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Mentored Internship Program in Nephrology (MIPiN)
About the Program
The GlomCon Foundation’s Mentored Internship Program in Nephology (MIPiN) provides talented, underrepresented undergraduates pursuing careers in the biomedical sciences with intensive research and clinical shadowing experiences in Nephrology. Dr. Hall, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Nephrology at Duke and Director of the GlomCon Foundations’s MIPiN program, is leading this effort. In 2023 Dr. Hall and Dr. Nina Smith, On-Site Director of the MIPiN at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and Associate Dean of the NCCU College of Health and Sciences, successfully partnered to support the career of a talented underrepresented undergraduate awarding an internship to Ms. Monique A. Dacanay, a rising senior and Cheatham-White Scholar at NCCU.
Now, the GlomCon Foundation’s Mentored Internship Program in Nephology, in an initial partnership between the Duke University School of Medicine Division of Nephrology and North Carolina Central University (NCCU), seeks to expand access and provide early-career mentoring for trainees underrepresented in medicine (URiM). The overall mission of the program is to increase the representation of minoritized trainees and faculty in clinical nephrology and nephrology research through improving the quality of early-career mentoring and access for individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds. The long term objective of the MIPiN is to increase URiM representation in Nephrology to improve the delivery of culturally competent patient care. Inspired by his own formative experiences with early-career mentoring, Dr. Gentzon Hall, initiated a pilot program in 2023 with the generous support of the Duke Division of Nephrology.
The pilot was established in tribute to the memory of his late mentor, Dr. Michelle P. Winn. Dr. Winn was a fierce advocate for the expansion of opportunities for minoritized trainees and faculty at Duke and is fondly remembered as a prolific scientist and a selfless and dedicated mentor. Ms. Dacanay, the inaugural Michelle P. Winn intern, conducted her research in the laboratory of Dr. Opeyemi Olabisi, a leading expert in the pathobiology of Apolipoprotein I (APOL1)-mediated Kidney Disease. Now the GlomCon Foundation’s MIPiN program is continuing this legacy and is supporting 3 interns for the 2024/25 academic year with plans to expand outside the State of North Carolina in subsequent years. Given the unique challenges encountered by minoritized trainees pursuing careers in the health professions and their urgent need for early-career mentoring, Dr. Hall is hopeful that this program will assist in launching the careers of the next generation of URiM physician-scientists and serve as a model for future efforts to improve the quality and impact of mentoring in medical education.
Leadership
2025/26 Mentors
How It's Structured
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The Mentored Internship Program in Nephrology (MIPiN) is a for-credit experience that pairs talented HBCU undergraduates with basic/translational or clinical research mentors for a 1-year research and clinical shadowing experience in a tier 1 academic medical center.
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Internships will begin in the first month of the Fall semester as defined by the undergraduate calendar. Interns will conduct research and participate in career development activities in the Fall semester. Individual Development Plans will be drafted at the start of the Fall semesters and interns will receive performance evaluations at the end of the term. Interns that are approved to continue will resume research activities in the Spring semester and begin clinical shadowing experiences. Final performance evaluations and exit interviews will be performed at the close of the Spring semester as defined by the undergraduate calendar. Interns who would like to continue in research during the Fall, Spring and Summer breaks may arrange this with their mentors but it is not required.
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Partnering undergraduate and academic medical institutions must be in close proximity to facilitate daily travel between campuses for MIPiN interns.
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Participating undergraduate institutions must certify MIPiN interns are students in good standing with unfulfilled elective credits. They must also agree to provide guidance and professional development support through an assigned undergraduate advisor.
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Host Divisions must provide MIPiN interns with on-boarding services (e.g. computer access, badge access, visiting student shadowing privileges, etc.), access to didactic sessions (e.g. nephrology journal club, renal grand rounds, etc. medicine grand rounds, etc.) and agree to provide 50% matching funds to support the trainee experience.
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Interns will be required to submit eligible research to the annual American Society for Nephrology Kidney Week meeting to be considered for presentation. Interns will also be required to provide capstone research presentations for their respective undergraduate institutions and host Divisions upon completion of the internship experience.
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Interns must participate in mandatory follow-up interviews for at least 3 years after completion of the program.
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Upon completion of the program, interns will participate in peer mentoring activities for MIPiN interns in subsequent years.
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Applications for the 2025/26 cohort will open on March, 15th 2025 and close on May 15th 2025.
Candidate Eligibility
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Must be a rising junior or senior undergraduate in good standing
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Must be pursuing a BA or BS degree with the intention to pursue graduate level education in the biomedical sciences (i.e. MD, PhD, MD/PhD)
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Must have a minimum 3.25 GPA
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Must have unfulfilled independent study credits
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Must have reliable transportation
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Must agree to 3 years of follow-up interviews to assess candidate educational progress after completing the program
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Special consideration will be given to applicants with a family history of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease or kidney transplant
2025/26 Intern Cohort
Iyanna Boston is a rising junior at North Carolina Central University and a recipient of the prestigious Cheatham-White Scholarship. She plans to pursue MD/PhD training and is interested in a career as both a Nephrologist and Transplant Surgeon. She has been awarded the GlomCon Foundation Michelle P. Winn Basic Science Research Internship and will be mentored by Dr. Xungrong Luo.
Rachel Hood is a rising junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University majoring in Biology on the pre-medical track. She plans to pursue an MD and is interested in a career in palliative care medicine, with the goal of owning her own palliative care facility. She is a JB Howroyd Endowed Scholar, a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, and has served as the Recruitment Chair Intern for the Minority Association of Premedical Students. She has been awarded the GlomCon Foundation Clinical Research Internship and will be mentored by Drs. Jessica Ma and Rasheeda K. Hall.
Kennedy Nesmith is a rising senior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University majoring in Biology on the pre-medical track and Food and Nutritional Science (human nutrition) with a minor in Military History. She serves as the youth coordinator for Old North State Medical Foundation. She plans to pursue a combined MD/PhD and is interested in a career in General Surgery. She is the recipient of the GlomCon Foundation Charles Johnson Internship at Duke University and will be mentored by Drs. Dwight Koeberl and Gentzon Hall.
Ifediora “Fedi” Nwakuche is a rising junior at North Carolina Central University majoring in chemistry. Nwakuche‘s academic and research interests center on chronic metabolic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. He plans to pursue MD/PhD training and is interested in Cardiology and Biochemistry. He is a recipient of the prestigious Cheatham-White Scholarship and will be the inaugural Thomas M. Coffman GlomCon Foundation Basic Research Intern. Fedi will be mentored by Drs. Steven D. Crowley and Gentzon Hall.
Mr. Eric André Ford is a rising junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University majoring in Biology. He aspires to a pursue a MD and is interested in Neurology and Psychiatry. He is an American Heart Association HBCU Scholar’s Program recipient, a Yale Summer Enrichment Medical Academy 2024 graduate, and a University of California Los Angeles and Charles R. Drew University SHPEP 2025 Scholar. He has been awarded the GlomCon Foundation Dr. Kimberly J. Evans Clinical Research Internship and will be mentored by Dr. Crystal Tyson.
