Electronic Fall 2026 | Issue 68
Building Connections Across Generations: The IPS Mentorship Brunch
By: Ji in (Vivien) Choi
On Sunday, August 23, the Illinois Psychiatric Society brought together psychiatrists and trainees from across Illinois for its very first Mentorship Brunch. Centered on mentorship, professional development, and connection across career stages, the event welcomed participants ranging from medical students and residents to established psychiatrists. It provided an opportunity to step outside the usual clinical environment and engage in meaningful conversations about career development, professional identity, and the many paths available
within psychiatry.
Mentors included Drs. Adrienne Adams, L. Joy Houston, Andrew Lancia, Mojgan Makki, Kimberly Meyer, Joshua Nathan, Karen Pierce, Sundeep Singh Randhawa, Sudhakar Shenoy, Jasleen Singh, Abdi Tinwalla, and Steven Weinstein. Together, they shared perspectives that reflected the many ways psychiatrists can contribute to patients, institutions, communities, and the profession. Their experiences highlighted that careers in psychiatry do not always follow a single predetermined path, but often evolve through mentorship, clinical experiences, scholarship, advocacy, leadership, and new professional opportunities.
After initial networking, the core event began with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. L. Joy Houston with panelists Drs. Steven Weinstein, Karen Pierce, and Sudhakar Shenoy answering pre-set questions and questions from the audience. Following the panel discussion, roundtable mentoring sessions in small groups gave participants the opportunity to discuss CV development, practice settings, fellowship and subspecialty training, research and academic psychiatry, advocacy and leadership, and long-term career planning in a more intimate setting.
One particularly meaningful aspect of the event was the exchange of guidance across different levels of training. Residents and fellows were able to learn from more senior psychiatrists while also serving as mentors to medical students and junior trainees, reinforcing that mentorship is not strictly one-directional or limited by career stage. By creating a welcoming space for psychiatrists and trainees to exchange experiences, build relationships, and learn from one another, the event highlighted the value of a connected psychiatric community and the importance of mentorship throughout a physician’s career.
