Find Your Mentor In Medical School

Career advising aligned with your professional interests. 

Medical school faculty member mentoring students in a career in medicine

The Specialty ACE program was launched in 2021 to enhance career development opportunities for medical students at all levels. The Specialty ACEs are experienced faculty advisors enthusiastic about mentoring medical school students in their specialty.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Establish a cohort of faculty members within their Department to support their advising efforts. Cohort members are medical school faculty members who span clinical and research arenas within their specialty.

  • Serve as the "go-to person" within the Department when medical school students are interested in learning more about their specialty.
  • Serve as the "go-to person" within the Department when other medical school faculty members, Deans, and College Chairs would like to refer a student to learn more about their specialty.
  • Meet with medical students to explore their interests, and match students with potential mentors within their Department.
  • Oversee the student “Specialty Interest Group,” or identify a faculty colleague to run with this responsibility.
  • Help medical students navigate the application for residency process in their specialty.

Connect with a ACE Specialty

John S. Shin, MD
Director, Medical Student Education
JShin@mednet.ucla.edu 

Judi A. Turner, MD, PhD
Vice Chair for Education
JATurner@mednet.ucla.edu

Michael O. Nguyen, MD, PhD, FAAD
Director of Medical Student Education at UCLA Dermatology
Monguyen@mednet.ucla.edu

Jan Smogorzewski, MD
Medical Student Clerkship Director and Director of Inpatient Dermatology Education
Jsmogorzewski@dhs.lacounty.gov

Paul A. Kedeshian, MD
Associate Clinical Professor
PKedeshian@mednet.ucla.edu

Travis Shiba, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
TShiba@mednet.ucla.edu 

Interested in learning more about Internal Medicine? Please complete this brief interest form so that we can connect you with one of our outstanding faculty advisors.

Interest Form

Neveen S. El-Farra, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine
NElFarra@mednet.ucla.edu

Jodi L. Friedman, MD
Clinical Professor
JFriedman@mednet.ucla.edu

John Ly, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
EJly@mednet.ucla.edu

Marvin Bergsneider, MD
Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
MBergsneider@mednet.ucla.edu

 

Jeremiah Johnson, MD
Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
jnjohnson@mednet.ucla.edu
 

Erica D. Oberman, MD
Associate Clinical Professor
EOberman@mednet.ucla.edu

Zhen W. Mei, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
ZMei@mednet.ucla.edu 

Elena Stark, MD
Professor
EStark@mednet.ucla.edu 

Deborah Lehman, MD
Clinical Professor & Assistant Dean
DLehman@mednet.ucla.edu 

Meeryo C. Choe, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
MChoe@mednet.ucla.edu 

Ginger Slack, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
GSlack@mednet.ucla.edu