VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
The ISPD launched a 12-month Virtual Mentorship Program in June 2023. The goal of the program is to connect junior members with more senior members of the Society, creating a mutually beneficial professional relationship. Each mentor-mentee pair will set their own goals and learning objectives, depending on the mentee’s prior experience in pediatric dermatology. In the first session (2023-2024), six mentees were included to benefit from this program.
For the upcoming 2025–2026 Virtual Mentorship Program, the Mentorship Committee has decided to include two categories of mentees:
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Mentees with prior knowledge and experience in Pediatric Dermatology (not more than 5 years years of experience).
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Dermatologists or pediatricians who are new to the field and wish to gain knowledge and skills in the specialty.
Mentorship Committee
Chair: Sandipan Dhar (India) Co-Chairs: Dr. May El Hachem (Italy)
Dr. Leong Kin Fon (Malaysia)
Dr. Mauricio Torres-Pradilla (Colombia)
Sandipan Dhar
India
May El Hachem
Italy
Leong Kin Fon
Malaysia
Mauricio Torres-Pradilla
Colombia
Mentee learning objectives include:
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Growth of Clinical Knowledge – Through case discussions and presentations (including ISPD website cases), journal reviews, and didactic lectures.
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Research – Mentees wishing to enhance their research skills will be matched with mentors experienced in research design, clinical trials, statistical analysis, and scientific writing.
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Career Development – Including preparation for academic positions, establishing pediatric dermatology departments, or initiating multidisciplinary clinics.
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Networking – Mentorship fosters valuable connections for solving complex cases, inviting speakers, or collaborating on clinical projects. It also nurtures long-term professional friendships and support.
ONLY ISPD MEMBERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY!
Mentors for 2025 - 2026
Mentees for 2025 - 2026
Aishatu Yahya
Nigeria
Luciana Maragno
Brazil
Stanley Leong
New Zealand
Ambika Pradhan
Bhutan
Maria Dakoutrou
Greece
Vladyslava Muratova
Ukraine
Edesiri Ighorodje
Nigeria
Sandesh Shah
Nepal
Fiona Harriet Namutebi
Uganda
Sk Shahriar Ahmed
India
GUIDELINES FOR THE ISPD VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME
Suggested guidelines for meetings:
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Mentors and mentees should meet virtually at least once every two months.
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The mentee should drive the agenda, set formal goals for each session, and review progress during each meeting.
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Mentees may present ISPD E-learning cases for discussion and receive additional insights from their mentor’s experience.
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Mentors may also choose cases for discussion, exploring the diagnosis options for such presentation and will discuss with their mentor the management approach emphasizing related research.
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They can also possibly review the editorial that appears in ISPD news bulletin or discuss the dermascopy pictures published in ISPD news bulletin.
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Mentor-mentee pairs may collaborate on small projects (e.g., collecting cases of childhood lichen planus or psoriasis to study clinical features or clinico-pathological correlations) to gain some research experience.
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Both may attend ISPD webinars together and use the mentee’s ‘learning objectives’ from the webinars to guide further discussion.
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Mentor-mentee pairs can build a database of thesis topics or potential research projects.
Sharing Knowledge Across the Program:
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Mentees are encouraged to maintain a logbook documenting activities throughout the year.
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Mentees may organize virtual journal clubs, individually or in groups with their mentors.
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Mentors are encouraged to deliver 15–20 minute didactic lectures, followed by a 15–20 minute Q&A. All mentees are encouraged to attend these sessions and register in their log book. Each mentee for sure should attend his or her mentor’s lectures + at least 3 more from other mentors.
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We consider participation in the didactic mentors a requisite of being a mentee – and a focus for some of the discussion with the mentor.
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Topics such as evidence-based medicine in pediatric dermatology, research methods, patient counseling, scientific writing, and presentation skills may be discussed.
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If the research is accomplished, at the end of the program, mentees may be invited to present their research during a dedicated ISPD webinar or encouraged to submit in a conference and if not research-focused, the mentee will be expected to report on lessons learned.