panel discussions. The first was on “Advancing Equity,” which brought together experts from various healthcare specialties to discuss the ever-increasing importance of equity work and how to maintain momentum when we feel like we can’t. Supporting this, the closing panel of alumni shared their own parting words, which resonated with messages they had heard in other sessions, including the importance of owning your narrative and working to craft your own journey through this. There is a level of academic resilience that we need to continue to be strong throughout all aspects of training and even into our professional careers. However, it begins with understanding our narratives and the reasons behind pursuing this work

Overall, we had a deeply memorable and meaningful experience learning, connecting, reflecting, and celebrating at the Future Leaders in Health Summit.

SHPEP NAAB Members – Past and Present, Front row from left to right:  Jylexus Burks, Dr. Karen Morris-Priester, Jazmin Villavicencio, Dr. Robert Trevino. Back row from left to right: Dr. Denise Martinez, Dr. Oluwakemi Tomobi, Alessio Barca.